Poll: Do you have Renter Insurance?

minendo

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2001
35,560
22
81
I pay $190 a year through allstate for $22,000 in coverage with a $1,000 injury coverage.
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
Question: I am signing a 6 month lease, but the insurance is 12 month term. What happens if I move after 6 months? Do I get half back?
 

optoman

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 1999
4,181
0
0
I did when I rented. Whoever you rent from is not responsible for any damages done to your property. If a pipe breaks and floods your apartment you're screwed. It was cheap and we actaully had a small fire in the kitchen and they took care of all the damages to the kitchen.
 

jeremy806

Senior member
May 10, 2000
647
0
0
Correct. When you rent, you are responsible for "returning" the property to the owner in the same condition as when you got it. Renters' insurance is part of the cost of renting.

Jeremy

 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,090
457
136
Yes only because it's a good idea and the discount.

American Family Insurance gives us a 20% off car insurance if we also have renter's insurance with them.

$16,000 renters insurance coverage
$10 per month
 

Lucky

Lifer
Nov 26, 2000
13,126
3
0
Originally posted by: optoman
I did when I rented. Whoever you rent from is not responsible for any damages done to your property. If a pipe breaks and floods your apartment you're screwed. It was cheap and we actaully had a small fire in the kitchen and they took care of all the damages to the kitchen.

To clarify, you would not be responsible to the property of the landlord (or the property itself). Just your own property.
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
If a pipe breaks, am I responsible for the flood damage done to the apartment/building? I mean beyond paying to replace my stuff.
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: optoman
I did when I rented. Whoever you rent from is not responsible for any damages done to your property. If a pipe breaks and floods your apartment you're screwed. It was cheap and we actaully had a small fire in the kitchen and they took care of all the damages to the kitchen.
Whoa!!

If a pipe breaks isn't that the owner's problem??
I can see a renter being responsible for a kitchen fire, depending on the cause.

 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: Cyberian
Originally posted by: optoman
I did when I rented. Whoever you rent from is not responsible for any damages done to your property. If a pipe breaks and floods your apartment you're screwed. It was cheap and we actaully had a small fire in the kitchen and they took care of all the damages to the kitchen.
Whoa!!

If a pipe breaks isn't that the owner's problem??
I can see a renter being responsible for a kitchen fire, depending on the cause.

No. As lucky said, he means to your own property.. you do not have to pay to have the pipe itself fixed, but he does not have to pay to replace anything of yours that was damaged.

As for the fire thing.. hmm. If it's your fault, are you still covered by the insurance? Or can you just claim ignorance in a case like that? ;)

We don't have it.

For 10$ a month though, it sounds like it would be worth it. What exactly does it cover?
 

optoman

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 1999
4,181
0
0
Originally posted by: Cyberian
Originally posted by: optoman
I did when I rented. Whoever you rent from is not responsible for any damages done to your property. If a pipe breaks and floods your apartment you're screwed. It was cheap and we actaully had a small fire in the kitchen and they took care of all the damages to the kitchen.
Whoa!!

If a pipe breaks isn't that the owner's problem??
I can see a renter being responsible for a kitchen fire, depending on the cause.

I meant that if the pipe breaks and your property gets ruined, you are SOL if you don't have insurance. You are not responsible for the apartment getting water damage.

The fire was our fault and would of cost about $300 out of our pocket if we didn't have insurance.
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
Basically, almost noone comes to visit me, I can afford to replace all the stuff in my apartment without blinking an eye, I don't cook much at all, and even then it's mostly microwave, and there is no gas in the apartment. So I am not sure if insurance is worth it.
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: optoman
I meant that if the pipe breaks and your property gets ruined, you are SOL if you don't have insurance. You are not responsible for the apartment getting water damage.

The fire was our fault and would of cost about $300 out of our pocket if we didn't have insurance.
Gotcha!!

 

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
Yep, $14 a month for 20k protection in chicago. I've videotaped everything in my apartment etc. as well (as good as I could).

/edit: Has anyone ever collected from renter's insurance?
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: pkananen
co-worker got a check for 5 grand after his place was broken into last month.

nice heh..

 

C'DaleRider

Guest
Jan 13, 2000
3,048
0
0
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Basically, almost noone comes to visit me, I can afford to replace all the stuff in my apartment without blinking an eye, I don't cook much at all, and even then it's mostly microwave, and there is no gas in the apartment. So I am not sure if insurance is worth it.

There's a big problem with that belief......."I can afford to replace all the stuff in my apartment without blinking an eye"....that's what everyone thinks until everything is lost in a fire or something similar, and maybe a fire that starts elsewhere like your neighbor's apt. Then you are replacing the obvious stuff-----couch, chair, computer, TV, stereo----yep, that all adds up to squatfor what I've got. Then the real replacing costs start. Books, clothes (and they cost!!!), shoes, dishes, pictures on the wall, and on and on. All the little tings you take for granted but never realize it costs a ton to replace because it took years to accumulate.

The policies also protect you from liability in instances such as: youstep outside your apartment leaving the door open....going to get the paper or your mail. A young neighborhood child, playing tag outside, runs into your apartment before you can react. Just as you turn to stop/shoo the kid out, he/she falls and breaks his/her arm/let/face/nose/etc. Without insurance, you are potentially liable for every expense to treat the kid.........and don't think it doesn't happen. It does and every day........especially if the kid's parents are not too nice and have a good lawyer.

I've always carried insurance, renter's when I was a renter, homeowner's now that I've got land and a house. I also try to carry the maximum allowable on my policies........the expensive part is the initial ins. package, bumping it up to higher coverages usually isn't that much more. Same with liability ins. for cars......our state minimums are 25/50/5. I carry 100/300/25, and I'm thinking of bumping the levels up even further. (The numbers are bodily injury per person/per accident/property damage.) And if you think you cannot cause $25K in property damage, just consider if you "lost control" as it's put, maybe flatted in a curve at speed or hit ice, etc., and hit a house, moving it slightly on its foundation. That $25K is gone and you're out-of-pocket expenses could haunt you for years as you try to pay off a judgement of $50K to resetle the house back on its foundation. It's happened before to others........I just don't want to be one of "those others" people use as an example for having adequate insurance.
 

Apathetic

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2002
2,587
6
81
I clicked "yes" because I did when I lived in an apartment (own a house now).

Talk with whomever you have your car insurance with. See if they offer renter's insurance and if there is a "multi policy discount". There was for me, and the discount almost completely covered the cost of the renters insurance.

Dave