Average Price Of Renters Insurance

What Perils Does Renters Insurance Cover

Renters insurance doesnt cover every kind of disaster , but it covers the most common ones. Most policies protect you from:

• Leaks, burst pipes, and other everyday water damage
• Mold that grows as a result of another covered peril

To learn more about covered perils, read our guide on what renters insurance covers.

Other Factors That Influence Your Renters Insurance Costs

Although the list is not as long as homeowners insurance, there are a few variables that influence the cost of your renters insurance policy.

• Types of alarm systems installed in your home: Insurers will often reduce your premiums if you have home safety devices. Having a burglar alarm and a fire alarm installed can reduce the likelihood of a loss, and in turn, you are less of a risk to your provider.
• Dog ownership: Owning a dog won’t necessarily increase your premiums, but dog ownership might mean you need more coverage. If your dog bites someone, renters insurance will cover your liability costs. According to the III, the average cost of a dog bite claim was over $44,000 in 2019. In this situation, your insurer might recommend getting more than the typical $20,000 or $30,000 policy which will increase your overall insurance bill.

Does The Cost Of Renters Insurance Increase With High

Yes. The value of your personal property can impact your renters insurance cost. Make sure the limits on your policys personal property coverage are high enough to insure all your belongings. Because your renters insurance company often has sub-limits on certain items, you may need an insurance rider on your policy to cover valuable belongings such as jewelry or engagement rings.

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Q Does Renters Insurance Cover Theft Of My Personal Property

It doesand the property doesnt even have to be in your rented property when its stolen to qualify. If items are stolen from your home or while youre at work, school, or out on the town, they will likely be covered. In addition, items kept in a rented storage unit may be covered, but youll want to check with your insurance carrier to see if that applies to you. Some companies also have a requirement that you file a police report before items can be covered and provide them with a copy, and many policies have coverage limits for stolen items to help avoid fraudulent claims.

Understand What The Policy Excludes

An equally important part of any insurance policy is to understand what is not covered. Most policies list what is specifically excluded from coverage so that there is no confusion or grey area.

Examples of exclusions could include:

• Losses due to tenants negligence
• Losses from flood
• Losses from earthquakes or landslides
• Losses from nuclear hazards

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Average Cost Of Renters Insurance By State

Different states feature different climates and economic trends. Both have an impact on the difference between states average renters insurance rate. The higher the likelihood of a natural disaster and/or high crime rates will contribute to higher average rates.4 Here are the average renters insurance rates by state for 2021:

Source:

Rather than looking up the average cost of renters insurance, the most accurate way to estimate your renters insurance rates is to get a renters insurance quote.

How Much Is Renters Insurance Nationwide

Now that we have established what renters insurance is and its status as a necessity for protecting your personal property and belongings, letâs look at what it could actually cost you on average.

Your actual renters insurance policy quotes may be higher or lower depending on your situation, but this should still serve as a good baseline and accurately depict how inexpensive renters insurance can be.

According to the Insurance Information Institute , pulled from their most recent data, the national average renters insurance policy costs around $179 per year. That comes out to be about $15 per month.

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Compare Quotes From Top Providers In Your Area

Quote comparison service is free of obligation.

Your renters insurance cost depends on the amount of coverage you want, as well as your claims history and location. The cheapest state’s average renters insurance cost is $10 per month, while the most expensive state’s average monthly cost is $31. The cost of renters insurance differs considerably by state, but it’s an affordable investment overall.

Top 5 Renters Insurance Providers In Washington Dc

Based on our teams in-depth research, the best renters insurance providers in the district are the following:

• Lemonade: Our pick for college students
• Allstate: Our pick for seniors
• State Farm: Our pick for affordable premiums
• Assurant: Our pick for new renters
• Progressive: Our pick for bundling

According to the Insurance Information Institute , the average cost of renters insurance in Washington, D.C., is $158. That means residents here pay less than the national average of $174.

Renters insurance rates vary based on your location, square footage and other factors. To get your personalized quote, use our free tool below.

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Factors That Could Lower Your Rate

There are several factors that could lower your renters insurance rate:

• Higher Deductible If you chose a policy with a higher deductible, say $1000 instead of $500, your monthly premiums will be lower.
• Actual Cost Policy This type of policy reimburses you for what the item would be worth now, not when you purchased it. Therefore, they are typically less expensive than replacement cost policies.
• Burglar Alarms or Additional Safety Features Safety features such as a security system, deadbolts, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can help lower your rate.
• Good Credit Having a strong credit history can get you a better rate on your insurance policy because you are seen as less of a risk.
• Living in Lower Crime Areas Lower crime areas have reduced risks of break-ins and theft, so your premium will be lower than if you lived in a higher crime area.
• Living in Area With Fewer Natural Disasters You can get better rates for renters insurance if you live in an area that does not see such extreme weather conditions.
• Discounts for Members You may be able to get a lower rate by being a member of an organization such as Triple-A or a wholesale club, such as Costco.
• Discounts for Multiple Policies If you already have an insurance policy with a carrier, such as car insurance, they may be able to give you a better rate when you purchase a second insurance policy through them.

Coverage For Personal Property

You may not be aware of this, but a typical houses worth of personal belongings can reach $25,000.00. In case of a catastrophe or theft, personal property coverage establishes a maximum amount that the insurer will pay to offset any personal losses.

Make a list of everything you possess before buying renters insurance, even if you dont believe you own much. Mention each items anticipated cost after that. You can decide on your insurance plan since you will know how valuable your personal property is.

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The Amount Of Coverage You Need

The Little Mermaid had whoozits and whatsits galore, and were willing to bet you do too. From your airpods to your Xbox to your Grandpas old cufflinks youll never wear, we know you want to make sure your stuff is covered appropriately.

To do so, youll need to adjust your renters policy based on your personal needs and lifestyle requirements. And as expected, your monthly renters insurance premium may change according to how much loss of use, personal property, and liability coverage you choose. If you need help figuring out how much personal property coverage to get, check out this guide to how much your stuff is worth.

At Lemonade, a basic renters insurance policy starts at $5 a month and includes $10,000 of personal property coverage. Youll probably want to get Extra Coverage for those big-ticket items. And with Lemonades Live Policy, its easier than youd imagine.

So if you decide your personal belongings are worth around $40,000, youll most likely pay more than if your stuff was worth $20,000. If youre lying awake at night wondering how much is renters insurance?, first consider how much renters insurance coverage youll need, and then you can look into adjusting that premium.

How Much Renters Insurance Should You Get

After looking into what exactly renters insurance is, you are probably wondering a few things, like how much renters insurance you should have and what this security is going to cost you? The cost for the renters insurance coverage will be broken down into more details later. For this section, we will focus on how much rental insurance you should get on your house, apartment, or condo.

As outlined above, there are three types of coverage, but the main one is personal property coverage. This is the portion where you want to figure out the value of your belongings and determine how much insurance coverage you will need. A standard renters insurance policy will help cover your personal belongings in the case of fire, theft, vandalism, and other disasters, such as tornados, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and earthquakes Ideally, you want to have enough rental insurance coverage that you can replace all of your possessions in the event of a tragedy.

In terms of liability coverage, you want to consider the cost it would be if you are sued due to someone getting hurt in your house, apartment, or condo, or if you cause damage at someone elseâs home. This coverage generally starts at $100,000, but it is recommended that you go for $300,000 if you can cover the increase in renter insurance policy premiums.

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Common Causes Of Renters Insurance Claims In Washington Dc

A renters insurance policy is much like a home insurance policy, with one major exception. The structure youre living in is covered by your landlords insurance policy. Therefore, the most common renters insurance claims are for loss of or damage to personal property or incidents you may be liable for.

According to Allstate, here are the most common risks renters insurance covers:

• Sudden and accidental water damage

Named Perils Vs Open Perils Policies

This determines what kinds of perils your policy will protect you against.

Named perils policies

These only protect you against things that are specifically included in the terms of the policy. For example, if someone steals your TV, youll only be covered if theft is listed .

Named-peril policies sound flimsy, but they cover most of the events that people encounter in the real world, like house fires, theft, and leaks. But if something really unexpected happens, like a gang of raccoons ransacking your living room, you might not be covered.

Open perils policies

Also called all-risk policies, these default to protecting you from perils unless the terms specifically exclude them.

Because theyre more robust, open peril policies are more expensive. Still, the peace of mind they bring can make them worth the cost.

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Renters Insurance Costs At A Glance

• Methodology×

  Insurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Systems to provide renters insurance rates for nearly every ZIP code in the country from up to six major insurers. The applicant profile is of a married, 35-year-old who has filed no claims in five years. Coverage includes medical payments coverage of $5,000, contents replacement at replacement value and loss of use at 10 percent of personal property limit.

  METHODOLOGY +

Is Renters Insurance Worth It

In short, yes. Looking at renters insurance policy rates compared to other insurance, such as home insurance, which has a national average premium of $1,249 per year.

However, it does come with some setbacks as it does not cover as much as home insurance. But that is very understandable as you are not living on property you own, and renters insurance is more focused on your personal belongings.

This isnât to knock anything, though. Your personal belongings are very valuable, and you need protection that treats them as such. Offering up a couple of dollars a month in renters insurance coverage can really save you some money in the future. Like any insurance, having some level of coverage will always be worth it.

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How Can You Get Discounts On Renters Insurance

You can lower your insurance rate by increasing the number of safety and security features in your home. Many renters insurance companies offer discounts if you have one or more of the following features in your home:

• Local fire/smoke alarms

• Central fire/smoke alarms

• Automatic sprinklers

• Local burglar alarm

• Central burglar alarm

An insurance company may also offer discounts if you bundle your renters insurance plan with another insurance plan, like auto insurance, or if you pay your annual premium at once instead of monthly.

Another huge way to save: increase your credit score. This one takes time, but as your score gets higher, you can get better renters insurance rates.

The Average Renters Insurance Cost

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners conducted a study based on data from 2017the latest data available on average costs of renters insurance.

The NAIC study found that the average cost of renters insurance in 2017 was $180 per year or $15 per month.

However, the answer is a little more complicated than you might expect. As with most insurance policies in the U.S., the cost of renters insurance varies heavily based on your state of residence.

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Minimum Renters Insurance Coverage

If you are a college student living off-campus, or are in your first apartment and don’t have a lot of valuable possessions or other assets, the basics will likely be fine. Minimal personal property coverage of $12,000 with $100,000 in liability and a $500 deductible costs about $100 a year.

Increased personal property limits of $20,000 increases the rate to $280 a year. A $1,000 deductible brings that down by $260 a year but may not be worth it if you have a claim.

Note, however, that the average person has at least $35,000 worth of property, according to State Farm. Many other insurance companies echo this, saying a typical renter with a two-bedroom apartment has about $35,000 in personal belongings.

What Isnt Covered With Renters Insurance

Renters insurance, like many other kinds of insurance, is limited to what belongings of yours it protects and the events in which it protects them from. Catastrophes such as tornados, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes will typically not be covered by your standard renters insurance policy. You can look at add-ons if you are concerned about these events.

Renters insurance will also not protect an asset like your car, even if itâs stored within the building you are renting in. Even if damage happens to it when not in use, renters insurance will not cover it. You should consider looking into comprehensive coverage through your car insurance provider.

Some insurance companies will exclude home businesses from your renters insurance policy. You may want to watch out for this if you plan to open any sort of business in your house, apartment, or condo. It may not be covered, unlike homeowners insurance which offers it as an add-on.

On the theme of âthingsâ in your house, apartment, or condo that may not be covered: roommates. Roommates and their items will not be protected under your renters insurance policy. They will need their own renters insurance plan in order to have coverage for their valuables or be added to the rental insurance policy.

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Renters Insurance Cost Calculator

No matter whether you rent a condo, an apartment, a home, or simply a room, renters insurance is a wise investment for all tenants. Some landlords may insist that their tenants buy certain renters insurance. However, even though your landlord doesnt insist that you purchase it, its still a valuable product. Your personal property is protected by renters insurance if it is stolen, damaged, or ruined due to a covered risk. To aid with the calculations, we have made this post on Renters Insurance Cost Calculator to aid you.

If your belongings are damaged, your renters insurance will compensate you for them up to the policys maximum. If someone is injured on your rental property, renters insurance will also cover any related medical or legal costs.

Renters insurance will reimburse you for staying somewhere else, such as a hotel, while your rental is being repaired if your house sustains significant damage and you cannot live there securely.

Each situation is protected by various types of renters insurance included in your policy. Your landlord could require you to obtain certain insurance for each category. However, the amount of coverage you purchase is entirely up to you if they dont.

Depending on your budget, you may choose how much coverage you receive. However, renters insurance is usually extremely inexpensive. Come along as we highlight more on the Renters Insurance Cost Calculator below.

Renters Insurance Costs For Three Life Stages

Whether you need apartment renters insurance for your first place, or youre renting a home with your family, the needs of tenants vary through lifes stages. Below we provide advice for each state, gathered from sources including the Insurance Information Institute, United Policyholders , and William F. Harris, an independent insurance agent in Los Angeles.

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