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Julia Taliesin is an insurance content writer at Insurify. She began her career as a journalist, covering local government and business in Somerville, Mass.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
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Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
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At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
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Table of contents
Renters insurance is an affordable protection that can provide peace of mind. It insures your belongings, protects you from financial liability, and pays for additional expenses if a covered event makes your rental home temporarily unlivable.
Since you’re not insuring a building structure, a renters policy is pretty cheap for the protection it provides. The national average cost of HO-4 renters insurance is $22 per month, or around $264 per year, for a policy with $30,000 in personal property coverage.
Here’s what you need to know about comparing quotes and finding cheap renters insurance.
State Farm offers the cheapest renters insurance on average, with a monthly premium of $15 for a policy with $30,000 in personal property coverage.
Many landlords require tenants to purchase a renters insurance policy as part of the rental agreement.
Renters insurance typically covers personal items, liability, medical expenses, and loss of use.
How to compare renters insurance quotes
Renters insurance helps protect your possessions, cover your liability, and reimburse you for additional living expenses if your apartment isn’t livable.
Comparing renters insurance quotes can help you save on car insurance. Here’s how you can get a renters insurance quote.
Provide personal information. You’ll likely need to enter your name, date of birth, email, phone number, current and previous address, the type of building you live in, and more.
Make a home inventory. Create a list of all your belongings in your home, especially high-value items. Having a home inventory can help you determine the amount of personal property coverage you need.
Decide on coverage limits and a deductible. A standard amount for renters insurance personal property coverage is $30,000, but you may want more or less. You should consider your net worth when deciding your liability limits. Lastly, determine your deductible. A higher deductible means a lower monthly payment, but you’ll get a smaller payout when you file an insurance claim.
Look for discounts. Discounts can help lower your premium. You can commonly earn savings by bundling with auto insurance, paying your premium in full, paying online, being claims-free, and having an in-building security system.
Compare quotes from multiple insurers. Shopping around and comparing quotes from at least three different insurers is the best way to save money on insurance. Once you identify your renters insurance needs, you’re ready to compare quotes and find the best deal for your specific requirements.
Check company ratings and reviews. Once you’ve narrowed your search down to one or two companies, it’s worth looking into each company’s ratings and reviews online. Reading past customer reviews and researching an insurer’s third-party ratings can help you determine if it’s a good match for you.
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Cheapest renters insurance quotes
A number of factors can influence renters insurance costs, and average insurance rates can vary slightly by insurance company.
Below, you can compare average monthly quotes for renters insurance with $30,000 in personal belongings coverage from some of the cheapest U.S. renters insurance companies.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $15 |
| Lemonade | $18 |
| Amica | $22 |
| Allstate | $23 |
| Progressive | $26 |
| GEICO | $27 |
| The Hartford | $27 |
| Assurant | $28 |
| American Family | $34 |
| Farmers | $39 |
What renters insurance covers
Renters insurance covers many different losses you might face as a tenant. It covers damage from disasters like fires and windstorms. It also covers falling objects, hail, theft, vandalism, power surges, and sudden or accidental water discharge from a burst pipe or overflowing bathtub in an apartment.
Most renters policies cover personal property, liability, medical expenses, and loss of use. Here’s what each coverage does.
Personal items
Personal property insurance covers the belongings in your home or apartment, including furniture, clothing, decor, electronics, and small appliances. Most policies also include “off-premises” coverage for your belongings. For example, if someone stole property from your car, your insurer would cover that loss up to a certain percentage of your personal property limit.
This insurance also covers anything you’ve rented or borrowed, your bicycle, and sports equipment. Be sure to understand whether your policy will pay actual cash value or replacement cost value.
Liability
Liability insurance covers your legal and financial responsibility in third-party claims of bodily injury. The liability portion of your policy also covers claims related to accidental damage you cause to someone else’s belongings.
Medical expenses
If someone has an accident in your home, medical expenses coverage will pay for some of their medical bills for their injury, whether or not you were responsible for the incident.
Loss of use
Loss of use insurance pays for temporary living expenses (like a hotel stay and restaurant meals) if your home or apartment becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss.
What renters insurance doesn’t cover
Like homeowners insurance, renters insurance has some common coverage gaps. Here’s what your policy never covers:
Flood damage: You can buy flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. This could be a good additional protection if you live in a ground-floor apartment or a storm-prone area. Renters insurance does cover water damage from events like a pipe bursting or an upstairs tenant leaving the water running and causing an overflow into your apartment.
Earthquake damage: You can get coverage for earthquake damage from state-backed or private insurers. This will reimburse you if an earthquake damages your belongings.
Vehicle damage: Renters insurance doesn’t cover damage to your vehicle. You need collision or comprehensive auto insurance for that protection. Your policy may reimburse you for belongings someone stole from your car, up to a limit.
Consider customizing your coverage if you have expensive valuables or want extra protection. For example, you can increase your liability coverage limit or add an umbrella liability policy.
You can also add an “endorsement” or a “floater” to get more coverage for valuables like jewelry, collectible items, and special or expensive sports equipment. Renters policies typically have a lower personal property limit for valuables, so it’s good to assess whether you need extra protection.
Average renters insurance quotes by state
Renters insurance is a relatively affordable protection. The national average cost of renters insurance coverage is $22 per month for $30,000 of personal property coverage and $100,000 of liability coverage.
Renters insurance quotes vary between insurance companies and around the country. Insurers calculate premiums differently, and your location, pets, credit history, coverage amount, deductible, and other factors also affect premiums.
Here’s the average monthly cost of renters insurance by state for policies with $30,000 in personal property coverage.
Average Monthly Premium by State
State | Average Monthly Premium Cost |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $23 |
| Alabama | $31 |
| Arkansas | $35 |
| Arizona | $26 |
| California | $23 |
| Colorado | $23 |
| Connecticut | $24 |
| Delaware | $15 |
| Florida | $27 |
| Georgia | $32 |
| Hawaii | $25 |
| Iowa | $17 |
| Idaho | $20 |
| Illinois | $24 |
| Indiana | $26 |
| Kansas | $22 |
| Kentucky | $34 |
| Louisiana | $36 |
| Massachusetts | $21 |
| Maryland | $27 |
| Maine | $19 |
| Michigan | $39 |
| Minnesota | $24 |
| Missouri | $28 |
| Mississippi | $39 |
| Montana | $22 |
| North Carolina | $20 |
| North Dakota | $20 |
| Nebraska | $18 |
| New Hampshire | $22 |
| New Jersey | $22 |
| New Mexico | $23 |
| Nevada | $20 |
| New York | $18 |
| Ohio | $24 |
| Oklahoma | $29 |
| Oregon | $21 |
| Pennsylvania | $23 |
| Rhode Island | $22 |
| South Carolina | $27 |
| South Dakota | $16 |
| Tennessee | $29 |
| Texas | $28 |
| Utah | $21 |
| Virginia | $19 |
| Vermont | $20 |
| Washington | $18 |
| Washington D.C. | $21 |
| Wisconsin | $19 |
| West Virginia | $24 |
| Wyoming | $19 |
State | Average Monthly Premium Cost |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $23 |
| Alabama | $31 |
| Arkansas | $35 |
| Arizona | $26 |
| California | $23 |
| Colorado | $23 |
| Connecticut | $24 |
| Delaware | $15 |
| Florida | $27 |
| Georgia | $32 |
| Hawaii | $25 |
| Iowa | $17 |
| Idaho | $20 |
| Illinois | $24 |
| Indiana | $26 |
| Kansas | $22 |
| Kentucky | $34 |
| Louisiana | $36 |
| Massachusetts | $21 |
| Maryland | $27 |
| Maine | $19 |
| Michigan | $39 |
| Minnesota | $24 |
| Missouri | $28 |
| Mississippi | $39 |
| Montana | $22 |
| North Carolina | $20 |
| North Dakota | $20 |
| Nebraska | $18 |
| New Hampshire | $22 |
| New Jersey | $22 |
| New Mexico | $23 |
| Nevada | $20 |
| New York | $18 |
| Ohio | $24 |
| Oklahoma | $29 |
| Oregon | $21 |
| Pennsylvania | $23 |
| Rhode Island | $22 |
| South Carolina | $27 |
| South Dakota | $16 |
| Tennessee | $29 |
| Texas | $28 |
| Utah | $21 |
| Virginia | $19 |
| Vermont | $20 |
| Washington | $18 |
| Washington D.C. | $21 |
| Wisconsin | $19 |
| West Virginia | $24 |
| Wyoming | $19 |
How to buy renters insurance online
Buying renters insurance online is simple. Most renters insurance companies allow you to quote, customize, and purchase your policy online. You can follow these steps to buy a policy:
Shop around. It’s always a good idea to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies before selecting a policy. Many insurers also allow you to get an insurance quote directly on their websites.
Customize your coverage. Once you have your quote or quotes, you can typically customize your coverage details, like your limits and deductibles.
Purchase your policy. Once you feel satisfied with your coverage, go ahead and purchase the policy. Your insurer will instantly email proof of insurance, which can satisfy landlord requirements.
Renters insurance is portable. This means if you move while your policy is in place, your coverage will typically follow you to your next apartment.
Factors that affect your renters insurance quote
Several factors affect how much you pay for renters insurance, including the following:
Location: Insurers consider location-based risk factors when determining your premiums, such as weather, crime rates, and proximity to fire stations.
Coverage limits: Selecting higher coverage limits for personal property and liability coverage will increase the cost of your coverage. Selecting lower limits will typically decrease your premium.
Deductible amount: Selecting a lower deductible will increase your renters insurance premium, while setting a higher deductible will result in lower monthly premiums.
Claims history: If you have a recent claims history, the insurer may take this into account when determining your quote.
Credit history: Insurers in most states can consider credit-based insurance scores, using your credit history and other factors, when determining premiums. Renters with a poor credit history typically pay higher premiums than renters with excellent credit.
Type of building: Whether you live in a two-family home or a high-rise building can affect your renters insurance costs. And, if your building has security and other safety systems in place, you may see lower premiums.
Renters insurance quotes FAQs
The following information can help answer any remaining questions you have about renters insurance for tenants.
On average, California renters pay $23 per month for a renters insurance policy with $30,000 in personal property coverage.
State Farm, Lemonade, Amica, and Allstate are some of the cheapest renters insurance companies, based on averages from Insurify. But the cheapest renters insurer for you will depend on several factors, such as where you live, the amount of coverage you purchase, and more.
Many landlords and property managers require renters insurance as part of a lease agreement. Even if your landlord doesn’t, renters insurance is still worth it. Remember that your landlord’s insurance doesn’t provide any coverage for your belongings, so you’d have to pay out of pocket to replace any damaged items after a covered loss, regardless of the cause.
Typically, renters insurance covers a hotel stay and additional living expenses for 12 to 24 months or until it’s safe to live in your home again. Policies do have a limit and only cover additional expenses. That means if you paid $900 per month in rent and a hotel stay costs $1,200 per month, your policy would reimburse you for $300. Expenses can also include things like food, laundry, pet boarding, and parking.
You can get renters insurance in a shared household, but consider what coverage makes sense first. For example, if you live with family and they have a home insurance policy, it might already cover you. If you live in an apartment with your spouse, you could get a shared renters policy. We recommend getting your own separate renters policy if you live with roommates, but you might be able to share.
Yes. You can likely bundle your policies when an insurance company offers renters and auto insurance. It’s also a great way to save money on coverage. Discounts for bundling multiple coverages are some of the best out there.
A renters insurance quote is an estimate of how much you’ll pay each month or year for coverage. Your exact premium from an insurer will depend on several factors, including where you live and the amount of coverage you need. The best way to find cheap renters insurance is to compare quotes from multiple insurers. You can easily do this through Insurify and other insurance-comparison tools.
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Julia is an economic analyst and insurance correspondent at Insurify. Since joining Insurify in 2024, she’s researched and written 100+ articles on various insurance topics, including auto, home, renters, pet, and life insurance. She’s been quoted by publishers like Newsweek and the LA Times on topics ranging from the effects of climate change on home insurance rates to the costs of EV ownership.
She began her career as a local journalist, covering local government, business, and public health in the Boston area. She published multiple investigative stories, researching and analyzing public records to report on municipal finances and budget allocation, zoning and building development, and personnel.
Julia holds a Bachelor’s degree in communications from Simmons University, with a focus in journalism. Outside of work, Julia enjoys salsa dancing, singing in cover bands, and baking delicious treats.
)
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
)
Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
)
)
)
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