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What Is Renter's Insurance Really All About?

Renter’s insurance is protection intended for anyone who rents an apartment, home or other live-in dwelling. Purchasing renter’s insurance can protect you against the risk of fire, theft, windstorms, falling objects, smoke, and vandalism. Another important aspect of renter’ insurance is that it protects you against liability in the unlikely event that someone meets harm or injury in your home.

While it is true that your landlord more than likely holds insurance on your residence his insurance normally only covers the actual building you reside in. The burden of replacing your personal property lies on you. The landlord’s insurance definitely will not cover any legal responsibility for injury or damage to a guest or their property. In many cases rental insurance may even provide for the cost of a legal defense.

It is also important to make sure you are aware of the different types of coverage and that you provide yourself with adequate protection. Personal property coverage protects the assets in your home such as your furniture and clothing. It also provides protection for those things you may have with you while traveling or away from home.

Loss of use coverage pays for living expenses when an insured loss prevents you from habitation of your home. This includes food and shelter for the duration of time while your home is being repaired or replaced for up to two years.

Inflation coverage routinely augments the amount of your insurance coverage as cost of living expenses increase. Personal liability coverage grants payment for legal accountability according to the limits of your individual policy for damages based on bodily injury or property damage, which are incurred in your home.

Medical payments to others coverage pays the medical expenses for visitors who are accidentally injured while a guest on your premises. This coverage does not pay out to you or your family members who reside with you.

When purchasing renter’s insurance you will need to make a decision as to whether to insure your possessions based on their actual cash value or their replacement value. Actual cash value payouts will be based on how much your property is worth post depreciation, meaning if you lose a 10-year-old computer to wind or storm damage you will be paid the cost to replace the same 10-year-old computer. Replacement coverage pays a return without consideration of depreciation.

The best thing about renter’s insurance is that for the amount of protection it provides it is still relatively inexpensive and if you purchase your renter’s insurance from the same company that insures your automobile you may be eligible for a significant discount.

As with any insurance that you purchase it is important to make sure you understand exactly what may or may not be covered by your renter’s insurance policy. Some losses that may not be covered include but are not limited to flood or underground water damage, earthquake, mud or landslide damage or even nuclear hazards. Although your renter’s insurance may not cover these disasters it is highly probable that optional or additional coverage may be available for an additional premium.

By Tim Gorman