Fine Print Guide

Your home and things · HO-4

Renters insurance

Covers your belongings and your liability when you rent a home. The landlord's insurance covers the building, not your things and not you.

Who it's for
Anyone renting an apartment, house or room. It's usually one of the cheapest policies you can buy.
Is it required?
Not by law, but many leases require it, often with at least $100,000 of liability coverage.

Usually covered

  • Your belongings, if damaged by one of the 16 named perils such as fire, smoke, theft or a burst pipe, at home or away
  • Hotel and extra costs if the apartment can't be lived in after covered damage
  • Claims against you if you hurt someone or damage other people's property, like a bathtub overflow that ruins the unit below. Damage to the unit you rent is usually covered only if caused by fire, smoke or explosion.
  • Small medical bills for guests hurt at your place

Usually not covered

  • The building itself, walls, floors and built-in appliances. That's the landlord's insurance.
  • Flood and earthquake
  • Your roommate's things, unless they're named on your policy
  • Bedbugs, rodents and other pests
  • Your car, though things stolen from your car are covered
  • Expensive items above the sublimits, such as jewelry or cash

Real-life examples

A fire in the next unit fills your apartment with smoke.

Usually covered

Smoke is a named peril. Cleaning or replacing your clothes and furniture is covered, and so is a hotel while the smell is being dealt with.

You leave the bath running and water leaks into the apartment below.

Usually covered

Your liability coverage usually pays for the neighbor's damage if you're responsible. Damage to your own rented unit is usually covered only when caused by fire, smoke or explosion, so the landlord's insurer may seek the rest from you.

Your bike is stolen from outside a café.

Usually covered

Theft is covered away from home, minus your deductible. With a $500 deductible, a cheap bike may not be worth claiming.

You find bedbugs in your mattress.

Usually not covered

Pest damage and extermination are excluded. Depending on your state and lease, the landlord may have to pay for treatment.

The roof leaks during a storm and ruins your couch.

It depends

If wind or hail damaged the roof and rain came in through that opening, your couch is usually covered. If the roof leaked because of poor upkeep, your policy may not pay, but the landlord may be responsible.

What's inside a renters policy

Renters policies use the same letters as homeowners policies but skip A and B, the building parts.

CPersonal propertyYour belongings

Everything you own in the apartment and when you travel. A quick video of every room makes a claim much easier. Replacement cost costs a little more; actual cash value pays little for used furniture.

Example: A kitchen fire ruins your furniture and clothes.

DLoss of useWhere you stay meanwhile

Extra living costs if the unit is unlivable after covered damage, above what you normally pay.

EPersonal liabilityHarm you cause

Claims for injuries or damage you're responsible for, anywhere, plus your legal defense.

Example: Your space heater starts a fire that spreads to the hallway.

FMedical payments to othersGuests' small medical bills

A visitor's medical bills if they're hurt at your place, whoever was at fault.

Good to know

What does the landlord's policy cover?

The building and the landlord's own liability. It won't replace your belongings, pay for your hotel, or defend you if a guest sues you. If you damage the building, the landlord's insurer can pay the landlord and then come after you through subrogation.

Roommates and partners

Relatives living with you are usually covered automatically. A roommate or unmarried partner usually isn't, unless they're added by name. It's often simpler for each person to have their own policy.

Check your own policy

Find these on your policy or declarations page, or ask your agent:

Not sure where to look? See how to read your policy.

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