Best Renters Insurance in Virginia (2025)
Renters insurance can be an affordable way to protect your personal property from catastrophic damage risk.
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Written byAly J. Yale
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National Association of Real Estate Editors member
Bylines include Forbes, Bankrate, and CBS News
Aly is a reporter specializing in real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. You can find her work in Hearst newspapers and numerous financial publications.
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Edited byChris Schafer
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7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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Table of contents
If you’re a renter, your landlord has insurance to cover the property you live in. But to cover your belongings and personal liability, you’ll need a renters insurance policy.[1]
No Virginia law requires renters insurance, but your landlord will often require you to carry coverage. Even if yours doesn’t, you may want a policy for added protection in case of theft, storm damage, or some other unexpected event. In Virginia, the average cost is only about $10–$26 per month, depending on the amount of coverage you choose.
Quick Facts
Renters insurance protects your personal belongings in the event of a covered incident, like a fire or burglary, and it also provides liability protection.
Renters insurance in Virginia costs $19 per month for a policy with $30,000 in personal property coverage, according to Insurify data.
Virginia renters insurance is cheaper than the national average of $22 per month.
How renters insurance works in Virginia
Renters insurance comes with three main types of coverage: personal property, liability, and additional living expenses (ALE) coverage.[2]
Getting renters insurance coverage and filing claims is fairly easy. You can typically get a quote online or over the phone and then finalize the process from there. You’ll need information about your property, its safety features, any high-value belongings in the home, and your pets to complete the process.
What you pay for your policy will depend on many factors, including your rental property’s location, how much coverage you need, your deductible, and the insurance company you choose. You should get at least three insurance quotes when shopping for a renters insurance policy, as premiums can vary widely from one insurer to the next.
Once you have a policy in place, you can file a claim should damage occur.
How to file a renters insurance claim
To file a renters insurance claim, you should:
File a police report if necessary (in cases of theft or burglary).
Call your insurance company.
Put together an inventory of items that were damaged.
Fill out your company’s required claim forms.
Hold on to any receipts if you’re being displaced.
Await payment for damages.
Sometimes, you may be able to file a claim online or via the company’s mobile app, though it depends on which insurance company you choose.
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Best renters insurance companies in Virginia
The best renters insurance company for you depends on your personal situation, your budget, and what coverages you need.
For example, if you want to customize and build your policy from the ground up, Lemonade is a good choice, while Amica might be a better fit if you want to maximize your discounts. And if you want to add your roommate to your policy, Assurant lets you do it for free.
Here, you can see a collection of the best Virginia renters insurance companies. We’ve also included their specialties and average premiums for $30,000 in personal property coverage.
Insurance Company  | Average Monthly Premium | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | $10 | Customizable coverage |
| State Farm | $13 | Low rates |
| Progressive | $21 | Coverage options |
| Amica | $20 | Discounts |
| Assurant | $20 | Free roommate coverage |
What renters insurance covers in Virginia
Virginia renters coverage includes the three main types of coverage: personal property, liability, and ALE.
Personal property coverage protects the belongings inside your rental unit or apartment against damage due to storms, smoke, fire, or other covered events, while liability insurance covers your legal costs in case someone is hurt or their property is damaged while at your home. Renters insurance also covers damage caused by pets you live with.
ALE coverage goes toward your daily living costs if a covered event destroys your rental or makes it uninhabitable while it’s under repair.
Covered events typically include:
Fire
Smoke damage
Lightning
Vandalism
Theft
Explosive damage
Windstorms
Water damage (not caused by flooding)
Floods and earthquakes are excluded and require separate policies for coverage. For example, if your rental had been flooded by Hurricane Irene, which hit the state in 2011, a typical renters insurance policy wouldn’t cover any damage caused by the event. Instead, you’d need a designated flood insurance policy through a private insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Unique considerations for renters insurance in Virginia
Renters insurance can be an important investment in Virginia, as the state has weather and natural disaster risks you’ll want to protect against. These include hurricanes, tropical storms, and nor’easters, particularly along the coast. There’s also a risk of tornadoes (376 tornadoes were documented between 1950 and 2001), drought, extreme heat, wildfires, and severe thunderstorms.
Remember that renters insurance won’t cover flood damage, so if you want to ensure your belongings are protected from flooding caused by a hurricane or other storm event, you’ll need separate coverage. While earthquakes require separate coverage, too, they aren’t especially common in Virginia. Only seven major earthquakes have occurred in the eastern or central U.S. since 1811.[3]
To ensure you’re getting the coverage levels you need for your property, you should:
Work with a local insurance agent who’s knowledgeable about crime and weather risks in the area.
Check your property’s flood risk on the FEMA flood map.
Compare quotes from at least three to five different insurers, as coverage options can vary by company.
Keep in mind that the more at risk a property is for certain covered events, the more you’ll pay for coverage. For example, renters insurance may cost more in an area that’s prone to wildfire or burglary than in other parts of the state.
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How to save on renters insurance in Virginia
Renters insurance rates aren’t set in stone, and you have many ways to reduce the amount you pay for your coverage, including:
Comparison shop between insurance companies.
Look for insurance discounts, including ones for installing certain safety and security devices (smoke alarms, deadbolt locks), having good credit, being a senior, and more. Be sure to ask about available discounts, as some insurers may not list all discounts on their websites.
Increase your deductible amount.
Choose actual cash value coverage rather than replacement value coverage.
Bundle your renters insurance with another insurance policy, such as car insurance, to score a discount.
If you’re a military member or veteran in Virginia, you may also be able to save by using a military-specific insurer, like USAA or Armed Forces Insurance. If you’re currently renting on a military base, you could save a significant amount.
Renters insurance in Virginia FAQs
Check out the additional information below to learn more about getting renters insurance in Virginia.
How much is renters insurance in Virginia?
The cost of renters insurance in Virginia varies based on many factors, including the insurance company, property location, coverage limits, and more. The average cost ranges from $10 to $26 per month, Insurify data shows.
Is renters insurance required in Virginia?
Renters insurance isn’t legally required in Virginia, but your landlord may require it as part of your rental agreement. You may also want to get a policy for peace of mind and financial protection.
How much renters insurance do you need in Virginia?
That depends on how much your belongings would cost to replace, your risk of liability, the cost of living expenses in your area, the types of coverage you need, and more. Taking an inventory of your personal belongings is a good place to start.[4]
How do you file a claim for renters insurance in Virginia?
It depends on your insurer, but you can typically file a claim online, via mobile app, or over the phone. You’ll want to take an inventory of the damaged items and, if appropriate, file a police report.
What does renters insurance cover in Virginia?
Renters insurance covers your personal belongings and additional living expenses if a covered event, like a fire, storm, or burglary, damages your items or property. It also protects you against liability if someone is hurt or their property is damaged at your home.
Sources
- Insurance Information Institute. "Your renters insurance guide."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Renters Insurance."
- Old Dominion University. "Overview of Natural Hazards."
- NAIC. "Consumer Insight."
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Aly J. Yale
Aly J. Yale is a freelance writer and reporter covering real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. Her work has been published in Forbes, Business Insider, Money, CBS News, US News & World Report, and The Miami Herald. She has a bachelor’s degree in radio-TV-film and news-editorial journalism from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU and is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
Aly has been a contributor at Insurify since September 2023.
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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