Did you know that 6 out of 10 renters do not have renter’s insurance? We can agree that this is not good if something were to happen to one of those 6 out of 10 renters. There is no reason to not carry renters insurance, which is why we put together this guide to share what standard renters insurance coverage covers.
Read on to learn more.
What Does It Cover?
Standard renters insurance usually covers personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments. Anytime you rent a home, an apartment, or even a dorm room, it is important to protect your space and your belongings in the event of an accident or emergency.
Personal Property
No matter how modest and minimal you live, you can replace your basics like clothing and furniture without having to deal with extra headaches. You might be surprised, but when you add up all your clothing and shoes, it’s probably worth a few thousand dollars. Furniture can be another few thousand as well, even with the most basic things such as a bed, dresser, nightstand, couch, etc.
Renters insurance will help you replace these basic items plus smartphones, electronics, and other personal belongings for one of these events:
- Theft
- Smoke
- Fire
- Lightning
- Explosion
- Falling object
- Riot or civil commotion
- Vandalism
- Volcanic eruption
- Freezing of household systems
- Weight of ice, sleet, or snow
- Accidental discharge of water or steam from appliances
- Damage caused by vehicles
- Damage caused by aircraft
- Sudden damage from artificially generated electric currents
Keep in mind that your personal property is not only covered when it’s inside your home, but it is also covered when you are out and about. For example, if someone steals your bicycle while you’re inside a store, your renter’s insurance will more than likely cover it after you pay your deductible.
In some cases, there might be a limit to how much coverage you have when your items are outside your home.
Loss of Use
If your home is hit by a disaster that your policy covers, and your place is unlivable, your standard insurance will generally pay for you to live somewhere else while your home is under repair. Depending on your policy, it can cover things such as restaurant meals, hotels bills, and other costs that you don’t normally have if you were to be at home.
An example, is if your bedroom catches on fire, and you need to move out for a few weeks or even months while your place is being cleaned up and fixed, your hotel stay would be covered. Plus, the difference between how much it normally costs you to make your meals (like you normally would do in your home) and eating out every night because you don’t have a kitchen in your hotel.
Liability
In the event that someone gets hurt in your home and ends up suing you, your insurance policy will cover that lawsuit. They will pay out for someone’s bodily injury on your property.
Sometimes your policy will also cover you if your dog bites someone and they need their medical bills paid or if they were to sue you. Keep in mind that some insurance companies will not cover certain dog breeds, so you have to double-check with your agent to make sure your dog is covered.
Your legal representation in the lawsuit will be covered, plus any money awarded to the other party. For example, if you are filling up your tub for a bath, and then you get distracted with your child and it causes your tub to overfill and water ends up seeping through your ceiling to your neighbor’s home. If something is ruined in your neighbor’s apartment, and they decide to sue you, then your renters’ policy will cover your legal bills and whatever amount your neighbor is awarded for their property loss.
Medical Payments
If someone gets hurt, no matter who is at fault, the medical payment’s coverage in your policy will cover this. Unlike the liability portion of your policy, which only covers if you’re found responsible.
For example, if you have a relative or friend visiting you, and they trip over your child’s toy and land on their wrist, your medical payments’ coverage will reimburse them for their medical visit and X-ray.
What Is Not Covered
Renters insurance does not cover flood damage, infestations, earthquake damage, or roommate’s belongings. Most policies will not cover any floods, so if you live in an area with a high risk of flooding, you want to make sure you take out a specific policy that will cover you.
Also, most policies will not cover damage caused by earthquakes. You can either buy a separate policy for this if you’re in an area prone to earthquakes, or you can ask your current company if you can pay extra for this as an add-on to your policy.
If you end up dealing with mice, bedbugs, or other infestations, then your standard policy will not cover the treatment for this. One last thing not covered by standard policies is your roommate’s belongings, unless you are both on the policy as shared policyholders.
Feeling Like a Standard Renters Insurance Coverage Pro?
Now that you learned everything there is to know about standard renters insurance coverage, you can make informed decisions about finding the best insurance coverage for you. Remember, insurance is one of those things that you don’t realize how much you love it until you need it, so don’t skimp out on it.
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