Let’s face it: your belongings are important to you. If a house fire destroyed your favorite watch or a burglar snatched your cherished iPad, it would be a devastating blow. If you want to protect your things and your peace of mind, renters insurance is an excellent solution.
If your insurance policy confuses you, you’re not alone: 37% of millennials don’t have renters insurance because they don’t know how it works. We’re here to put an end to the confusion. To clear things up, renters insurance covers your lost, damaged, or stolen property. The insurance policy also gives you liability coverage, which protects you if you’re responsible for an accident or damage to a person or property.
But what does renters insurance not cover, you ask? Wonder no more.
Here’s a list of 7 things that your renters insurance policy typically does not cover.
1. Damages from natural disasters
If you live in a place where flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, sinkholes, or earthquakes are common, beware! Renters insurance typically does not cover items damaged by these types of natural disasters. Before you start to pack your bags, don’t fear — you can purchase an additional policy that covers that possibility.
Pro Tip: if a volcanic eruption or a windstorm destroys your things, you’re covered.
2. High-value items
We know that your expensive jewelry, your rare sports memorabilia, and your high-priced artwork are important to you. Therefore, we must warn you that valuable items are often not covered by renters insurance. If they were, your policy would cost a fortune!
Pro Tip: Find out whether you can add some extra coverage to your basic renters insurance policy to cover your valuables. Lemonade lets you add coverage for your most cherished items yourself!
3. Damages from acts of terror
Not-so-fun-fact: ever since 9/11, renters insurance policy no longer covers damages caused by terrorist incidents. Nowadays, you have to pay an extra cost in order to protect your things in case of such a devastating event.
4. Undocumented items
If you can’t prove the value of your items, you may be out of luck. Here are a few tips to help you avoid this scenario: keep receipts of the stuff you care about more, and take pictures of your items and documents on your phone just to be safe. You will thank yourself one day!
5. Your roommate’s stuff
If your roommate’s things are damaged, lost, or stolen, your insured-self unfortunately can’t come to the rescue. It may be wise to recommend to your roommate that he or she invests in their own policy (and reads this article in case they are confused)! However, if your roommate happens to be your relative, you’re in the clear — just make sure to add their name to your policy.
6. Damages caused by pests
As if rodents, pests, and bugs aren’t irritating enough, renters insurance does not cover any damage done by these creatures. And for some more pesty news, the cost of an exterminator will not be covered either. So, consider these creepers a liability (if you don’t already), and invest in some preventive measures to avoid an infestation.
7. Physical damages to your building
Renters insurance covers your stuff, but it doesn’t cover the physical building that holds your stuff. That’s the job of landlord insurance. So, in case you accidentally flood your apartment or throw a ball through your window, you should check with your landlord to make sure that they have the right coverage for your building.
Hopefully, this cheat sheet has cleared things up about what is not covered by renters insurance. Other than these few exceptions, renters insurance protects you against every type of damage that your possessions may face.
And, fortunately, the cost for peace of mind is generally pretty low: the average premium policy is around $144/year. Psst: Lemonade offers a cheaper option, starting at $5/month! Don’t let your hesitation become a liability.
