What Does Renters Insurance Cover? (2024)

What are the different types of coverages offered on a renters insurance policy?

The standard coverages on a typical renters insurance policy are personal property, personal liability, medical payments to others, and loss of use.

Personal property

Personal property coverage covers your possessions—including electronics, clothing, and furniture—in case of loss or damage. Your possessions may be covered even if you're away from home when the loss occurs. For example, if someone steals your laptop from your car, your renters insurance may pay to replace the laptop, up your policy's limits and minus your deductible.

Your policy's personal property coverage may cover personal possessions, damaged from a covered peril, from the following categories

  • Clothing
  • Electronics (TVs, Blu-ray/DVD players, computers, etc.)
  • Furniture
  • Decorations
  • Toys/other games (arcade systems, pool tables, ping-pong tables, etc.)
  • Tools/power equipment
  • Appliances you brought into your place (refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.)

Personal liability

Personal liability coverage may provide protection if a claim or lawsuit is brought against you for bodily injury or property damage that you may be responsible for. For example, if a visitor trips over your rug and is injured, liability coverage may provide compensation up to your policy's limits for their injuries and provide you with legal defense if you are sued.

Medical payments to others

Medical payments to others may provide coverage if there's bodily injury due to an occurrence. For example, suppose a visitor is injured and requires an x-ray to determine if her leg is broken. This coverage may pay for her medical costs, up to your policy's limits.

Loss of use

Loss of use coverage may pay for additional costs you incur to maintain your normal household standard of living while your rental home is being repaired or rebuilt due to a covered loss. For instance, if a fire makes your rental home not suitable or fit to live in, additional living expense within your loss of use coverage may pay for a short-term rental, a storage unit for your belongings, and increased food bills.

While these coverages are common on most renters insurance policies, some providers may offer optional coverages, including personal injury and water backup. Learn more about the types of renters insurance coverages and how renters insurance works.

What does renters insurance not cover?

Renters insurance typically won't cover normal wear and tear, or damage or losses that occurred before you bought the policy. Your renters insurance policy also won't cover damage and vandalism to the dwelling (which is your landlord's responsibility) or your roommate's possessions if they aren't listed as a named insured on your policy. Contact your insurer to see if you're able to list your roommate on your renters insurance policy.

Certain natural disasters, including earthquakes and sinkholes, are also typically not covered by standard property insurance, regardless of whether you rent or own. Floods typically aren't covered, even when they result from another covered event such as a severe rainstorm. You may purchase a separate flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer.

Get the right renters insurance coverage for you

What Does Renters Insurance Cover? (2024)

FAQs

What Does Renters Insurance Cover? ›

What does renters insurance cover? Renters insurance covers personal property, personal liability, medical payments and additional living expenses or loss of use, up to the limits of your policy. Learn more about what renters insurance covers and the types of renters insurance coverages.

What does renters insurance include coverage for? ›

Renters insurance is an insurance policy that can cover theft, water backup damage, certain natural disasters, bodily injuries and more in a rented property.

What does renters insurance not include? ›

What's Not Covered. Unfortunately, renters insurance does not cover all losses. For example, it does not cover natural disasters that aren't specifically listed in your policy, such as floods and earthquakes. Renters insurance does not cover losses related to a personal business either.

Which of the following is not covered by renter's insurance? ›

Standard renters insurance will likely only cover situations listed in your policy, like fire, theft, and vandalism. Natural disasters, like floods and earthquakes, are generally excluded, though you may be able to add extra protection for an additional cost.

What are the three ways that renters insurance protects a renter? ›

Renters insurance policies are helpful in three ways: repairing or replacing your belongings if damaged, paying for living expenses if you're displaced, and covering damages to others.

What is renters insurance in simple terms? ›

Renters insurance protects your personal property in a rented apartment, condo or home from unexpected circ*mstances such as theft, a fire or sewer backup damage – and will pay you for lost or damaged possessions. It can also help protect you from liability if someone is injured on your property.

Does renters insurance cover broken windows? ›

Broken Windows in Your Home

Renters insurance will not cover a broken window in your own residence. Renters insurance only covers your personal property, not the home. Damage to the physical structure of the building you live in, which includes a broken window, is covered by your landlord insurance.

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.

What type of insurance covers the contents of an apartment? ›

Renters Insurance

To protect your belongings, you should consider purchasing renter's insurance, also known as “tenant's insurance.” The renter's policy may be used to provide coverage for your personal contents located in the property that you occupy.

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.

What are two examples when renters insurance would not cover the event? ›

Certain natural disasters, including earthquakes and sinkholes, are also typically not covered by standard property insurance, regardless of whether you rent or own. Floods typically aren't covered, even when they result from another covered event such as a severe rainstorm.

What are 5 different events that would cause losses that would be covered by renters insurance? ›

Why do you need renters insurance, you ask? Well, look no further...
  • Your phone's stolen at a music festival. ...
  • Your laptop's swiped while traveling. ...
  • Your bike's stolen (even though you locked it) ...
  • Your neighbors leave their faucet on, and it floods your apartment. ...
  • Your plumbing leaks, damaging your stuff.

Does renters insurance cover broken TV? ›

Renters insurance can cover all sorts of electronics, including video game consoles, TVs, and computers. That means that your policy may help pay to repair or replace your tech in certain situations, like if they're stolen or damaged by a fire. In insurance speak, these scenarios are referred to as covered perils.

How does a renters insurance deductible work? ›

How does a deductible work for renters insurance? Renters insurance deductibles are applied the same way as homeowners and condo insurance deductibles. If you file a claim on a covered loss, your insurer will pay you the amount above your deductible, up to your policy's limit.

Does renters insurance cover pet damage? ›

Renters insurance may cover pet damage as part of your policy's liability coverage. This may help protect your finances if your pet injures someone else or damages their property. However, renters insurance won't cover damage to your own property that's caused by your pet.

What is liability coverage in renters insurance and why is it important for renters? ›

Personal liability coverage is part of a standard renters insurance policy. It may help pay for another person's medical bills or repairs to their property if you're found legally responsible for their injuries or property damage.

Which of the following items below would be covered by a standard renters insurance policy? ›

The typical renters insurance policy covers personal property, living expenses, liability coverage, and medical expenses, all of which we'll cover in-depth below.

What is the average monthly cost of renters insurance in Maryland? ›

The average price of renters insurance in Maryland is $194, which is a little less than $16.17 per month.

What factors do you think determine the premium paid for a renters insurance policy? ›

Some location-based factors that impact renters insurance rates can include: The rate of crimes, especially theft, in your ZIP code. The weather and climate in your area, since locations prone to fires, storms and hurricanes are riskier. The age and condition of the property you live in.

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