Before finalizing a rental agreement, you may have to give proof of having a renters insurance policy in place or provide a copy of the policy from time to time. A renters insurance policy provides financial protection for your belongings, and you have several options for providing proof of coverage when necessary.
Key Takeaways
- Proof of renters insurance may be required by a landlord or property management company before entering into a rental agreement.
- There are several ways to share proof of insurance, including sending a digital or physical copy of your policy’s declarations page.
- Renters insurance is a relatively simple insurance product, providing financial protections to the policyholder.
Proof of renters insurance refers to documentation showing you have an active policy for your rental property. Whether you’re renting a home, apartment, condo, or some other type of dwelling, many landlords or property managers will require you to show proof you have a policy in place.
You have multiple options available to you for showing proof of renters insurance coverage to your landlord or property manager. Your landlord may have a preferred method of receiving proof; otherwise, one of these should suffice:
- Provide a physical copy of the declaration page. You can give your landlord a paper copy of the declarations page, which you should receive once you’ve activated the policy. It shows your name, address, policy number, and the coverages purchased.
- Send a digital copy of the declaration page. You can also email a digital copy of the declarations page to your landlord. You can also email a copy of your entire policy if you don’t want to separate out the declarations page.
- Have the insurance company reach out directly. You can ask your renters insurance provider to make direct contact with your landlord over the phone and provide confirmation, but you’ll need to provide your landlord’s phone number to your insurance company.
- Add the landlord as an interested party. You can add your landlord or property manager as an interested party on your renters insurance policy. This means they will automatically receive any pertinent policy updates, including cancellations, non-renewals, or modifications. This does not give them the option of making changes to your policy or coverage by themselves, and not all insurance companies will do this.
- Share your policy number and insurance provider. You can provide your policy number, insurance provider, or local agent’s name and information, and have the landlord reach out to them directly for confirmation.
Renters insurance is much simpler compared to some of the complexities of a life or auto insurance policy. In general, renters insurance covers four main areas and you can customize a policy if you want coverage above and beyond the standard offerings.
The first coverage is theft or damage of your personal property. This includes any personal property you have such as clothing, electronics, furniture, art, and more.
Renters insurance also covers personal liability. This means it covers the legal expenses if you’re sued because of an accidental injury in your rental property, injuries from household pets, or accidental damage to someone else’s property. Guest medical payments are included if someone is injured while in your rental property.
A renters insurance policy will also cover additional living expenses if you’re displaced due to a covered peril. An example of this is if there’s a fire in your rental unit and you can’t live there until it’s completely repaired. This will cover additional expenses such as hotel bills and meals.
The structure of your rental unit or other structures such as outbuildings isn’t covered by a renters insurance policy.
You may find several reasons for purchasing a renters insurance policy. If you’re renting an apartment, condo, townhome, or some other property, you could benefit from the coverage renters insurance provides for personal property, liability, and additional living expenses.
You may also have to put a renters insurance policy in place because your landlord or property management company requires it. Not only will you likely have to show proof of insurance to sign a lease, but you may have to show proof when you renew the lease each year.
You landlord’s insurance only covers the structure portion of a rental unit, not your personal belongings inside. This means if your possessions are damaged or ruined from fire, water, or another peril, you would have to pay for their repair or replacement unless you have a renters insurance policy in place.
Having a renters insurance policy can also help protect you from financial stress and potential disaster if you’re displaced due to a fire or another covered event. The additional living expenses coverage helps pay for the additional expenses of your hotel bills, daily meals, and more, which can be an extreme financial burden if you’re displaced.
It’s possible to get a renters insurance policy effective the same day you apply or the next business day, but the key is submitting all the necessary paperwork and payments in a timely manner. Purchasing a policy means you have to decide what you want covered, how much coverage you need, and finalize the details of your policy with the provider. Once you’ve chosen a provider, a policy you’re comfortable with, and made payment arrangements, you may be able to start coverage quickly.
A good way to start determining how much renters insurance you need is to take an inventory of your possessions and personal property, even ones out of sight like in a closet or storage unit. Walk through each room and note everything you own. Then you can decide if you want a replacement cost policy, which reimburses you for everything lost or damaged without depreciation costs, or an actual cash value policy, which is typically less expensive but only reimburses for damaged or lost belongings at a depreciated value.
You can discuss with your agent how much you may need for personal liability and additional living expenses.
Renters insurance is not a legal requirement, but your landlord or property manager can require it as part of a rental agreement. Providing proof of renters insurance satisfies the landlord’s requirement, plus you’ll have the benefit of having the valuable financial protection a sound renters insurance policy provides.
You can find renters insurance ranging from $13.04 per month to $30.49, according to the latest U.S. News renters insurance data. The Insurance Information Institute shows renters insurance policies average $173 per year, according to the latest data from 2020.
Several factors influence the cost of renters insurance, a list that includes your location, coverage choices including any policy add-ons, the amount of your deductible, and whether you choose the replacement cost policy or the actual cash value policy.
An interested party is an entity, such as your landlord, property manager, or building manager, that’s notified anytime there are changes to your renters insurance policy like establishing a policy, cancellation, or modifications. When you add your landlord as an interested party, it acts as proof of renters insurance.
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Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.