Renters insurance is a great thing to have if you’re not a homeowner. We’ll answer the top questions we get about renters insurance below.

How Much Is Renters Insurance Per Month?

The cost of renters insurance can vary depending on what your coverage limits are and what you want covered. It can also vary because of your credit score or previous loss history. In general, a policy with average limits with clean credit and no loss history will run you about $15-25 a month.

What Is The Best Renters Insurance Policy?

The best renters insurance policy is a policy that provides you the best coverage at a price that you’re comfortable with.

Should I Get Renters Insurance?

Everyone should carry renters insurance if they rent a home or apartment. Renters insurance covers more than just your things. It provides you with a liability insurance policy to protect your assets. Renters insurance will protect you with coverage from theft and fires too.

Is Renters Insurance Worth It?

If you’re a renter, getting a renters insurance policy is always worth it. At less than a dollar a day, it is an affordable insurance policy that protects you and your assets.

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

Renters insurance covers a variety of things from your personal items like your computer and couch to your clothes. It also provides you with liability protection in the event you are found liable for injuries to others you’re found liable for as well as provides you with temporary living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable for periods of time.

Can a Landlord Require Renters Insurance?

Yes, landlords can require you to carry a renters insurance policy. Many renters assume their landlord’s insurance policy will cover their personal items in the event of a loss, but that is not true.

Can I Use My Roommate’s Renter’s Insurance Policy?

No, roommates are specifically excluded from renters insurance policies unless they are listed on the policy by name. Roommates are excluded from coverage for personal property, loss of use and liability coverage.

We always recommend a renters insurance policy. If you have questions about your renters insurance or would like to get a renters insurance quote, please contact us.

You’ve worked hard for your assets. Whether it’s purchasing your home, an investment property or vehicle or saving for retirement, it has taken years and years of consistent hard work to build what you have. Did you also know that your future income can be considered an asset too? So, how can you protect your assets?

By purchasing an umbrella insurance policy.

But, I have insurance for my home and vehicles? Yes, we need insurance for our car and home. But, there are limits on how much you are protected. For example, you get into a car accident where you are at fault. Your insurance policy covers you for $250,000 in 3^rd party damages. However, the other individuals in the car accident needed medical attention & their car was totaled. The total damages for the other party cost $350,000.

You are responsible for the remaining $100,000. If you have an umbrella insurance policy, it would then kick in to cover this excess liability. If you don’t have an umbrella policy, would you be able to foot the bill? If you cannot pay for the remaining balance, a court may issue your future wages to be garnished or they may target your other assets.

Would you prefer to rest easy knowing you have an extra layer of insurance coverage to protect your assets?

There are countless ways to exceed the limits of your home or auto insurance policy. Get peace of mind with an umbrella insurance policy. It eliminates the gaps and insufficient limits on your insurance policies. You’ll be amazed at how affordable coverage can be.

Four levels of protection:

By purchasing an umbrella policy, you increase the limits of liability on:

• Bodily injury: Medical bills and settlement for injuries sustained to the third party.
• Property damage: Damages sustained to the property of a third-party.
• Other damage: Libel & slander, other claims expenses.
• Legal fees: Hiring an attorney can be expensive. An umbrella insurance policy helps cover the cost.

If you have questions about purchasing a personal umbrella insurance policy, contact our agency! Our licensed agents can go over coverage options or simply provide a free quote.

More and more people are taking advantage of the extra income they can make by doing an AirBnB, VRBO or other rental out of their homes. This is a great way to save money for college, pay off your mortgage, pay for a remodel or just make extra money for your savings. But, before you commit and jump into it, consider the risks associated with being a landlord.

Short-term vacation rental properties such as AirBnB, VRBO, HomeAway and others require special insurance. Regardless of whether it is just a room in your house, a trailer or even a separate house, be sure you match your insurance policy to the risk you’re taking on. Believe it or not, you’re a landlord!

Doesn’t AirBnb or VRBO Provide Insurance?

Yes, they do provide liability and property damage protection for third-party claims when they are booked through the AirBnB website. However, you are only protected up to their liability limits. Like many types of insurance policies, there can be gaps that are created.

Example 1: You become chummy with a previous house guest that booked through AirBnB. You exchange numbers and they text you to book a stay instead of booking through the AirBnB website. During the stay, they’re injured. Because they didn’t book through the website, you’re on the hook for the liability.

Example 2: You use Craigslist to get renters into your short-term rental because there is a big local music festival and it will be easy to rent it out for more money during this time. The renter trashes your property and because of repairs, you can’t rent out the property for months. You lose out on income.

Example 3: An excessively bad bodily injury occurs on your property. The medical bills exceed what the short term vacation rental company provides in insurance coverage. You are stuck with the remaining balance of the medical bills.

It’s common to want to make some extra cash from your short-term vacation rental, but we want it to be a safe endeavor for you. By calling an agent in our office, we can help you eliminate the gaps that exist with insurance that may be provided and get you a policy that is the perfect match for you and your family.

Nobody wants to experience a home disaster & it’s not like you can predict when one will happen. If you were to experience a fire, flood, earthquake or other home disaster, would you be able to name every single valuable in your home? If not, you need to create a home inventory list of all your valuables.

Preparing a home inventory can be a large task, but taking the time to do so can make a difference of thousands of dollars when it comes to your claims settlement as well as simple ease of processing your claim.

For many of us, where we live symbolizes us and what is in that house symbolizes our lives. Our belongings represent our memories, personal style and even investments that hold significant value such as art.  When you add up how much all of your personal items are worth, it can be a substantial figure into the many 10s of thousands of dollars or more.

Home insurance claims from disasters such as flood or fire are traumatic. A home inventory checklist can help you remember quickly what items you had. Would you recall exactly how many pairs of jeans you had and what brand they were? Would you recall how many pairs of shoes you had or what brands they were? What about art? Could you recall the name of the artist and how much you paid for it?

The Easiest Way to Create Your List

Taking the time to inventory your home can be useful in the event of theft or damage to the contents of your home.

1. Take pictures of every room in your home. Then, take pictures of each valuable in the room.
2. Take a video of every room in your home.

Note: be sure to store these pictures or video in the cloud as a backup so you don’t lose it in the fire or flood too!

If you were to experience a home disaster, having this list will significantly cut down on how much time and stress you deal with when it comes to your claim settlement.

What Valuables in Your Home Need a Separate Endorsement?

Remember, valuables like art, furs, comic books, antiques and jewelry need an endorsement on your current home, condo or renters insurance policy.

The good news is your insurance agent likely gave you sufficient coverage for your personal property. If you feel like you need more, be sure to tell your agent. Home, renters and condo insurance policies typically come standard with this coverage but you might need more.

There are few furry companions in this world who can bring joy to your life as much as a dog. For dog lovers, your pets are as much a part of the family as any other member of the family! Along with the incredible fun of dog ownership comes responsibilities. Here are some tips to help you avoid a dog liability claim.

1. Understand Your Dog Breed

Dog breeds all seem to represent one personality or another. Some are known for being more aggressive than others, however, even small dogs can nip. When you’re searching for a dog, or perhaps you have one already, pick up a dog book and read about the idiosyncrasies that the breed has.

2. If adopting, talk to the adoption or dog’s caretaker about its behavior.

Adopting a dog is a wonderful gesture and you’re doing a great thing for the pet. You’re taking it out of a shelter and bringing it into your loving home. When you adopt a dog, it is important to talk to the caretaker about the dog’s behavior, interaction with kids as well as other dogs and even cats.

3. Socialize Your Pet

Socializing your dog from a young age with other animals, children or the elderly can help your dog behave well around these different age groups and animals. It can also curb their aggression towards other animals.

4. Obedience Training

Even if your animal doesn’t exhibit aggression towards other animals, obedience training can be a great way to train your dog. Obedience training can include a variety of things from command training to behavior, agility and overall better obedience.

5. Keep Your Dog On A Leash

Most cities & states have some leash laws. These laws vary and you should check with your local municipalities for rules and regulations. These laws typically exist to keep people and wildlife safe. If you’re in a National Park, or State Park, chances are obeying laws here will keep you from being fined. Some states go as far as to charge the owners with misdemeanors for having a dog off leash in State Parks. Regardless if you are in a State Park or walking your neighborhood, keeping your dog on a leash keeps you in charge of your dog.

6. Avoid leaving your pet unattended & always watch your dog when around children

Pets left unattended can exhibit behaviors that are not typical. If your pet is new to you, never leave a pet with a child unattended. A child could unintentionally agitate the animal, step on its paws or something else that causes the animal to react. If you leave your animal in the vehicle, be sure it is restrained and can’t nip at someone as they walk past. It’s always good practice to keep a close eye on your dog when it’s around small children. If you are closely watching, you can monitor your dog’s behavior & step in if you feel it’s uncomfortable around children.

7. Monitor Your Dog’s Behavior

If you’ve noticed a change in your dog’s behavior, you should have it looked at. A dog who is sick, in pain or other can become aggressive even when their history says otherwise.

Owning a pet is a joy. Be a responsible pet owner and keep an eye on your animal at all times. Even the best dogs can exhibit bad behavior if they’re put in the wrong situation. We hope that you and your pet always have a great time, but in the event that your pet does cause an injury and claim having the right home or renters insurance policy can help protect you from a lawsuit. Talk to an agent today about protecting yourself from pet caused injury related claims.