Personal Lines · Renters
Renters insurance: the cheapest policy that actually matters.
Your landlord's insurance covers their building. It covers nothing of yours, and none of your liability.
The short version
A renters policy does three things: it replaces your belongings after a covered loss, it covers your liability if you're responsible for injuring someone or damaging property, and it pays loss of use — somewhere to live — if the unit becomes uninhabitable. Your landlord's policy does none of these. It insures their building, and their interests only.
The liability piece is the part people undervalue. Contents are usually the reason someone buys the policy, but a kitchen fire that spreads to neighbouring units, or a guest injured in your apartment, is the claim that actually threatens your finances. It's also why a great many Texas leases now require renters insurance.
Three Parts
What you're actually buying.
Most renters can name one of these. The other two are why the policy is worth having.
Your belongings
Furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen equipment. Add it up honestly before choosing a limit — people consistently underestimate by a wide margin.
Your liability
If you're responsible for injury or damage — including damage to the building itself — this is what responds. The most financially important part of the policy.
Loss of use
If a covered loss makes the unit uninhabitable, this pays for somewhere else to stay. Renters routinely forget they'd still owe rent elsewhere.
Not the building
Structure, roof, and the landlord's fixtures are theirs to insure. Your policy stops at your possessions and your conduct.
The Fine Print
Where renters policies surprise people.
Cheap coverage still has terms, and these are the ones that matter.
- Replacement cost vs actual cash value — ACV depreciates your five-year-old laptop
- Jewelry, watches and guns carry low sublimits
- Electronics and collectibles may be capped too
- Scheduling covers a specific item above the sublimit
- Flood is excluded — contents-only flood coverage exists and is cheap
- Water backup may need its own endorsement
- Roommates generally need their own policies
- Pets — some breeds are excluded from the liability side
Replacement cost versus actual cash value is the choice worth paying attention to. The premium difference is usually small, and the claim difference is the gap between replacing your things and being handed their depreciated value.
Straight Talk
Doing this well for very little money.
Take a video of everything
Walk your apartment with your phone and narrate. Five minutes now is worth more at claim time than any inventory spreadsheet you'll never finish.
Buy replacement cost
It's usually a small increase and it's the whole point of the policy.
Bundling with auto often pays for it
The multi-policy discount on the auto side frequently offsets most of the renters premium. Worth quoting together rather than separately.
Don't buy the minimum limit by default
The cheapest quote often carries a contents limit well below what you actually own. Cheap is the point — but only if the limit is real.
Get Started
Request a renters insurance quote.
Fast, inexpensive, and we can usually get proof of coverage to your property manager the same day.
Reach us directly
You'll hear back from a real person on our team, not a call center.
Plano, TX 75074
Renters FAQ
Questions we hear often.
Does my landlord's insurance cover my belongings?
No. Your landlord's policy covers their building and their interests. It covers none of your possessions and none of your liability.
What does renters insurance actually cover?
Your belongings after a covered loss, your liability if you injure someone or damage property, and loss of use — somewhere to live if the unit becomes uninhabitable.
How much does renters insurance cost?
It's one of the least expensive policies available, and bundling it with auto often offsets much of the premium through the multi-policy discount.
Is my jewelry covered?
Only up to a sublimit, which is usually low. Valuable items should be scheduled individually to be covered for their real value.
Does renters insurance cover flooding?
No. Flood is excluded, but contents-only flood coverage is available separately and is inexpensive.
Do my roommates need their own policy?
Generally yes. A policy covers the named insured, and roommates are usually not automatically included.
Should I get replacement cost or actual cash value?
Replacement cost, in almost every case. Actual cash value depreciates your belongings, so an older laptop pays out at a fraction of what a new one costs.