If you’re one of the millions of Americans that rents a home, condo or apartment, chances are you’ve either had renters insurance in the past, or currently do have a policy. If you don’t have a policy, you’ll want to really pay close attention to this post.
In its most basic form, renters insurance helps cover your personal belongings from fire, theft, vandalism and other losses as well as provides you with some basic liability coverage in the event you’re found liable for bodily injury or property damages. There are also different types of renters insurance policy. A replacement cost policy will help pay for replacement of your items as if they were new. A nice thing considering that depreciated jeans, furniture and computers won’t help you become whole again.
A recent article from the Insurance Information Institute states that less than one-third of all renters (31%) have a renter’s insurance policy. Why is that? Do people assume that since they pay rent, their items are covered by that rent cost? Do they assume their landlord has insurance and it would cover this loss? Do they think maybe their auto insurance covers some items? The answer to this is that none of these items will likely cover any of your items. Only a renter’s insurance policy will.
There are 2 basic types of renters insurance:
- Actual cost value: Pays to replace your damaged or stolen items up to your policy limits, less depreciation.
- Replacement cost: Pays to replace your damaged or stolen items up to your policy limits with new ones, no depreciation.
Some additional things to consider is if you have expensive jewelry, musical equipment or collectibles that you want to insure. This may require a “floater” to be added to your policy.
One last item to ponder is how much liability you want to be covered for. You can get up to $500,000 in liability coverage. This will protect you from lawsuit. If you want even more coverage, you should consider a personal umbrella insurance policy. This goes above and beyond your renter’s limits to provide even more coverage.
Renters insurance is very inexpensive. It can come in around just 50 cents per day.
If you’d like to learn more about renters insurance in Gilbert, Arizona, call Insurance Brokers of Arizona®.
Founded in 2005, Insurance Brokers of Arizona® is a leader in quality protection for individuals, families and businesses throughout the Southwest. Insurance Brokers of Arizona® is currently licensed in Arizona and California. Providing world class customer service with our extremely experienced and knowledgeable team, paired with our ability to understand our customer’s coverage needs, drives the success of our agency.
By offering protection for your Auto, Home, Business and Health Insurance, we make sure that you’re covered today, as well as in the future, so that you can focus on what is important to you and your family. At Insurance Brokers of Arizona® our #1 job is to assist you in identifying your needs and problems, while putting together a customized plan that’s simple and easy to understand.
It’s now time to enjoy some amazing fall camping excursions, calm boating on the lake or a motorcycle road trip. Each year we’re asked by many of our customers about the possibility to cancel your insurance policies on your summer toys like motorcycles, RVs, boats and ATVs. While you may not be using these alternative vehicles during the fall and winter months, your vehicles may be damaged and insurance claim would need to be opened. If you cancelled your insurance policy, you may be forced to pay for repairs or replacements out-of-pocket. During the cooler months while your toys are parked events can occur that could get expensive without a valid insurance policy.
Being in a hit and run accident can be a very frightening event. Being prepared to know how to handle the situation when it occurs will help you deal with the shock of it, as well as ensure you are covered for the loss when it does happen. While hit and run accidents will happen to almost every driver, whether their car is parked and unattended, or while they’re driving, knowing these things will help you deal with the unfortunate situation.
