Do You Need Renters Insurance?
The Importance of Renters Insurance
If you live in a rental home or apartment, chances are you don’t have the proper insurance. Despite the fact that rented homes are more likely to be burglarized than owner-occupied properties, nearly 60 percent of renters don’t have a renters insurance policy.
Why does it matter?
“If you rent a house or apartment and think that your landlord is financially responsible when there is a fire, theft or other catastrophe—think again,” warns the Insurance Information Institute*. “Your landlord may have insurance to protect the building you are living in. But your landlord’s insurance policy won’t replace your personal possessions or pay for your living expenses while the building is being repaired. The only way to protect yourself financially against disasters is to buy a renters insurance policy.”
Renters insurance covers your possessions, liability and additional living expenses. Let’s take a look at these three types of protection:
Possessions (Your Personal Property)
Standard renters insurance protects your personal belongings against damage from fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm, water and other disasters listed in the policy. Floods and earthquakes are not covered.
To decide how much insurance to buy, you need to know the value of all your personal possessions—including furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, kitchen utensils and even towels and bedding. The easiest way to figure this out is to create a home inventory, a detailed list of all of your personal possessions and their estimated value. See our blog on Using Technology to Create A Home Inventory.
There are two types of renters insurance coverage for your possessions (your policy deductible will apply for both):
- Actual Cash Value pays to replace your possessions minus an amount for depreciation (the reduction in the value of items due to age and use) up to the limit of your insurance policy.
- Replacement Cost pays the full cost of replacing your possessions (with no deduction for depreciation), up to the limit of your policy. The price of Replacement Cost coverage is about 10 percent more than Actual Cash Value coverage, but can be well worth the additional cost.
Note that a standard renters insurance policy offers only limited coverage for items such as jewelry, silver, furs, etc. If you own property that exceeds these limits, it is recommended that you supplement your policy with a floater. A floater is a separate insurance policy that provides additional coverage for your valuables and covers them for perils not included in your policy such as accidental loss.
Liability Insurance
Standard renters insurance policies also provide liability protection in the event you or members of your family cause injury to others or damage their property. It also pays for damage your pets cause. (Check your renters policy carefully, some policies exclude liability certain dog breads.)
If you are sued, the liability insurance portion of a renters policy may pay for both the cost of defending you in court and for court awards, up to the limit of the policy. We generally recommend at least $300,000 in liability coverage and even recommend securing an umbrella insurance policy for an extra layer of protection.
We always recommend that you buy as much liability insurance as possible because you do not have to be a millionaire to be sued like one. Lawsuits are prevalent these days and yo want to make sure to protect yourself and your assets from a lawsuit.
Your policy may also provide No-Fault Medical coverage. If visitors are injured in your home, regardless of fault, you can submit their medical bills directly to your insurance company. You can generally get $1,000 to $5,000 worth of this coverage. It does not however, pay medical bills for your own family or your pets.
Additional Living Expenses
Many people are pleasantly surprised to learn that Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage is typically included in a renters insurance policy. If the home or apartment you are renting is damaged or destroyed and you need to live elsewhere while it is being repaired or rebuilt, renters insurance will cover your additional living expenses—namely the difference between your regular living expenses and the additional costs incurred by having to live away from your home, such as hotel bills, temporary rentals, restaurant meals, etc.
