Renters Insurance
About Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance, also known as tenants’ insurance, is another type of Property Insurance for an individual. It is like a Homeowners’ Insurance policy, but the insured is not the owner of the house itself.
Definition
Renters Insurance is a policy designed to protect the tenant’s personal property within the rented space and also provide coverage for general liability, for the tenant should someone get injured or face damage and/or loss of their personal property. The policy covers the personal property of the renter from events like vandalism, fire, theft, etc. Repairs or replacement of the property lost or damaged due to the covered causes will be paid for. There’s always a limit to this coverage and is mentioned in the policy’s contract details.
Types
There are three different types of Renters Insurance coverage available:
- Coverage for Personal Property: Provides the cost for repairs or replacement for the renter’s personal property present within the rented compound, should that be damaged, lost, or stolen due to any of the covered causes in the contract provisions.
- Coverage for the Renter’s Liabilities: If someone gets injured or is affected by damage or loss of their personal property by the renter and/or the family members, including the house-pet(s) in the rented premises, then this policy would cover the costs of medical expenses or legal expenses should the third party place a claim or file a lawsuit against the renter.
- Additional Coverage: This is a customizable part of the coverage that depends on the renter’s possession of expensive personal assets such as jewelry, high-priced pieces of art, snowmobiles, boats etc.
Also, there are two different types of contracts available, based on the reimbursement process, such as:
- Coverage on Replacement Costs: The renter receives the cost for the replacement of the damaged or lost items, as agreed in the contract details.
Importance
Even though the liability of the physical house and its fixtures are not placed on the renter, there can be multiple unfortunate events to trigger cases of severe financial and emotional impacts for the renters and their families. The most important reason to have Renters Insurance is because the renters’ possessions are not covered under the landlord’s insurance, as opposed to the house, even if the cause of damage was the same.
Also, it provides protection against any liability claims laid on the renter, and/or the family members. If a visitor is injured or any personal property of the visitor is damaged or lost at the rented premises, that person may claim medical expenses for the injury or file a lawsuit against the renter on grounds of negligence. The renters’ liability insurance would then cover the costs of legal defense proceedings.
Renters Insurance also covers for risks of temporary loss of use of the rented compounds. In the event of the renter and the family having to take up temporary accommodations elsewhere while the rental house is under repair due to damage from fire, smoke or water etc., the policy will cover the boarding expenses and day-to-day cost of living.
Points to note
There are a few important tips to know about a Renters Insurance policy:
- In the case of a claim for personal liability charges, check with the insurance agent if the responsibility would lie with the renter or the landlord. There can be tricky situations where the responsibility of the unfortunate event and liability of the expenses switch from the renter to the landlord, under certain specific criteria.
- Similar to the Homeowner’s Insurance, Renters Insurance policies do not cover the renter’s business property when damaged by the same covered cause. So, any business owner or part-time employee working from the rented home will need to opt for separate business liability insurance coverage to protect business property.
- The premium costs for the Renters Insurance policies can sometimes be tax deductible. Get in touch with a reliable and authorized insurance consultant to know if the benefits can be applicable to a specific renter or not.
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