As a tenant, you may think that your landlord’s home insurance or condo insurance covers you entirely, but that’s not true.
Yes, you don’t need to worry about fixing certain things as a renter because much of that responsibility is your landlord’s. You don’t need to worry about home or condo insurance because that is also the landlord’s responsibility. However, your landlord’s insurance and obligations are limited, so you’re not completely covered as a tenant who rents.
What Your Landlord’s Insurance DOES Cover
Your landlord should have house or condo insurance, but that insurance mainly covers the home/building structure itself. This insurance protects the home or condo building in case of significant damages like fires, natural disasters, major leaks, etc. It is intended to cover the landlord’s expenses in fixing the cracks or re-building.
If the landlord lives in the same home, like when the landlord has a basement suite that they rent out while living upstairs, for example, then the landlord’s home insurance may also cover the personal belongings in the home, like furniture, electronics, etc. However, this aspect of a landlord’s insurance will only protect their personal belongings. This may cover the table in a tenant’s suite, but only if the suite was already furnished with the landlord’s furniture, which is not always the case.
What A Landlord’s Insurance Does NOT Cover
As a renter and tenant, it’s essential to know what your landlord’s home or condo insurance doesn’t cover.
A landlord’s insurance will usually not cover your personal belongings. So, suppose they are stolen, or something like a fire, natural disaster, or water leak causes damage to your belongings. In that case, the landlord’s insurance will usually not cover the cost of replacing these items because they don’t belong to the landlord.
A tenant or renter will also not be covered by a landlord’s insurance if they need to find a new place to rent during repairs or renovations. This is a common scenario if the unit suffers considerable damage, making it unlivable.
Why Renters Need Tenant Insurance
Renters will want to consider tenant insurance for a couple of main reasons. First, tenant insurance will cover your personal belongings like furniture, clothes, and electronics. Tenant insurance will also help cover the cost of living elsewhere if you’re displaced. A renter’s tenant insurance will cover these two significant expenses if there is a theft or consequential damage from something like a fire, natural disaster, or water leak. With the possibility of the costs of covering these damages and expenses quickly getting into the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, we can begin to see how valuable a renter’s tenant insurance can indeed be.
Free Quotes On Renter or Tenant Insurance
Tenant insurance for renters can be pretty affordable, especially considering the potentially significant expenses it can cover. If you’re interested in looking at tenant insurance quotes, we highly encourage you to work with one of our brokers today. We’d be happy to present you with a free quote for tenant insurance. Contact us today for a free quote!
