Moving out of your parents’ home often means freedom—your own plans, your own furniture, and your own decor. Have you taken the time, however, to protect your new purchases adequately? Often forgotten, tenant insurance is not something that can be neglected. You’re working so hard to make your new home your own—you need to make sure it’s well protected! Learn how to choose the best solution for your needs.
Unlike home or auto insurance, tenant insurance is not mandatory. That being said, more and more building owners have begun to require proof of civil liability insurance from their tenants. Even if you feel you are careful and conscientious, don’t forget that you technically live with the other building occupants and you don’t know anything about their lifestyles. For apartments, we become insured for not only ourselves, but also others on whom we are indirectly dependent. Luckily, this type of insurance is often not very costly and can save you a great deal of trouble in the event of a claim.
First, the amount of coverage you need for your personal property, i.e. all of your possessions in your apartment, must be established. This includes the following:
For most policies, the insurer will replace all of your possessions at today’s prices in the event of a claim. Therefore, even if your appliances are a few years old, the insurer will replace them with new ones in the event of a valid claim.
Did you purchase a good bike for running errands? Be careful! Insurance policies include limits for some property, particularly if theft occurs. Expensive jewellery and bikes are good examples of property subject to a limit. However, they can be covered if specifically added to your policy, based on their value. This way, you will prevent financial losses in the event of a claim.
Civil liabili-what? Civil liability coverage protects you if you are negligent and found liable. In relation to your policy, it is an amount—$2 million is highly suggested—that protects you in civil liability proceedings. What’s good about this amount is that it is not only limited to your apartment but it also follows you around the world! For example, if you travel to Europe, you will have this same amount available to protect you.
With the help of your broker, it is important to determine the additional coverage you may need based on your situation, such as the endorsement for damage caused by groundwater and sewer backup. If you live in a basement or semi-basement, you need to protect your furniture from possible water damage. This amount will serve to clean your furniture or replace it, as well as to cover costs of your relocation while repairs are being carried out on your apartment. Therefore, it is critical that you purchase enough insurance to sufficiently cover the cost to replace your possessions, as well as the costs of temporary relocation. If you live on the third floor, you may not see why such coverage would be useful. However, you need to determine if any of your possessions are in storage in the basement and could be damaged by water.
In conclusion, a number of different coverages can be added to your insurance policy based on your needs and your situation. We invite you to consult with a member of our team to find out more and determine which options are right for you. Tenant insurance is often not very expensive and it is worthwhile since it allows you to have peace of mind.
