Understanding Why Renters Insurance Is Important
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{07aebebc339bbee9a3661b4a8c8244910a166561f3ef72e2cc28f7e9f72be199}) 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 Bremerton, call H&K Insurance Agency. H&K Agency Inc. is a no-fee independent insurance agent specializing in property and vehicle insurance designed to fit your needs. We represent a variety of top insurance companies in Washington State who offer terrific coverage at the best prices. Our services are available throughout Port Orchard WA, Bremerton WA, Silverdale WA, and the surrounding areas. For all of your personal insurance needs, give our knowledgeable agents a call at (360) 377-7645.
