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8 years in insurance and personal finance writing
Former data scientist for U.S. Geological Survey
Lindsay is a freelance personal finance writer currently pursuing her Series 65 license. She enjoys helping readers learn money management skills that improve their lives.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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USAA is a member-owned financial institution that offers banking services and insurance products for former and veteran military members and their families. USAA has many helpful perks and coverages that you won’t find with other insurers. If you qualify for coverage from USAA, it’s likely your best choice for renters insurance coverage. But it’s still important to compare your options.
Here’s what you should know about renters insurance from USAA.
A renters insurance policy from USAA costs $18 per month, on average.
USAA only sells coverage to active-duty service members, veterans, certain government employees, and eligible family members.
USAA renters insurance policies include flood and earthquake coverage, plus special military-specific perks and discounts.
Insurify’s take on USAA renters insurance
USAA provides quality renters insurance coverage for military members, including military-friendly savings and features. The company offers more premium coverage options at no additional charge. Although the company has mixed reviews from customers online, it earned an above-average customer satisfaction ranking for renters insurance in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Home Insurance Study.[1]
Cheap average renters insurance premiums
Available in all states and overseas
Substantial military-friendly discounts and benefits
Not available to the general public
Poor customer reviews on some websites
No 24/7 customer service
What USAA renters insurance covers
USAA standard renters policies include the following coverages:[2]
Personal liability
If a guest incurs an injury at your rental property, personal liability coverage can pay for legal expenses if the guest sues you. This insurance can also cover you if you cause damage to someone else’s property.
Personal property
Personal property coverage replaces personal belongings lost or damaged in a covered event. USAA bases the reimbursement on the cost to buy a new item — not its actual cash value, like other insurers.
Loss of use
Also called living expenses coverage, loss of use insurance can cover the cost of room and board and other living arrangements if your current home needs repairs due to a covered event.
Medical payments
Medical payments insurance can cover the costs of medical expenses or treatment for people injured on your property.
Earthquake, war, and flood events
USAA will cover the costs of repairs or replacement following damage or loss due to earthquakes, war, and flooding, which other insurers typically don’t cover.
USAA also offers a few additional types of coverages that you can buy for a small charge. Consider whether you might need any of these policy endorsements to have protection for your belongings.
Extra electronic coverage: This provides expanded protection in case you accidentally damage your own electronics, available with limits from $1,000 to $10,000.
Valuable personal property: This adds higher coverage limits and covers accidental damage for expensive items like firearms and jewelry, with no deductible required.
Personal cyber insurance: This policy adds coverage limits from $10,000 to $100,000 for damage stemming from digital threats like malware, cyberbullying, fraud, and more.
Coverage exclusions
It’s also important to know what renters insurance from USAA doesn’t cover. Policies from the company don’t cover the following:
Car damage or theft
Pet and insect damage
Damage to the building itself
Certain types of damage from water
Your roommate and their belongings
Cost of USAA renters insurance
The average cost of a renters insurance policy from USAA with $30,000 in personal property and $100,000 in liability coverage is $18 per month, according to Insurify data. For comparison, the U.S. average renters insurance cost is $20 per month.
USAA renters insurance discounts
USAA already offers cheaper renters insurance than some companies, but policyholders can save even more with the company’s discount offerings. Learn more about how much you can save below.[3]
Discount ▲▼ | % Discount ▲▼ |
---|---|
Bundle renters and auto policies | Up to 10% |
Living on base | Up to 28% |
Attending a military college or service academy | Up to 20% or 45%, respectively |
Claims-free status for the past three years when renewing your policy | Up to 20% |
Safety devices like security systems or automatic sprinklers | Up to 5% |
USAA reviews: What real customers are saying
It’s difficult to review peoples’ experiences with USAA’s renters insurance specifically because the company offers many different insurance and financial products. For that reason, customer reviews online for USAA cover peoples’ experiences with a range of products.
Here’s how customers have rated the company online:
Trustpilot: 1.2 out of 5 stars, based on 3,100 reviews
Better Business Bureau (BBB): 1.15 out of 5 stars, based on 2,300 reviews
Yelp: 1.5 out of 5 stars, based on 1,600 reviews
Google: 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,500 reviews
You won’t find many firsthand experiences about USAA renters insurance on these review platforms, but they do exist if you read through enough reviews. Below, you can see one renters insurance customer highlighted a slow response time from the company.
How to buy a USAA renters insurance policy
USAA makes it easy to buy a renters insurance policy online. Follow these steps to purchase a renters insurance policy and make sure USAA is the right option for your needs:
Check your eligibility. You can check whether you meet USAA’s membership eligibility requirements online.
Get a quote from USAA. You can get a renters insurance quote from any of USAA’s product sales pages.
Shop around. Experts recommend comparing at least three options when shopping for any type of insurance. Getting and comparing a few other quotes from the best renters insurance companies online is usually quick.
Buy a policy. Choose the company that offers the best policy for your renters coverage needs and budget. Once you’ve decided on an insurer, you can complete the purchase process.
How to file a renters insurance claim with USAA
Filing a renters insurance claim with USAA is quick and easy — particularly if you feel comfortable doing so online.
1. Gather evidence
Take pictures, write notes, and come up with a rough estimate of the damage so you know whether it’s worth filing a claim.
2. Contact USAA
To start the claims process, call or contact the company online or through its mobile app. You’ll need to submit your evidence and provide extra details.
3. USAA examines the claim
The insurer may ask extra questions or conduct more research. Stay in touch to help your claim progress faster.
4. Receive payment
If USAA approves your claim, it’ll send you money to cover the cost of your loss, minus the amount of your deductible. You can use this money to buy new items.
USAA renters insurance FAQs
The following information can help answer your remaining questions about USAA renters insurance.
Is USAA reputable?
Yes. USAA has the highest possible AM Best financial strength rating of A++ (Superior). The company also earned an above-average ranking for renters insurance customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Home Insurance Study.
How much is USAA renters insurance per month?
USAA charges an average premium of $18 per month for renters insurance, according to Insurify data. This average is lower than many other insurance companies in the U.S. The national average cost of renters insurance is $20 per month.
What does renters insurance typically cover?
Renters insurance covers your personal belongings, legal costs from a lawsuit, medical bills for people injured in your home, and the cost of alternative lodgings and meals if you have to live elsewhere while you complete repairs on your home after a covered loss.
Does USAA renters insurance have a deductible?
Often, yes. USAA charges a deductible for most types of claims. Notably, it doesn’t charge a deductible if you’re filing a claim under its optional coverages for valuable personal property or cyber insurance. It also doesn’t charge a deductible if you lose your things in an overseas war, or if you’re filing a claim for your military gear or uniforms.
Sources
- J.D. Power. "Rampant Home Insurance Increases Strain Customer Satisfaction—and Drive Policy Shopping, J.D. Power Finds."
- USAA. "Renters insurance covers you and your stuff.."
- USAA. "Renters Insurance Discounts."
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Lindsay VanSomeren is a freelance personal finance writer living in Suquamish, WA. Her work has appeared with FICO, Credit Karma, The Balance, and more. She enjoys helping people learn how to manage their money better so they can live the life they want.
Lindsay has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
)
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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