Earthquake insurance for renters is the affordable choice to protect your belongings and cover the cost of living elsewhere if your rented house, apartment or room is damaged by an earthquake.
Even if your landlord has earthquake insurance for the building, their policy won’t cover your belongings inside your rental home. Get a CEA earthquake policy to cover your possessions and protect you from costly expenses if you need to move out.
You might be surprised to discover how flexible and affordable California earthquake insurance for renters can be. CEA offers a variety of coverage choices and deductible options.
Get a quick earthquake insurance price estimate using our premium calculator. And, talk to your residential insurer about a California earthquake insurance policy for renters that fits your needs and budget. They will also help you purchase your CEA policy.
How to Buy a Policy
Does renters insurance cover earthquakes?
Most renters policies don't cover earthquake damage.
Most renters policies don’t cover earthquake damage. And even if your landlord has earthquake insurance, their policy won’t cover your belongings.
Get a CEA earthquake policy to cover your belongings and protect you if you need to move out. Use the CEA premium calculator to get a free insurance cost estimate. Then, contact your residential insurer, who will help you buy your earthquake insurance policy.
CEA renters coverage options*
Personal Property**
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Personal property coverage protects items inside your rented home, apartment or room. This includes furniture, clothing, sporting goods, and electronics that are damaged or destroyed in the event of a major earthquake. Household items damaged by an earthquake may be eligible to be repaired or replaced under this coverage.
Loss of Use
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Where would you live if after a major earthquake you couldn’t live in your rented home, apartment or room? Loss of Use covers the full cost of living elsewhere while your home is being repaired or if a civil authority prevents entry to your neighborhood. Loss of Use not only covers temporary housing rent but also additional items, including food, moving, and storage expenses, and other essential tasks. This coverage never has a deductible.
Emergency Repairs
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Emergency repairs pay for the cost to protect your personal belongings from further damage after an earthquake. This could include the cost of labor and materials to protect your property from the weather by covering it with a tarp or store it elsewhere.
Breakables**
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Not available for new policies written on or after August 1, 2023 and renewals on or after November 1, 2023.
learn more about renters policy coverage
Get more details about our renters policy coverages and deductibles.
Do I Need Earthquake Insurance for Renters?
There aren’t any warning signs for a devastating earthquake. In the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles, you may have an app that will give you a warning of 10 or 15 seconds, which isn’t very much time—certainly not enough time to buy coverage!
One thing is certain: California is overdue for a damaging earthquake in the near future.
Earthquake insurance for renters is not required in California, unlike automobile liability insurance. If you choose not to protect yourself with earthquake residential insurance, you will be responsible for 100 percent of the costs to replace your belongings and the expense of finding another place to live if your home is damaged or destroyed after a major earthquake.
How Expensive is Earthquake Insurance?
CEA earthquake insurance for renters could cost as little as $35 per year. The cost of your policy depends on factors like where you live, and the coverages and deductibles you choose. We offer coverage choices and more deductible options to help you find a policy that best meets your needs and budget.
Where To Buy Earthquake Insurance
Contact your home insurance agent today to discuss adding a separate CEA earthquake renters policy to your rental home policy.
We work with participating residential insurers in California to make buying earthquake coverage easy. Add a policy today. You don’t need to wait until your rental home insurance policy comes for renewal.
Read Your CEA Policy Carefully
*We encourage you to read your entire CEA policy—and its policy declarations page—to understand your coverages and how they work. Exclusions and special limits apply. All terms and conditions of CEA insurance coverage are found in the CEA insurance-policy form. Refer to a sample policy, below.
Renters Policy Sample (PDF)
** Reflects policy option changes that went into effect for new policies written on or after August 1, 2023 and for renewals on or after November 1, 2023. These changes include Dwelling Deductible Options (Coverage A), Personal Property Limits (Coverage C), Breakables, and Exterior Masonry Veneer. Learn more about our 2023 Policy Option Changes.
Renters Insurance FAQs
We’ve gathered some frequently asked questions from renters to help you understand how a CEA policy can help you recover from the next damaging earthquake.
See all FAQs
Q: Why do I need earthquake insurance?
A. In California, your residential insurance policy doesn’t cover your home or your belongings against earthquakes. If you don’t have an earthquake insurance policy, you’re not covered for earthquake damage or any additional costs needed to live elsewhere while your home is being repaired or rebuilt after a quake. Contact your residential insurer today to get the earthquake insurance you need.
Q: How much does a CEA renters policy cost?
A. A CEA renters policy could cost as little as $35 per year. Of course, the cost of your policy depends on factors such as the earthquake risk where you live and the coverages and deductibles you choose. CEA offers coverage and limit choices as well as more deductible options to help you find a policy that best meets your needs and budget. Use our Premium Calculator to estimate the cost of your earthquake insurance policy.
Q: How does CEA’s deductible work? Do I have to pay the deductible before receiving a payment?
A. You do not pay your deductible out-of-pocket. The deductible is subtracted from your covered damage so you don’t have to pay any of the deductible up front to receive a claim payment.
Q: Where can I buy a CEA earthquake insurance policy?
A. You can buy a CEA earthquake insurance policy through one of CEA's participating residential insurance companies. CEA does not offer stand-alone policies. Learn more about how to buy a CEA earthquake insurance policy.
Q: What are my deductible options?
A. You can choose coverage deductibles of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25%. For new policies written on or after August 1, 2023 and renewals on or after November 1, 2023, homes with a Coverage A dwelling limit greater than $1,000,000, or dwellings built before 1980 on a raised or other type foundation that do not have a verified retrofit, are only eligible for a 15%, 20% or 25% deductible.
