Renters Insurance

There are many reasons people choose to rent rather than buy a home. Whether you are a college student, you are saving up for a down payment on a house, or you simply like the flexibility of apartment living, it is a good idea to become familiar with renters insurance and how it can protect you.

If you’re considering purchasing a renters insurance policy, you may have some questions. Do you really need this coverage? Is it worth it? How can you get the best deal? An Insurance Station agent can answer all these questions and more.

What Is Renters Insurance?

Renters insurance provides low-cost coverage for your personal belongings, so you can recover from loss, damage or theft. It also covers your personal liability. Your landlord’s policy covers the building and grounds, but will not reimburse you for the costs of your personal items in the event of a loss, or cover the costs of injuries or damage that happen inside your apartment space.

Landlords insure their rental properties with homeowners or landlords insurance. These policies provide coverage for the structure of the building, any personal property the landlord owns (such as appliances and carpeting) and liability for injuries due to the property owner’s negligence in upkeep or safety of the property.

But in the event that your personal belongings and valuables are destroyed in a building fire or stolen by a thief, you need to have a renters insurance policy in place to cover your losses. If you do not have such a policy, you will need to recover from your loss out of pocket.

Should I Get Renters Insurance?

Renters insurance is not mandatory in any state. In some cases, however, landlords will require their tenants to buy renters insurance, and they are perfectly within their rights to do so.

You are most likely to be required to carry renters insurance if you live in an apartment building or other type of multi-unit rental. The main reason for this requirement has to do with liability coverage for the leasing company and the other tenants. If you should accidently start a fire, your landlord and other affected tenants can receive reimbursements through your policy.

Whether or not you are required to carry this insurance, choosing to purchase a renters insurance policy is a wise decision that will protect you from devastating loss.