Insurance 101

Does Renters Insurance Cover Damage to Property?

Renters insurance typically covers damage to the policyholder’s personal property. This includes coverage for personal belongings such as furniture, clothes, and electronics.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Damage to Property?

Renters insurance typically covers damage to the policyholder’s personal property. This includes coverage for personal belongings such as furniture, clothes, and electronics. 

Renters insurance may cover damage to your landlord’s property that is accidental, and this only applies to policies that cover this particular peril. 

does renters insurance cover property damage

Property damage can be a confusing topic for those who are renting property. Renters insurance does not usually cover any structural property damage.

If you want it to cover damages to other property, you would need some sort of renters liability protection.

Liability coverage can provide you financially from accidental and unexpected damages you cause to other properties.

For example, if you accidentally cut down a tree that topples onto your neighbor’s house, liability insurance could help with that insurance claim. 

Meanwhile, medical payments coverage is a distinct type of coverage that pays for injuries that are sustained on a piece of property regardless of who is found at fault.

The initial limits for medical payments coverage may be low, so it can be worth it to pay an extra few dollars a year to increase your coverage limits. 

If the damage is caused by floods, bed bugs, or pest infestations, renters insurance will probably not cover it. A situation that causes damages is called a peril, and floods and infestations would be considered non-covered perils. 

Does Renters Insurance Cover Damage to a Rental Property?

Renters insurance is meant to cover damages to a renter’s personal belongings. It doesn’t usually cover damages to the property you are renting and living in. This means that if you cause any intentional damage or damage from wear or tear over time as you live in the rented unit, your insurance will not cover these damages. 

However, if you or someone who comes over to your rented unit accidentally causes damage that is accidental and unexpected, liability coverage may accept a claim for these damages. 

Does Renters Insurance Cover Damage to Landlord’s Property?

If your landlord keeps belongings on the premises you rent or furnishes the place for you, coverage will depend on the details of the policies that you and your landlord carry. If the damage to your landlord’s belongings was accidental, some rental insurance companies are willing to cover the costs. 

In many cases, renters insurance companies will deem any damage to the landlord’s property as the responsibility of the landlord. This means that the landlord will have to deal with the claim on their own end. The good news is that landlords tend to have insurance policies that cover perils that may be problematic. 

Does Renters Insurance Cover Accidental Damage or Tenant Damage?

Liability coverage is very important because it is usually what covers accidental damage. At the same time, it specifically covers damage that is considered accidental and unexpected, which means that the damage you cause cannot be intentional or over a long time period.

As a tenant, causing damage to your landlord’s property can be a big issue. Many renters wonder what is covered and what is excluded. While policies and particular cases vary, intentional damage is generally excluded from insurance policies. If the tenant causes damage during the eviction process, like breaking a door or smashing a mirror, renters insurance will not cover this. 

Does Renters Insurance Cover Accidental Damage To TV?

TV damage can hurt your and your family’s quality of life. Luckily, renters insurance usually covers damages to electronics, including televisions. This means you can file a claim and get assistance for repairing or replacing the TV. 

Commonly covered perils that are associated with damaged TVs include: your TV being stolen, damaged by a fire, and damaged by explosions.

However, in some special cases, you may have to pay for the damages by yourself. 

If the damage caused to your TV came from a non-covered peril, then you will not receive any coverage. Common non-covered perils, which means that your renters insurance will cover damage to your personal property in these situations, include:

  • An earthquake damaging your personal property. 
  • A landslide causing damage to property. 
  • A flood damaging your belongings. Water damage from a burst pipe should be covered. 
  • Your TV randomly stops working one day. 
  • You accidentally damage your TV by dropping it.  

If the TV actually belongs to the landlord, then your insurance policy may not cover it. 

In addition, your insurance claim will only cover damages up to your insurance limits. There is usually a category limit for electronics, which means your potential coverage may be significantly less than what you expect. There is also a deductible you may have to pay out of pocket first before your insurance policy kicks in to cover the rest.

References

  1. https://www.valuepenguin.com/what-does-renters-insurance-cover
  2. https://www.statefarm.com/insurance/home-and-property/renters/coverage-options
  3. https://www.trustedchoice.com/renters-insurance/faq/q-a-renters-does-renters-ins-cover-property-dama/
  4. https://www.libertymutual.com/vehicle/auto-insurance/coverage/property-damage-coverage