Renters insurance is the most underrated product in the entire insurance industry. For roughly the price of two coffees a month, you get coverage that can be the difference between a frustrating night and a financial catastrophe.
Your landlord's insurance does not cover your stuff
This is the single biggest renters insurance misconception. Your landlord's policy covers the building — the walls, roof, plumbing. It does not cover your laptop, your couch, your bike, your clothes, or anything else inside your unit.
What renters insurance covers
- Personal property: Replaces your belongings after fire, theft, smoke, water damage from burst pipes, vandalism, and more.
- Personal liability: Pays if you're sued because someone is injured in your unit, or if you accidentally cause damage to someone else's property — including the building itself.
- Loss of use: Pays for hotel and meals if your unit becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss.
- Medical payments to others: Pays small medical bills for guests injured in your unit, no fault required.
What it costs
In Colorado, $25,000 of personal property coverage with $300,000 liability typically runs $12–$25 per month. Bundling renters with auto often makes the auto savings bigger than the renters premium itself.
Replacement cost vs. ACV
Always choose replacement cost coverage, not actual cash value. ACV pays a depreciated value for your stuff — your three-year-old TV might pay out at 30% of what a new equivalent costs. Replacement cost pays what it actually costs to buy a comparable replacement today.
Cassondra writes renters policies in Arvada and across the Denver metro every month. Get a quote in under five minutes.