While most people are familiar with the concept of homeowner’s insurance, much fewer people are aware that there is also renter’s insurance. Renter’s insurance covers a tenant in much the same way as homeowner’s insurance covers a homeowner and can be useful for practically all types of renters. It provides protection for the policy owner from a wide range of problems that could result in loss of or damage to personal property.
Sometimes known as HO4 or HO-4 insurance, renters insurance does not cover damage to the living structure, as the building, itself is always the responsibility of the building owner. There are many important differences between renter’s insurance and homeowner’s insurance concerning coverage areas, limitations, price and much more. There are multiple types of renter’s insurance and each aims to protect the policyholder in a specific way.
With less than 40 percent of renters purchasing renter’s insurance, it may seem like renter’s insurance is not terribly important. In reality, spending around $15 a month for renter’s insurance could end up saving you tens of thousands of dollars in lost personal belongings in many unexpected or emergency situations. Increasingly, more and more property owners are requiring tenants to purchase a renter’s insurance policy in order to sign a lease in an effort to avoid any potential conflict if some disaster were to damage or destroy both your personal possessions and the structure itself. In this way, there is no doubt or discussion about whether you or the landlord is responsible for your personal belongings if a serious problem occurs. Most renter’s insurance policies are only about $15 per month, with pricing generally rising with higher coverage amounts. Keep reading to learn more about what renter’s insurance is and whether it is an investment worth making for you.
What coverage options are available with renter’s insurance?
When talking about renter’s insurance, most people automatically think about the personal possessions that might fall under the policy. While coverage for personal possessions does make up the base of most plans, there are other types of coverage options too. Some renter’s insurance policies include personal liability coverage, which protects the policyholder from lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage caused by the policyholder and/or his or her family and pets. Liability coverage pays legal defense costs and often-medical costs for injuries caused by accidents on the property by the policyholder or their guests. Most renter’s insurance policies with personal liability protection provide around $100,000 in annual protection for qualifying legal issues.
What are the most common types of renter’s insurance plans available today?
There are two primary types of renter’s insurance plans: actual cash value plans and replacement cost plans. Actual cash value (ACV) plans are those that pay the policyholder the current cash value for covered items in the case of damage or loss. This means that, in the case of a fire for example, a computer that is covered by renter’s insurance that was purchased for $1,000 about 2 years ago will only get the renter that computer’s current value today as an insurance payout, probably somewhere around $600 depending on the make, model, condition, etc. Do not forget that this is before paying your deductible, when applicable.
On the other hand, replacement cost coverage plans pay out the insured personal items’ current value in the case of covered damage or loss. This means that, using the same example mentioned above of a ruined $1,000 computer purchased two years ago, you might receive $900 or more to replace the computer with a new version of the same or another equivalent model.
Replacement cost coverage generally costs more in premiums and possible deductibles because they generally make higher payouts for claims. In addition, many replacement cost plans place limitations on allowed claim amounts categories of items. If you plan to cover any particularly expensive items, make sure that the limits of your renter’s insurance with replacement cost coverage are high enough to cover their replacement, if necessary, or look into purchasing a named rider for those high-ticket items you want guaranteed coverage for.
How much does renter’s insurance cost and cover?
Renter’s insurance is surprisingly affordable for coverage, and peace of mind, that it can give you. Depending on where you live, and the amount of coverage you want, most renter’s insurance plans cost renters from $100 to $250 a year. The national average cost for renter’s insurance is between $15 and $30 per month. In most cases, you will have the choice of plans with higher monthly premiums and lower or no deductibles or plans with low premiums but exceedingly high deductibles. Make sure you are comfortable with the balance between your renter’s insurance monthly premium and claim deductible costs. If you choose to go with a high deductible, be sure to have enough fund to cover it in full if ever in a serious emergency. Unfortunately, renter’s insurance is not usually tax deductible unless you also use your rented home to work from home for an employer or to operate your own business.
You can choose how much coverage and what types of coverage you want to purchase with your renter’s insurance, up to certain insurance company-specific limitations. Most plans start with personal possession coverage starting at a minimum of $2,500 and increasing into the tens of thousands. Liability coverage ranges significantly as well. If you have any particularly valuable belongings, you may want to include them as riders in the policy to guarantee their coverage specifically. When trying to decide what coverage options or plan type is best for you, think about what would happen if, for any reason, you lost 75 percent of your personal possessions like your wardrobe, your computer and cell phone and most of your furniture. If you calculate that you would lose more than a couple thousand dollars’ worth of items, you should seriously consider investing in some form of renter’s insurance.
Why is renter’s insurance a good idea for tenants?
Renter’s insurance plans provide you with coverage for your personal belongings for several types of emergencies and disasters. Most plans include coverage for possessions that need replacement due to loss, theft or fire or water damage. The majority of renter’s insurance plans also cover the loss of these items even if you were not with the items at the time of the damage, whether you did the damage yourself or it was a criminal act and in many other situations. Even if the property owner has homeowner’s insurance on the property, it is highly unlikely that is includes coverage for tenant’s personal items. With extras like personal liability coverage, you can have friends and family over without ever worrying about medical bills from an injury or accident in your home. You would just have to file a claim with your renter’s insurance provider, pay the deductible and get your friend the replacement they need.
Where Can You Buy Renter’s Insurance?
Many insurance providers across the country provide at least one form of renter’s insurance to interested clients. Some of these insurance policies are more comprehensive than others, so be careful to pay attention to the costs and limitations of the specific plans you are looking in to. A quick online search should show you the most popular insurance providers in your area and allow you to make a quick comparison of coverage levels and premium and deductible costs. Some insurance plans are available for purchase in multi-year packages as well. Because renter’s insurance is not one of the most common types of insurance plans, make sure to look into the qualifications and reviews of the insurance provider you choose to work with before coming to a final decision about who to go with to avoid potential difficulty in the future when submitting claims. You can also talk to your new property owner about any recommendations he or she may have for insurance providers that the other tenants may have worked with in the past.
