The Simple Renters Insurance Policy

By Dave Trusty

Is renters insurance even a necessity anymore? There are all kinds of possibilities in the world and choosing not to carry renters insurance is kind of like gambling with your financial future. After all, if you are not covered the chances of recouping any of your losses are very slim.

Renters insurance is necessary to cover the basics of your lost, stolen, or damaged items should the rented property experience a significant situation. Fires, hurricanes, and theft can plague a renter if he or she is not covered. With the expense of personal items that are found within your home, not having a renters insurance policy is gambling with your future.

Renters insurance does not cover flood waters, and you need to buy a government backed flood insurance policy if there is a risk of flooding in your area. You can not expect to file under your landlord's policies, even in the event of a flood. This is important to understand, as the value of your personal property can exceed tens of thousands of dollars and you may very well find that the financial burden of replacing it all to be extreme.

Renters insurance is not hard to get. Most policies run only a couple of hundred dollars per year, with very low premiums and payment plans. This means you can be protected for less than a mere $20 per month. At that price it seems a little insane not to keep your goods covered.

Confused? There are certain loopholes that would allow you to claim damages under your landlord's policy. For instance, if your landlord torched his or her own building and this was proven in a court of law you would have a legitimate claim. The years that it will take to build a case, take it to trial, receive a finding, and file a civil suit would be long and arduous. You are better off filing a claim with renters insurance and then filing a civil suit if it turns out the landlord is directly responsible for any losses.

If you work, even part time, out of your home it is even more imperative that you carry renters insurance. Not doing so could easily mean that you will lose more than just possessions if something happens.

The whole point of renters insurance is to keep you protected from the loss of everything. Since you do not have a claim in the investment value of the property, you should at least be able to replace your possessions should you lose everything through a terrible act of destruction.

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