California Renters Insurance (2024)

Renting a house or apartment in The Golden State is a dream come true for many, and renters insurance helps keep that dream a reality. California renters insurance may protect you, your property, and your loved ones against potentially catastrophic damages and certain liabilities. Get a custom quote from Progressive for renters insurance in San Diego to San Francisco, and everywhere in between.

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Is renters insurance required in California?

While renters insurance isn't required in California by state or federal law, it might be required by your landlord or by the building manager if you're moving into an apartment complex. Even if you don't need to have renters insurance when you move into your new California digs, taking out coverage can be a wise investment if something unfortunate happens. The cheapest renters insurance in California generally may reimburse you for your losses in situations like theft, household fires, and damage. If you're affected by any of these incidents, some renters insurance policies may provide financial relief in covering the cost of replacements or repairs.

You can also customize your policy to include specific risks that are common to your region. Suppose you're taking out renters insurance in Southern California. In that case, you might want to consider adding a California Earthquake Authority (CEA) policy for earthquake coverage on top of your existing policy to make sure all your bases are covered.

California renters insurance coverages

Check out the four standard coverages on nearly all California renters insurance policies:

  • Personal property protects your personal belongings, including furniture, clothing, and electronics.
  • Loss of use helps cover costs associated with an increase in living expenses, up to your policy's limit, if you're unable to stay in your home while it's being repaired or rebuilt due to a covered loss.
  • Personal liability protects you financially if you're legally responsible for another person's injuries or damage to their property.
  • Medical payments to others pays for medical expenses due to a covered occurrence.

Additional coverages

For tenants renting apartments, condos, or homes, the best renters insurance in California is always a policy with customized coverage limits. Here are some extra options for when you need more protection:

  • Certain valuable items, like jewelry, art and collectibles, may have specific limits on your renters policy. If your items exceed the limit, you may be able to purchase an endorsement for your policy, also known as "adding a rider," to cover the item for its value.
  • Personal injury: May pay for legal fees and damages if you’re liable for slander or defamation.
  • Water back-up: Water that backs up through sewers or drains or discharges from a sump pump may not be covered by your standard renters policy. Water back-up coverage may pay for the damage to your belongings and water removal costs.

Learn more about renters insurance coverages.

Common claims in California

Californians endure natural disasters along the coastline, from earthquakes in San Francisco to mudslides in Malibu, with the risk of wildfires scattered throughout the landscape. Depending on the situation and whether it's considered a covered peril, your California renters insurance policy may help pay for personal belongings damaged in a disaster.

Over 70% of California residents live within 30 miles of a fault line, making seismic safety a top priority. While renters insurance doesn't typically include earthquake coverage, you may consider taking out an additional, earthquake-specific policy or adding an earthquake rider, if available, to your existing policy to make sure you're covered in the event of an earthquake.

Discounts on California renters insurance

Progressive offers several discounts to help lower the cost of renters policies in California, such as:

  • Multi-policy
  • Quote in advance
  • Pay in full
  • Secured/gated community

See more of our available renters insurance discounts.

Pro tip:

Bundle renters with auto insurance and save! Get a bundled quote and earn a multi-policy discount.**

What does Progressive renters insurance cost in California?

You can buy renters insurance for less than $1/day.* Many components influence the cost of renters insurance in California, including your location and coverage limits. Learn more about renters insurance cost factors.

Get a California renters insurance quote

California Renters Insurance (2)

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Customize your coverages and limits when you quote online.

Quote renters insurance online

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Call 1-866-749-7436

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Ask an agent

Connect with an independent agent in your neighborhood.

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Get a renters insurance quote online or call for advice

  • Or, call 1-866-749-7436

Learn more about renters insurance.

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California Renters Insurance (2024)

FAQs

How much is renters insurance in California? ›

The Cost of Renters Insurance in California

According to data collected by Quadrant Information Services in 2023, renters insurance costs $187 per year or $15.58 per month on average in the state of California.

How does renters insurance work in California? ›

California renters insurance protects you against damage from vandalism, fire, windstorm, water, theft, explosion, lightning, smoke, and other disasters mentioned in your policy. Note that renters insurance won't cover any damage caused to the building structure you live in, even from a fire or windstorm.

What is the minimum renters insurance required in California? ›

Personal Liability – Covers you for any damages for which you're held liable, and most landlords will require you to get at least $100,000 of this type of coverage. Medical Payments to Others – Covers medical payments for any injuries that have occurred on the property, and it will usually have a minimum of $1,000.

What company has the cheapest renters insurance? ›

Which company offers the cheapest renters insurance? According to our research, State Farm and Toggle tend to offer the cheapest renters insurance policies at $10.50 and $12.59 per month, which is about 20% less the national average.

What is the best renters insurance in California? ›

The best renters insurance companies in California are American Family, Mercury, Nationwide, Lemonade and USAA, according to our research. The average cost of renters insurance in California is $171 per year, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

Can my landlord make me get renters insurance in California? ›

Unlike some other states, California landlords are allowed to require tenants to obtain and maintain renters insurance while they are under the terms of the lease.

Can I be evicted for not having renters insurance California? ›

In most cases, not having renters insurance doesn't always lead to eviction. However, if it's a requirement stated in the lease agreement, not having coverage could give your landlord grounds to initiate eviction proceedings.

Why do landlords require renters insurance in California? ›

Without a renters policy in place, damage or injury from a gathering gone wrong could be your responsibility. Renters insurance can help protect a landlord against tenant negligence. Tenant negligence can take many forms, ranging from a kitchen fire while cooking to water damage from an overflowing tub.

Is lemonade renters insurance good? ›

Whether someone considers Lemonade renters insurance as good or not likely depends on their coverage needs. If you're a renter who does not have a significant amount of valuable personal property, Lemonade's affordable premiums and easy buying process can make it a good choice.

How to decrease the cost of renters insurance? ›

How can I save on renters insurance? You may be able to lower the cost of your policy with several renters insurance discounts, such as having multiple policies with Progressive, quoting in advance, paying in full, receiving documents by mail, and living in a gated or secured community.

What is the most common renters insurance? ›

The typical renters insurance policy offers $100,000 in liability coverage. For renters, this amount is often sufficient. However, if you entertain company frequently at your home or if your assets exceed your limit, you should consider a coverage amount equal to at least the total value of your assets.

Why is my renters insurance so high? ›

Insurance is all about risk, so customers that live in areas with higher risks of claims usually have to pay more for coverage. Some location-based factors that impact renters insurance rates can include: The rate of crimes, especially theft, in your ZIP code.

What is the most common amount for renters insurance? ›

Renters insurance is relatively inexpensive. According to NerdWallet, the average renters policy costs about $15 per month for up to $30,000 in personal property coverage. That's solid coverage for less than the cost of a few cups of coffee a week.

Is renters insurance really worth? ›

Renters insurance coverage is almost always worth it. It is much more affordable than other policies, including home or auto insurance, and provides valuable financial protection. Even if you can save enough money to cover unexpected loss, renters insurance may be worthwhile.

Why is renters insurance so expensive? ›

Insurance is all about risk, so customers that live in areas with higher risks of claims usually have to pay more for coverage. Some location-based factors that impact renters insurance rates can include: The rate of crimes, especially theft, in your ZIP code.

What is the average renters insurance in the US? ›

How Much Does Renters Insurance Cost? Renters insurance costs an average of $157 a year for a policy with $15,000 of personal property coverage. The average cost of renters insurance for a policy with $30,000 is $199 annually, and a $50,000 policy costs an average of $260 a year.

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