apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've got it. My mother convinced me to get it years ago, as she was once in an apartment fire and was the only roomate with insurance. It's really cheap and totally worth it.

I've got it and I will NOT be without it--and thank the lo' that I've never had to call upon it. It is very, very affordable and easy to move with. Take care of it immediately!

When I was still in junior high I was convinced to do it in the future by what happened to my brother.

In his first apartment, he came home from his first job one day to find his door open. Every single thing in his apartment was gone. Everything. Except his waterbed (it was the 80s!) But since that was too much of a pain to take, they slashed it so that it wasn't only ruined, but that it ruined all the floors in his place.

I remember him half-laughing and saying how naively he'd walked over to the apartment complex office to fill out a claim form. ;-) He'd had no idea that they weren't liable for his apartment and that he really needed renter's insurance!

By the way, it turns out it wasn't random thieves, but someone at work who was angry he was promoted above them. They just backed up a truck to his place in broad daylight and carted everything off without anyone saying a word! I guess that's what happens in a world where we no longer know our neighbors.

I'm a procrastinator, too, but you should hop on that right away. I pay less than $20/month. Combine it with other insurance policies and they usually give you a discount.

I've got it. It also covers anything stolen from your car, which is probably more likely to happen.

Actually, this is very convincing. I'm assuming the insurance covers the usual fire, theft, and occasional earthquake correct?

yup, i've got homeowner's insurance and it's true, it's really inexpensive! mine is with Allstate and it's only $238 or so a YEAR. that's pretty darn good considering they will give you enough to replace all your stuff. get it immediately!

I sure do have renter's insurance. I am amazed at how many of my friends don't have it, its very cheap and some plans can cover more than just what goes on in an apartment (e.g, personal liabilities, etc). I even got earthquake coverage added to mine...
Since I have it, I am kind of hoping someone will break in and steal my old computer but leave conveniently everything else, you know, the kind of thief that likes old Toshiba laptops.

i should have clarified - mine is homeowner's insurance of my apartment so i still live with other tenants in the apartment building who could cause a fire.

Something thats been somewhere on my to do list for a long time.
it doesnt feel as urgent now that i live alone and dont have roomates leaving the gas stove on. Id get home from work and explain to them why they had headaches, as i opened all the windows.
ive heard renters insurance is usually less than $20/month.. is that accurate hearsay?

im mostly worried about expensive electronics, which i assume they cover. what about things like furniture, or art?

Totally worth it. Espescially if you live above a restaurant or store or have neighbours, all these people could burn your place down. It's nice to know you won't be completely screwed and indebted for something that's so devastating and often not even your fault.

It's the responsible thing to do (like, responsible for yourself, dudes) and should come way before cable and cell phones and new furniture.

me too heather leaf. my agent was really good about explaining how much the coverage is and everything. (now I have homeowner's but before I had renter's because that's when I worried the most about simple robberies or fires.)

Seeing a fire like that on Valencia must have been frightening. All that wood. Scary stuff. I hope nobody was hurt.

Do it! You never know what could happen. This past weekend, I'm in my Atlanta apartment minding my own business when suddenly a tornado hits leaving my neighbors with tree-filled living rooms. Doubt I'll be so lucky next time.

Yes, we have homeowner's insurance. There should be solid documentation of your belongings to back up your claim. I'm realizing that all of these photos that I've been taking as part of the Cure will serve us in that regard! Awesome.

This is the first year that I've invested in renter's insurance and I feel like a weight has lifted. Living in New York, you never know if a leak from an upstairs apartment, a theft, a crazy pigeon flying into your open window could ruin your stuff. It's affordable and makes me feel like an actual adult.

Got renters insurance a few years ago after apt got broken into. My roommate and I brand new ibooks, all our jewelry and cameras gone. She had her purse stolen with house keys and license with address inside. The thief was a total pro. Cleared out all valuables in probably 15 minutes. You just never know.

When I told friends, they all said "you have insurance, right?". Didn't realize it was the thing to do in NYC and always assumed it was expensive. Well I do now and it's totally worth it. It will cover theft of property outside your home (if you get camera stolen on a trip, etc.).

Only thing that it may not cover is water damage.

AAA is $150/year. how cheap is that? even i can afford that.

Definitely have it. And even if you live alone, you never know if a neighbor might start a fire that spreads to your apartment.

Mine is about $14/month (a bit cheaper since I combined it with my auto policy). That covers $25k or so of "stuff" and then there is some liability protection, too.

TOTALLY WORTH EVERY PENNY!

I also just realized that all my cure photos on Flickr would be VERY helpful if I ever did have to file a claim! Proof that I have an awesome 7 year old TV, 4 year old Mac, etc. etc. :)

GET IT! I spend less than $120 annually in New York City for this peace of mind. I do get a discount as I have both my auto and renters contracted through the same company. My rate actually went DOWN when I moved from the suburbs in Massachusetts to NYC - my current building has many more safety features than my previous one. And don't forget, it's not just if you get robbed, but it covers you if someone takes a header after jumping on the sofa.

PLEASE do this, everyone. For the time and money you have to spend, it is a very valuable investment.

I have it and feel good about the peace of mind; what I haven't done yet and must is to have an inventory/photos of what I own so that I would be able to file a claim if (knock on wood) I ever actually needed it. Thanks for the prompting!

I have it also.
If you take a policy with a higher deductible your rate will be much less with the same provisions.
It is better to have it and not use it.

If something happens you are covered and they will pay the claim.
Hopefully quickly.

We had renters insurance until we bought our first home last year. It is so cheap and most Insurance companies will just add it on to your current auto policy (we have AAA and it was about $20/month extra)

It's closer to $300/$350 in San Francisco because Earthquake Insurance is an increase in coverage from regular renter's insurance - literally double. But since we've had several apartments in our neighborhood burn down and we have someone in our building who likes to fall asleep with ear plugs after he puts things in the oven - we feel slightly better knowing we have it.

renters insurance is really expensive in vancouver (at least for us), but totally worth it

we have had renter's insurnace through USAA for 4 years. we pay $13.47 per month for $60,000 worth of coverage - never thought we would use it until our condo was struck by lightening 4 weeks ago. goodbye iPod, record player, tv, surround sound, lamps, etc. now we would never think about going without it! it is definitely worth having it!

When we lived in downtown Vancouver, we always carried renters insurance. At the time, break-ins were very common and going without insurance was like gambling with your possessions.

My sister-in-law's Vancouver apartment was recently broken into and luckily they had insurance. The thieves took everything, from her wedding ring to her laptop. The insurance company covered just about everything...I think they came out a couple hundred dollars short. Two weeks later, her building caught fire. Thankfully her apartment was okay.

We now rent out two suites in our own home to others and tell our renters, in their rental contracts, that we strongly recommend they carry insurance.

Thanks for all this renters insurance talk. My car insurance company didn't offer renters insurance until recently, so I kept putting it off. I also thought it was super expensive. I'm adding it to my "Cure" to-do list this week!

In a sublevel condo, I made sure to have the proper insurance and made sure it covered flooding! It's so worth the time and investment!

Yep. Cheap and easy.

Have any of you had to file a claim on your renter's insurance? I got renter's insurance when I moved here, and I keep meaning to document my stuff (photos, lists) but I never get around to it. If my place burnt down, would I be screwed without a list of possessions ? Nothing I own is very expensive (a few nice furniture pieces I bought new, but almost everything else is good quality but second hand) so maybe their estimates of value would be reasonable.

Our old place in Boston had two laptop computers stolen but insurance wouldn't really have helped - neither was worth enough to file a claim. Now my laptop is technically owned by my employer, so I don't know if renter's insurance would cover it if it got stolen out of my apartment. Probably not?

I have a student insurance plan that covers all of my belongings, in almost any case other than a terrorist attack (including water spillage on my computer!), but doesn't cover things like people suing me after tripping in my apartment. It's cheeper than renter's insurance - maybe $175 a year, and it pays for any damage over $25, no matter where my stuff was when it was damaged. Once I graduate I'll no longer qualifiy, but this works for now.

I live in San Francisco and have had renter's insurance for years, but, I am still concerned about what happens IF something like a fire happens.

I have a lot of expensive designer bags, shoes, electronics, etc. that could be a hassle to "prove" that I owned.

Of all the people who have renter's insurance, has anyone done a thorough catalogue of their things and have it saved/kept somewhere safe in case of disaster?

i'm actually an insurance agent. i know...pretty dorky. i've been an agent for a long time. i think that renter's insurance is totally worth it. it covers all of your 'things' that i know you all care about....judging by the fact that you're on this site. one thing to consider in california is that the earthquake endorsement is very expensive and doesn't cover very much. when i lived down there, i didn't carry that particular coverage. if you have other questions about coverages (especially if you own your own condo), let me know.

My roommate and I got good insurance through State Farm. We each pay $11/month. We got a lower rate by installing a deadbolt lock and buying a fire extinguisher.

Also, when I was a full-time student, I was covered under my parents' home insurance policy, even though I lived across the country and my parents did not pay any of my apartment expenses. Students should look into this.

I had renter's insurance before I bought my house (now I have homeowner's). One day someone stole my sister's bike out of my garage (I had borrowed it), and my policy covered it! So it definitely paid for itself. I highly recommend it. I think it was about $12/month.

As an appraiser, I want to emphasize how important it is to document your stuff, photograph it, and make a list of everything that is more than $100 or so on excel, and total it before you get your coverage. It will add up to way more than you think, especially if you had to replace all of your clothes, shoes and bags. If you make this list, and e-mail it to yourself along with some pics, you will always have it online no matter what happens to your apartment and will be able to file a claim and replace everything!

Renter's Insurance is really cheap and easy to get in my experience in NYC. I have Traveler’s through Gotham Brokerage and it good coverage for fire/theft and liability in the apartment.

also...take photos inside of drawers and cabinets and inside of closets. this helps adjusters tremendously when they're adjusting a claim. in turn, they help you.

my friends' apartment building burned down last year and they both lost all of their possessions--i will never live without renter's insurance again, and neither will anyone who knew them!

I gladly pay about $300 a year in SF (no earthquake coverage). I had one claim for stuff stolen out of my car (golf clubs, cds, clothes, etc.) and almost had to use it again when we had an electrical fire induced by PG&E street work and sketchy wiring in our flat a few years ago. Fortunately the firemen kicked a** and put the fire out before it spread to the whole building. However, my roommate's rooms and almost all his stuff had severe smoke damage. His agent inspected the damage and cut him a check within a few weeks up to the amount ($25k) he had covered. It will also pay for temporary living if you need to go somewhere else during repairs. So worth it.

i will admit that i have been a slacker about this. our condo's association has a blanket policy for the building, but the insurance on the stuff inside is our responsibility. i've been putting off for 6 weeks now. thanks for the reminder!

Every renter should have rental insurance---period! Figure the amount into your rent (it's not that expensive) and buy it TODAY. Renters are more susceptible to damage by water/fire than homeowners since we essentially share our dwelling with neighbors constantly. YOU may be very careful --and even if you are accidents happen--but your neighbors may not be. Or there could be an electrical fire or some other AOG (Act of God).

If you have car insurance, check with your agent as you can usually get a great discount by buying renter's insurance through them as well--I even get a discount on my car insurance that way.

I bought renters insurance for years and never had a claim. Then one day I came home to the most awful smell---a sewage line had broken in the apartment next/above me and my apartment was flooded with water and sewage. One room was already soaked and the yucky stuff was moving fast toward the other room where my piano was. I called the landlord...no answer. I called the neighbor...no answer. Then I called my insurance company...Farmers. I told the woman at the 800 number what was happening, she checked by policy (this was a BASIC renters policy) and said "hang on, we're sending help"). In 30 minutes, a van pulled up and three guys from a moving company came rushing in, picked up my piano and carried it down three flights of stairs (other residents were using the 70-year-old elevator to evacuate. They told me to start packing and they came up and starting grabbing anything not yet touched by muck. Within 20 minutes everything not damaged was loaded into the truck. By then I was on the phone with the woman from Farmers again. After confirming that everything salvagable had been loaded, she told me Farmers would store the stuff for up to two weeks while I found a new place. She asked if I had somewhere to stay and I told her as I had only been in town for a few months I didn't have anyone to stay with. I had also recently sold my car since I worked and lived on the buslines. She told me to stay put. Then she called back in a few minutes and said that the basic policy covered two weeks in a hotel and she had booked me into the Residence Inn that was on the busline by my apartment, so I could get to work easily. She told me I had a meal/food allowance and to submit my receipts (I eventually got 80% of my food costs back). The next morning I got a call from Farmers and the woman (a different one) told me that Farmers had started a search for me on apartments similar to my old one in size/location/cost and she had a list of possible new apts for me. Within 10 days I was in a new apartment---Farmers paid for the move, the storage of my stuff, 80% of my food, and I got a check that covered most of my lost/destroyed items. The majority of my neighbors didn't and they lost everything (have you ever tried to get sewage smell out of stuff? Impossible).

Folks--if you rent and don't have renter's insurance---you are absolutely nuts.

as a single mother of two teenagers, i definitely have renters insurance. combined with my car insurance, i pay less than i did without it. but the peace of mind is worth every penny. :)

I know 4 different people who have had house fires and way too many people that have had their homes broken into. It's worth every penny. My insurance was less than $300 (broken up into 5 payments) for $25,000 worth of coverage.... Yeah, I'd rather use that $300 to buy something fun, but imagine having to replace everything...

I move a lot and have insurance through USAA. It is $22 a month and it covers everything from someone being injured in my house to my belongings. I used IIIhomeinventory to keep track of my belongings.

I didn't think the stuff I had was worth insuring. After totaling up everything though, I couldn't replace it all easily. Sheets, towels, clothing, children's toys, kitchen stuff... it adds up quickly. Throw in a technie husband and it gets even higher. The inventory program made it super easy to document my stuff. It has a spot for photos, value, where you bought it, receipt info (you can even scan in your receipt). etc. Very cool program.

I got renter's insurance a number of years ago, when I moved in with my boyfriend. I called the same company I use for my car insurance and set up the policy. It is important that you specify that you want them to cover the replacement value on your belongings! Luckily I had done that because TWO days later our mountain bikes were stolen. Not only did they cover us but they paid us the cost to replace my 5 year old Klein mountain bike. I had bought my bike used for about $400 and they paid me $800 to buy a new one. It was important that I had pictures and receipts for the bikes for the claim. One tip keep digital images of all your belongs in an online photo sharing account (but keep it private so strangers can't case your belongs!)

One great reason to get renters' insurance is that it provides liability coverage for non-motorized vehicles like skateboards, bicycles, etc.

If you have a condo, get condo owners insurance which provides coverage for building items that you own.

I've had a good experience with State Farm and would recommend it to anyone.

Been intending to do this for some time and this post inspired me to hop on state farm and get it done. So...thanks for the motivation!

I've heard that areas within 50 miles of a wildfire are not eligible for renters insurances... until 6 months or so after the wildfire. I live in LA, and there are wildfires every 6 months or so. :)
So, my question is, is this true? That's the main reason I've been putting off getting renter's insurance. But now that it's tax season and I seem to be handing out my money left and right, I figure I might as well shell out a couple hundred for renters insurance too... if they'll let me!

Yep, I have it! It was on my "to get around to someday" list until my then-boyfriend's apartment was robbed. The thing that scares me most is not me starting a fire but one of my idiot neighbors. You are at their mercy and you can't control if they fall asleep with a cigarette in their mouth! It is cheap, it covers things being stolen when you are traveling (like your laptop) and when I had a cat it would even cover medical expenses if he had gone nuts and attacked a guest! Mine is $175 a year for $20,000 of coverage.

I've had it for years but only after learning the hardway. I bundled it with an auto policy for a small (but appreciated) discount from State Farm.

I have renter's insurance. The apartment that we live in now requires it but i got it before i moved to this apartment because my cousin's apartment burned down so it hit close to home for me...I love it and it makes me feel better to have it. Plus its not all that expensive.

theft is a lot more common than fire....
and for that case renter's insurance is almost useless unless you have a low deductable. definately get it, just pay the extra $10 to get a low deductable. it's worth it. especially if you have to replace jewelry, a laptop, and personals someone breaks when they ransack your home. also keep a list or take a picture of the valuables you own so you can report what is missing if ever this should happen... i sure wish i had...

In SF you don't need to get earthquake coverage for your renter's policy. But DEFINITELY get a renter's policy. In SF it's too expensive to get the earthquake rider. Think about what part of the city you live in and what kind of structure you are in. If the earthquake causes a fire your basic renters policy should cover it.

Renter's insurance is a necessity, not a luxury. Even if you don't think you have anything worth stealing, it would still be very expensive to have to replace everything.

Also, and this may seem obvious, keep a copy of your policy and a detailed inventory of your stuff someplace other than your apartment.

I finally got it this past summer. I was paying only $13cnd a month, but when I moved into a bigger place I upped it to $17cnd a month, since I bought a couch. One thing I need to do is archive all my photos, letters, paper memento type things online somewhere so that they are safe if something happens, and create an emergency kit.

In SF we pay the same for our earthquake rider as we do for the general renters' policy. I don't view this as too expensive. The exclusionary language with respect to earthquakes on the standard policy is very draconian. If there's an earthquake, our rider covers the cost of a place to stay when the prices for habitable units would undoubtedly shoot the moon. That's actually worth more to me than the replacement of our stuff, although that's not trivial.

We've never had to use anything but the auto insurance and are very happy to have been so lucky.

to answer sparkle's question about wildfire areas....it depends on a lot of things...year of construction, proximity to a fire department, type of siding and roof of your home, et cetera.
feel free to email me at juliethompson1954@yahoo.com if you want me to see if you qualify with the company i work for.

another thing for other people to check is to make sure your policy includes replacement cost, because the adjusters will depreciate your items on a claims settlement if you don't have replacement cost.

you laugh, sf julia, but that's what happened to me! day laborers who had been installing central heating made a copy of my spare key and let themselves in a month later. they took my old toshiba laptop and all the rings my mom had started to hand down to me. of course, i got renter's insurance the next week...

i have it in san jose. $26/mo from allstate. i got it the day after my neighbor showed me how to jimmy my window and get in after i locked myself out. all it took was a paint scraper and 30 seconds. i was sold.

Renters insurance is must have for anyone with more than $25,000 worth of personal property. When you take the time to compare renters insurance, you'll be protecting yourself from price hikes since not all insurance companies are privately owned and increase their rates on a regular basis to earn money for their stockholders. Renters insurance companies compete for your business and they all offer the same types of policies and coverages. The three types of questions that are important to ask about when you request a renter's insurance quote:

1. Personal Property Coverage
2. Liability Coverage
3. Multi-Policy Discounts