Renter’s Insurance Faced Displaced Palisadians (And More Insurance)

Yesterday, CTN ran a musing about a woman who had trouble finding renter’s insurance for her 85-year-old mother, whose Palisades home had been destroyed.

When this editor moved to an apartment building in Marina Del Ray a week after the fire, we were told that we needed renter’s insurance, to which we asked, “Why? We don’t have anything.” The leasing office was really lovely and said the insurance covered anything that might happen to the apartment/building when we moved in. The leasing agent, Garin, who was exceptionally nice and helpful, gave us a list of possible companies and we called and got on.

I’m printing the responses CTN received below because in addition to losing homes and having to find a place to live, insurance issues of all sorts, including rental have been ongoing for so many.

*Try Lemonade.com

* Re: Renters’ Insurance. I went to an Independent Insurance agent. They can write policies with all types of companies. Easily got a renter’s policy on a 2200 sq ft condo in the Marina for under $500/year. BUT…I was shocked when I shopped for a condo policy for a property I own in Ojai. This was a Farmers’ agent. They declined.  They’d looked me up. Saw I’d had a loss in the Palisades. Would have nothing to do with me. What?   Afraid the experience will follow us forever.

*Our home burned down, and we also have State Farm. We found a rental in February and State Farm is paying the rent and for rental furniture. We also found it difficult to get renter’s insurance due to the open SF claim. Then, in June we purchased a new home (in a different area) and it was extremely difficult to get homeowners’ insurance due to the open SF claim. When we finally got a policy, it was very expensive. I understand that five years after the SF claim is closed, we should be able to get a less expensive homeowners insurance policy.

* Allstate has been very user friendly during our claim process for the total loss of our home on Bienveneda. The claim for the loss of structure and contents is still open.  We have continued coverage on the house that is no longer there because that would also serve as course of construction coverage.  We also feel like that would help us to secure insurance for the rebuilt home since that would be a continuation of coverage that we already have. Meanwhile Allstate is providing renter’s insurance for our temporary home.

* I’m so sorry that it’s been such a struggle to find renters insurance. I too lost my home on Toyopa and all this added stress, does not help and just makes everything so much worse.  I’m renting a house as well and my homeowners insurance (Safeco/Liberty Mutual) thankfully covers my contents at the rental property.

* We have all of our policies with ALLSTATE and they are perfect! Estimated annual premium was $ 249.00.”

* Regarding the question about renters insurance – one person used Chatgpt, logging into a free account and asked “Can analyze the document for State Farm and show me where it states that my personal property is covered by renters insurance? Chatgpt responded: Section I – Property Coverages (which includes Coverage B – Personal Property) begins on page 5 of the policy document document that states that personal property is covered by renters insurance:

• Under Section I – Coverages, it states:
  “Coverage B – Personal Property. We cover personal property owned or used by an insured while it is anywhere in the world.” (It begins on page 5 of the document.)

* I found a new place in Malibu and they are requiring $2M liability insurance. My State Farm agent said my Homeowners policy is only $500k and I cannot increase it even though I have an umbrella policy. I need to get a stand-alone policy and was going to start calling in the morning.

* In regard to your issues with renters insurance you mentioned today, we too have State Farm through a local office.  We have had all kinds of trouble with State Farm. However in regard to renter’s insurance…  we ended up renting a house in Encino about four months after the fire.  The landlord wanted to be named on a renter’s policy.  I started looking around and called another State Farm office (because the local office wasn’t returning my calls).  They contacted the local office and I was called back. I was informed that my original homeowner’s policy would cover my rental with the same limits as our house as long as we were displaced.  So he sent me a certificate of insurance naming our new landlord as an additional insured.  This is apparently built into the policy.  So I did not need to get a separate renter’s policy after all.  My homeowner’s policy covers the rental.

* We had a terrible experience finding renter’s insurance for us and my 94-year-old parents in January. Our local State Farm office wouldn’t answer their phone and when it eventually went to voicemail, nobody returned our calls. We were required to have renter’s insurance to sign our lease at the Marina Del Ray Apartments, so it became a panicky situation since others wanted to take our place in line for our apartments. I think I called 10+ insurance companies, none which could write a renter’s policy in CA until I hit the end of my alphabetical list…Wawanesa. The agent told me “as of TODAY, we are still writing policies so you better act fast!”  So for a very reasonable price, we purchased basic coverage – didn’t need more since we didn’t own anything! Last month State Farm informed me that we actually had renter’s coverage built into our homeowner’s policy and suggested I cancel the Wawanesa policy. For a $150 annual premium, it simply wasn’t worth it to me as I was afraid something could go wrong since so much has already gone wrong.

*I have State Farm and am renting a home in Brentwood Glen. When I went to occupy the house, they told me I would need renters’ insurance before I could enter! So I contacted Trish Bowe’s office at State Farm and they got it for me.

* I was living in an apartment when I was notified about having to have insurance on the apartment. I was livid but contacted State Farm and they said my homeowners insurance would cover me for $300,000 even though the apartment was asking for $100,000 for personal property. State Farm has a form and they just type the name of the apartment I was living in and the rental place was fine with this..

*We have State Farm and are living in our second rental since the fire. Our agent just issued us the rental policy because it is baked into our homeowners policy. No issues and she’s done this twice. Talk to your agent, not the adjuster, they can have a policy form for you in minutes. They gave us a million-dollar rental policy. Also, they  are starting to pay out the policy for the dwelling coverage. I submitted my contractor agreement/estimate 3 months ago and they gave a large additional check for the rebuild this week and they updated their low-ball estimate to be in line with my contractors.

* My house burned to the ground on the first afternoon of the Palisades Fire. I had to have renters insurance for the place I’m renting in Playa Del Rey.  First, I tried AAA as I am a member and was refused and was told I had to wait seven years after the claim was settled.  I looked online and found an insurance broker in Culver City.  This agency found me Aegis Insurance so I used them.  I kept my State Farm Policy because it has a wraparound liability feature that is on top of my renters insurance. By the way, I hired a Public Adjuster Firm that was asked the same nonsense about the amount of debris that was removed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Also, I am on my 6th adjuster from State Farm. I also wrote the Insurance Commissioner about State Farm’s estimate and was told I had to use the same estimator form as State Farm used in preparing an estimate for me.  State Farm’s estimate of the claim for my structure represented about 1/2 of the policy amount.  My Public Adjuster firm has submitted an estimate that actually exceeds my policy amount but no reply so far from State Farm.  I believe State Farm will delay as long as possible for two reasons: (1) State Farm hopes I will die before they pay; and (2) it is cheaper for State Farm to pay with tomorrow’s money than today’s.  So God knows when I or anyone else will be paid.

* Yes, we were also required to obtain renters insurance for our 2-bedroom apartment. Our landlord directed us to a company called Assurant Renters Insurance – it was a quick online application and payment ~ $12 / Month (Liability Only)

*   I have Allstate, as my parents did before me. They told me, when I found my rental, that they couldn’t get me renter’s insurance then, as there was a statewide moratorium on writing new insurance. I was delighted when I went to them this month about construction insurance. They were then able to bundle my new renter’s in with my existing policies. In addition, I am covered by my property insurance until construction starts. When I get my Certificate of Occupancy, I will then convert from construction insurance back to home insurance.

They have paid out to the max of my policy coverage for the house and for the contents. From the time I left the Westwood Evacuation Center, they have used my ALE to cover hotel and currently, 1 year’s apartment rental (even re-imbursing me for 2 month’s rent that I had paid out to get the apartment). It looks as if they will be honoring the rider that increases the amount of payment for the house loss, if I rebuild ( I am in process for that at this time). SO much depends on one’s agent as to how the payout is done! All of mine have been good. Maybe hard to talk to at times, but the total is excellent.