Insurance

How much is apartment renters insurance

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It is always very difficult to search for a good renters insurance policy. And one of the questions that will always ring in your mind is, "How much is apartment renters insurance?" 

Funny enough, this question is very easy to answer. And not just this question alone, other questions relating to good renters insurance policy. All thnaks to Homebody.

Homebody has created this comprehensive guide to determining how much apartment renters insurance is. 

You will also look at what’s included in a renters insurance policy, what’s not included, which factors influence the cost, and how much renters insurance is.

If you're curious about the cost of apartment renters insurance and want to explore your options, take a coffee sip and relax.

This guide will cover everything you need to make an informed decision and protect what matters most. 

Let’s begin!

Click here for a quote for your next Renters Insurance Policy in minutes!

Understanding the Basics: What is Apartment Renters Insurance?

Let us start from the basics. This will help you understand the gist better.

Apartment renters insurance is a smart investment to protect your personal belongings, liability coverage, and additional living expenses in case of unexpected events like vandalism, theft, fire, or natural disasters. 

That is a simple illustration of what apartment renters insurance is.

How apartment renters insurance works

First, apartment renters insurance requires signing up for a “policy”, a contract between the insurer and the policyholder (the person buying the renters insurance work with). That is the first step.

These are baby steps but you need to follow closely. Right?

To maintain the renters insurance deductible and coverage, the renters policy-holder pays a “premium” on a monthly, semi-annually, or annual schedule.

When an incident occurs, policyholders pay a “deductible”, a predefined out-of-pocket expense, before the insurance company starts to cover a loss. 

The reimbursement that insurance agent or you’ll receive is based on the “coverage limit”, the maximum amount the insurance company will pay for a covered loss.

Do you get the gist here? Good. Stay close. 

There is something juicy next.

What are the different levels of coverage available for renters? 

Not all coverage is created equal. Is that shocking? Continue reading. Something is exciting about this.

It pays to know that insurance companies offer various levels of coverage to suit different needs for just about any renter. 

From cozy studio apartments to elaborate rented condominiums, the cost varies depending on the level of protection you select.

Check how it works and other sweet benefits next. 

Personal Property Coverage 

Personal Property Coverage covers the cost of replacing or repairing your personal belongings, such as furniture, electronics, clothing, and appliances, in case of covered perils like theft, fire, or vandalism.

Examples for you

  • If there's a fire in your apartment and your furniture, electronics, and clothing are damaged or destroyed, renters insurance would cover the cost to repair or replace these items, up to your policy's limit and minus your deductible. Isn’t that amazing?
  • If a burglar breaks into your apartment and steals your valuable jewelry and laptop, renters insurance can reimburse you for the loss, helping you to replace the stolen items.

Liability Coverage 

Next is liability Coverage. 

It provides financial protection if you accidentally cause bodily injury to someone or damage their property, both within and outside your rented premises. 

Liability coverage can help cover legal expenses and potential settlements.

Examples for you:

  • If a guest in your apartment slips on a wet floor and breaks an arm, your liability coverage in your renters insurance helps cover their medical bills and any legal fees if they decide to sue for their injury. Period!
  • If your child accidentally kicks a soccer ball through a neighbor's window and causes damage, your renters insurance helps pay for the repairs, thanks to your liability coverage.

Additional Living Expenses Coverage (ALE)

This is also known as “Loss of Use Coverage”, Additional Living Expenses (ALE) Coverage helps with temporary living expenses if you are unable to reside in your rental unit due to a covered event. 

This coverage includes costs like hotel bills, meals, and transportation.

Examples for you:

  1. If a pipe bursts in your apartment, causing severe water damage and making it uninhabitable, your ALE coverage helps pay for a hotel stay and extra meals while your apartment is being repaired.
  2. If there's a fire in your building and you're forced to evacuate and temporarily live elsewhere, your ALE coverage helps cover the cost of comparable temporary housing and additional food expenses above what you normally pay.

This is juicy, and you can get all these benefits if you get a quote from Homebody today!

Medical Payments to Others 

This coverage pays for medical expenses if a guest gets injured on your rented property, regardless of who is at fault. 

It can help cover immediate medical costs, such as ambulance fees or emergency room charges.

Examples for you:

  • If a friend visits your apartment and accidentally trips over a rug, breaking their wrist, your renters insurance would help pay for their immediate medical expenses, such as an emergency room visit and x-rays.
  • If your pet bites a guest who requires medical treatment, Medical Payments to Others coverage can help cover the costs of their medical care, irrespective of who was at fault.

Expert Bonus Tip: It's important to note that the specific levels of coverage and their limits can vary between insurance providers and policies. 

Therefore, it's strongly advised by insurance experts that you review the policy documents, discuss your coverage needs with an insurance agent, and consider any additional endorsements or riders that are available to enhance your coverage.

What is renters insurance not used for?

As sweet as these benefits listed above are, there are some things renters insurance is not used for.

As a company that cares about your peace of mind, Homebody will explain it the way it is to safeguard you from issues.

Despite having some essential coverage that any renter needs, apartment renters insurance has its limitations and isn’t designed to cover certain situations or items that may affect your standard of living. 

Normal Wear and Tear

Apartment renters insurance does not cover damage to your personal items that happens gradually over time due to normal wear and tear, aging of materials, deterioration, or lack of maintenance.

Intentional Damage

Renters insurance does not cover damage caused intentionally by the policyholder or any illegal activities they may be involved what is a deductible in renters insurance cover theft only. Policyholders who cause intentional damage to their property to file a claim may be subject to criminal insurance fraud charges.

Business or Commercial Activities

Renters insurance typically excludes coverage for business-related activities conducted within the rented premises. Separate business insurance is needed to protect business assets and liability. 

If, for example, you have a fire break out due to a malfunctioning heat sealer for your Ebay business, your apartment renters insurance will not cover those losses.

Structural Damage to the Building

Apartment renters insurance is usually referred to as “walls-in coverage”, which only applies to property and the people within the property - not any damage to the property's physical structure. That responsibility falls under the landlord's home insurance and policy.

Flood Damage

While many apartment renters insurance policies cover flooding from structural elements failing (such as a burst pipe), most standard renters insurance policies typically exclude coverage for flood damage caused by heavy storms, flood waters, and other natural disasters, 

Earthquake Damage

Similar to flood damage, earthquake damage is usually not covered by most standard auto and renters insurance policies. 

Separate earthquake insurance can be purchased to protect against earthquake-related losses.

Certain High-Value Items

While standard renters insurance policy covers personal belongings, high-value items such as jewelry, artwork, or collectibles may be subject to coverage limits. 

Additional coverage, known as a rider or floater, may be necessary to cover the cost of protecting or replacing these items in full.

Which Factors Influence the Cost of Apartment Renters Insurance? 

If you are still taking a sip of coffee reading this, you deserve an award.

Apartment renters insurance is one of the most affordable types of insurance, but it can be more expensive depending on where your apartment is located, your financial history, and more. 

The following are several factors that can positively or negatively impact the cost of apartment renters insurance: 

  • Location
  • Deductible Amount
  • Coverage Amount
  • Type of Coverage
  • Insurance History
  • Credit Score
  • Security Measures
  • Dog Ownership

Location

The location of your apartment can influence the cost of insurance. Areas with high crime rates, natural disaster risks, and the cost of local housing market conditions lead to higher premiums. 

Deductible Amount

The deductible amount significantly influences the cost of your renters insurance premium. 

Typically, a higher deductible leads to a lower premium and vice versa. This is because with a high deductible, you're assuming more of the insurance deductibles financial risk in the event of a claim.

This can reduce the financial responsibility of the insurance company, and therefore, they charge you a lower premium. 

Vice versa, a lower deductible means the insurance company takes on more risk, which is compensated by charging you a higher premium.

Coverage Amount

The more coverage you purchase for your personal property and liability, the higher your lower insurance premium amount will be. 

As you increase your coverage amount to protect more valuable belongings or increase liability protection, your potential risk to the insurer rises. 

Therefore, higher coverage amounts generally lead to higher premiums as the insurer accounts for the increased financial risk they are undertaking.

Type of Coverage

The cost of apartment renters insurance also depends on whether you choose actual cash value coverage (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV) coverage for your policy. 

ACV policies are typically cheaper than RCV policies, as they consider depreciation when determining a payout.

Insurance History

Your insurance history matters regarding the cost of your apartment renters insurance premium. If you've made several claims, insurers may consider you a high-risk customer, leading to higher premiums. 

Similarly, having lapses in coverage or a history of cancelled policies also leads to increased rates as these might indicate to insurers a higher risk of future claims. 

On the other hand, if you have a clean insurance history with no or few recent claims, you'll most likely be rewarded with lower premiums, as you're seen as less likely to file claims in the future. 

Credit Score

In many states, insurance companies factor in your credit score to determine your premium. A better credit score can often lead to lower premiums. 

While it’s a controversial issue, many insurers rely on data that finds a correlation between a person's financial management habits and their likelihood of filing an insurance claim. 

Individuals with poor credit scores are more likely to file a claim, leading insurers to charge higher premiums to account for the increased risk. 

Vice versa, those with high credit scores often have fewer claims and are rewarded with lower insurance premiums.

Security Measures

It pays to be proactive when lowering your monthly premiums. Safety measures such as smoke detectors, doorbell cameras, burglar alarms, and deadbolt locks can lower your premium, as these decrease the insurance rate and risk of damage and theft.

Dog Ownership

If you own a dog, especially a breed that insurance companies deem as a high-risk pet, your liability coverage will end up costing more for equivalent coverage to a non-high-risk breed. Typical high-risk breeds include:

  1. Pit Bull Terriers
  2. Staffordshire Terriers
  3. Rottweilers
  4. German Shepherds
  5. Presa Canarios
  6. Chows Chows
  7. Doberman Pinschers
  8. Akitas
  9. Wolf-hybrids
  10. Mastiffs
  11. Cane Corsos
  12. Great Danes
  13. Alaskan Malamutes
  14. Siberian Huskies

Can you spot your dog breed on this list? Contact Hombody and experience the best insurance policy.

What’s the Average Cost of Renters Insurance?

On average, apartment renters insurance typically ranges from $10 to $30 per month. 

To give you an accurate estimate of replacement cost coverage what you can expect, the following are the cheapest states for renters insurance:

  1. Alaska
  2. North Dakota
  3. Maine
  4. New Hampshire
  5. New York

Here are the most expensive states for renters insurance:

  1. Mississippi
  2. Alabama
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Louisiana
  5. Georgia

As you may have noticed, renters and homeowners insurance tend to be cheaper in states that aren’t prone to natural disasters and extreme weather.

Whereas southern states that regularly experience extreme weather like tornadoes and hurricanes have significantly higher premiums.

Conclusion

No matter where you live, apartment renters insurance is a good idea and an even better deal for you!

For just a couple of dollars each month, you get the assurance that an accident or mishap in your apartment is covered far beyond what you’d pay out of pocket. 

And don’t forget there are plenty of ways to save EVEN MORE money simply by following a couple of savings strategies outlined in this guide by Homebody. 

Renters insurance is more affordable than you think.

If you want to act immediately and get ready to purchase a policy, Homebody makes it simple and easy to get a quote.

Find the right apartment renters insurance policy, and ultimately get the peace of mind you deserve. 

Get renter's insurance coverage for as little as $7.00 a month. Our policies cover your personal belongings from harm and meet your apartment community’s liability insurance requirement.

Click here for a quote for your next Renters Insurance Policy in minutes!

Key Takeaway
The basics of what renters insurance is and how it functions are covered in-depth in Homebody's thorough guide to figuring out the price and coverage of apartment renters insurance. Average monthly charges range from $10 to $30 depending on region, deductible size, coverage type, and insurance history, among other factors. Get in there.

Can I customize my apartment renters insurance policy to fit my budget? 

Yes, you can customize your policy by adjusting coverage limits, deductible amounts, and optional coverages to align with your budgetary requirements. Homebody offers customizable options for your needs. 

To get a quote on the cheapest renters insurance with Homebody, the process is simple:

  1. Enter your Zip Code
  2. Provide a date for “When would you like coverage to start?”
  3. Answer Yes or No: “Are you renting an apartment, condo, duplex, or townhouse?”
  4. On the following page, you’ll be given a basic quote. Adjust the following Coverage Options to find a policy that suits your needs:
  5. Liability
  6. Personal Contents
  7. Deductible
  8. Billing Frequency
  9. Coverage Benefits
  10. Once you’re satisfied with your policy, provide your Email Address, Customer Information, Payment Info, and Confirmation to finalize the process.

Does the type of building I am currently renting affect the insurance cost? 

Yes, factors like the age and construction of the building can impact insurance premium costs. Older buildings or those with certain materials may have higher premiums. 

Even though landlord insurance will cover these expenses to the property, older buildings with poor wiring, for example, still expose the insurer to more risk - which means higher premiums and less coverage.

Can I bundle renters insurance with my other preexisting policies (such as auto insurance) for potential cost savings? 

Yes, you can typically bundle your apartment renters insurance with your preexisting auto insurance policy. 

Bundling these policies with the same insurance provider offers convenience and potential cost savings through multi-policy discounts. 

Homebody has plenty of options to help you bundle your insurance policies for deep discounts. Whether you need pet or ID theft insurance, get your free quote today and discover how affordable your policy can be with Homebody!

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