If you rent a house, condo or apartment, your landlord’s insurance will only cover the costs of repairing the building. To financially protect yourself and your belongings you will need your own coverage, known as renters insurance. For more detailed information go to http://www.getagreatquote.com/research-center/condo-insurance
Renters insurance has three key types of protection:
-Coverage for Personal Possessions
-Liability Protection
-Additional Living Expenses
Here’s the explanation of each of these things listed. Be sure to use the checklist when choosing your coverage for renters insurance.
Personal Possessions Coverage
1. How much insurance should I buy?
Make sure you have enough insurance to replace all of your personal possessions in the event of a burglary, fire or other covered disaster. The easiest way to determine the value of all your personal possessions is to create a home inventory—a detailed list or video of all of your belongings along with their estimated value.
2. Should I choose replacement cost or actual cash value coverage?
Actual cash value policies include a deduction for depreciation. Replacement cost coverage costs more—but can be well worth the extra expense when the time comes to replace your belongings.
3. What is my deductible, and how does it work?
A deductible is an amount of money you pay out-of-pocket before the insurance coverage kicks in. Deductibles are generally available as a specified dollar amount; the larger the deductible, the lower your insurance premium. You will be responsible for paying the deductible each time you file a claim, so keep this in mind when determining your deductible.
4. What is a “floater” and do I need one?
A floater is a separate policy that provides additional coverage for your loss. So if you have expensive musical equipment, jewelry, sports or collectibles, or furs consider adding a floater to your policy.
5. Am I covered if I am traveling or away from home?
Property stolen from your car or a hotel room while you’re traveling would be protected. Most renters policies include what is called off-premises coverage, meaning that belongings that are outside of your home are covered against the same disasters listed in your policy.
6. What disasters are and are not covered?
Most renters insurance policies, do not cover floods or earthquakes. Renters insurance covers you against losses from fire or smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm and certain types of water damage. Flood coverage is available from the National Flood Insurance Program and a few private insurers.. You can get earthquake insurance as a separate policy or have it added as an “endorsement” to your renters policy, depending on where you live.
Liability Protection
1. Do I have enough liability insurance?
Renters insurance provides liability protection that covers you against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage done by you, your family members and even your pets. This coverage pays for both the cost of defending you in court and court awards—up to the limit of your policy. Make sure the amount of liability coverage provided by your policy is sufficient to protect your assets.
Your renters policy should also include no-fault medical coverage as part of the liability protection. It allows someone who gets injured on your property to simply submit his or her medical bills directly to your insurance company so the bills can be paid without resorting to a lawsuit.
2. Do I need an umbrella liability policy?
If you need a larger amount of liability protection, consider purchasing a personal umbrella liability policy. An umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on the underlying liability coverage provided by your renters or auto policy. It will also cover you for things such as libel and slander
Additional Living Expenses
What happens if I can’t live in my home after a disaster?
If your home is destroyed by a covered disaster, renters insurance provides additional living expenses (ALE) coverage, which pays for hotel bills, temporary rentals, restaurant meals and other expenses you incur while your home is being repaired or rebuilt.
Discounts
Insurance companies often offer discounts on renters insurance if you have another policy with them for your car or business. You can also get discounts if you:
Have a security system
Use smoke detectors
Use deadbolt locks
Have good credit
Have multiple policies
Stay with the same insurer
Are over 55 years old
Companies offer several types of discounts, but these can vary widely by company and by state, so review your options carefully. Read more about renters or condo insurance at http://www.getagreatquote.com/research-center/condo-insurance