Renter's Insurance

You have the right to select any vendor to provide goods and services. Your landlord can require that you obtain renter’s insurance and can charge you for a policy they obtain if you fail to get it yourself, but they cannot require you to purchase it from a certain vendor or list of preapproved vendors.

Renter’s insurance is designed to help protect you and your belongings against certain risks.

Students occasionally experience problems such as water damage to personal property from a leak or burst pipe and accidental situations where something catches on fire or collapses from overloading.

A landlord is not responsible for damage to your personal property. This is true even if the damage is not your fault, such damage from a pipe bursting in the apartment above yours. However, you are responsible for damage you cause, even if the damage is accidental, such as leaving a dish towel on a stove you did not know was hot. A well-rounded renter’s insurance policy will include protection for your belongings, liability coverage for some issues that may be your fault, and reimbursement for you to live elsewhere during a covered loss.

Renter’s insurance is surprisingly affordable. You can obtain renter’s insurance through most major insurance carriers. If your parents have a homeowner’s or umbrella policy, explore whether a policy can be added to their coverage.