At this time of year we remind property owners about reviewing their insurance before storm season officially commences…..but what about the non-owner resident
It’s important to understand the difference between what the homeowner’s policy covers and why you need, as a renter, to consider renters insurance.
Read the following, courtesy of Peter Scott, Tony Blankenship Insurance
- A landlord's insurance policy, required by the mortgage bank, covers the building and any outbuildings and protects the landlord against lawsuits arising out of accidents on the property. However, landlord insurance does not cover the personal possessions of the tenant. This is a piece of information that seems to come as a shock to many tenants after disaster strikes.
- A staggering number of renters do not carry renters insurance. Marshall Loeb, writing in MarketWatch last year estimated that nearly two-thirds of the 81 million people who rent their homes are uninsured for their contents or for any liability arising out of their tenancy.
- While some renters may assume that they are covered by some mythical insurance umbrella held by the landlord, others simply do not associate the need for insurance with their own circumstances until it is too late. They aren't homeowners so they don't need homeowners insurance, right? They do not think beyond that question and many probably don't even know that tenants' insurance exists.
- If you rent, look around. You probably have a pretty substantial amount invested within those walls you do not own. A stereo, high-def TV, a business and a leisure wardrobe, all of those small appliances in the kitchen, the electronics in the study; even if your furniture was bought second hand or from Walmart it all adds up and should disaster strike, everything will have to be replaced out of pocket.
- And there is the matter of liability. Should your television repairman trip on the front walk he will probably sue your landlord. But if the repairman takes a swan dive over a poorly positioned coffee table inside your apartment or if sweet little Fluffy decides that his ankle looks like lunch it will not be your landlord's problem. It will be yours.
PUT ANOTHER WAY:
The homeowner’s policy covers the building and outbuildings—it does not typically cover the contents if they are not residing in the home. Thus the contents—your possessions as a renter—are not covered in event of storm, disaster, break in, etc. To put it more “officially”:
Tenant's insurance covers personal property within a home or apartment against the same types of loss covered by homeowners insurance - fire, theft, vandalism, and water damage (but not flood damage and probably not earthquake damage either) as well as protecting your interests should someone have an accident within your dwelling unit for which you might be held liable.