My apartment is making me get renters insurance, can they do this?

Question

We have been living in this apartment now for over a year, and now they are telling us that we have to get renters insurance. We have to have at least liability, so basically if our appliances cause a fire, and burns down someone elses apartment, we are covered by insurance.

This just seems like another monthly payment we are forced to pay. By the time my children are old they are going to be giving their entire paycheck to these FORCED payments.

Am I being irrational?

Answer 1

Renters insurance is cheap.  When I had it - I had 12,000 in coverage and paid less than 150 per year for it.    A renters policy payment should not prevent you from feeding the children.

Also- a renters policy protects you.  True story - I had a renters policy that I paid less than 150 for for 5 years.  A pipe in the ceiling of my appartment burst during a freeze and flooded the appartment I lived in.  I had about 4" of water in all but 2 rooms.  The renters policy paid to have a company come in - remove everything I owned - clean it - and put it in storage. (It would have paid to bring all my property back but I was moving out of state and did not need that.)  The company  made an list of all property that was ruined and could not be cleaned. The bill for this service was about &6,000.  

(An no--- the land lord is not responsible for your property - even when the damage is not your fault. The land lord's insurance only covers the building - not your property).

Another true story - friend of mine had a grease fire in her apartment - she grabbed the fire extinguisher that is kept on the floor of the building and put it out before it caused much damage. However, she had smoke and extinguisher chemicals through out her apartment.  Her renters policy paid to remove every thing she owned from her 4th floor apartment - carry it all down stairs - clean it and bring it back - and unpack it. Including cleaning ever article of clothing she had (smoke gets inside your drawers and your clothes smell).  Her renters policy paid over $12,000.

A claim I handled - car parked in a parking lot. Unknown person broke into the car and stole the lap top computer that was inside.  -- Guess what, your auto policy will pay for the damage to the car but not the personal property in the car!  Renters policy paid for the lap top computer.

If your dog bites someone -- yep - renters pays.

Trust me on this -- renters insurance is money very well spent.

Although you are being irrational -- you are largely uninformed about what renters insurance is and does.  Hope I have been able to shed some light on it for you.

Call the company who has your auto policy and get a renters policy from them. That way, you get a multi-line discount! (usually 5%).

Answer 2

yes, you are a bit irrational (or just uninformed until now :)... you should've already had a renter's policy in force from the time you began living there. you could lose everything you own inside your apartment with no recourse. your property should always be insured and yes liability coverage is very important also... you could accidentally damage some else's property or goodness forbid hurt or kill someone and have no coverage to help their family...... ok i'll stop

Answer 3

Is it in your lease agreement? If so, then you agreed to get the insurance, and must do so. If it isn't in the lease, then they probably can't force you to get the insurance, but they can refuse to renew your lease if you refuse to get the insurance. Then you will be looking for a new place to live.

Sounds like a negotiable point if it isn't in the lease. Offer to buy the insurance in exchange for lower rent. Find out how much renters insurance costs so you know what you are negotiating.

Answer 4

I don't know... but my gut says no.

As I understand it, Renters insurance generally covers the value of your personal possessions in the case of theft, fire, etc and there is nothing akin to liability coverage like for auto insurance.  It doesn't cover the acutal building itself because you don't own that and are not legally responsible for it. Nor are you responsible for any of the appliances that were there when you moved in (usually the stove, fridge, hot water heater, AC unit, and heater).

Seems to me that the landlord is trying to get you to cover his insurance liablility.  

Check your lease though, because if renters insurance is set out in that document then you must get it, otherwise, I'd consult a lawyer.

Answer 5

truthfully, its to cover everyones a**. It is smart to have it....forget about appliances....what if someone comes to your appartment and steals stuff.......??? you are covered. What if some neighbor smokes in bed and catches your units on fire....then what?

Its just smart. It may seem like you have to spend MORE money,  but its the smart thing to do

Answer 6

Renters Insurance is a really good thing to have, not only is it good to have for liability reasons but also if your house was burgularized, vandalized, or burned down by another tenant or person then your personal property would be covered.

It doesn't cost very much a month I know that for the basic coverage here in oregon it is as little as $8.33 a month.

I have mine through state farm insurance.

I am not sure if your land lord can force you to have it, did you sign a lease with that being one of the factors of living there.

Answer 7

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure renter's insurance is optional. It covers YOUR stuff in YOUR apartment if you were to lose it all if the building caught fire, flooded, collapsed, etc. Your landlord has landlord's insurance which covers his building.

Generally, renter's insurance is good to have though. You don't want to lose all your stuff just because your neighbor left their stove on.

Answer 8

Yes, it's legal for them to require renter's insurance. Many landlords do, which keeps their insurance premium down and helps keep your rent payments down.

Check with your auto insurance agent. Many auto insurance companies also offer renter's. If they do they'll give you a discount on your auto insurance which can be equal or greater than the $8 to $10 that the renter's policy costs.

Answer 9

Its a good idea as it protects you, too.  You should get coverage for your personal property along with the liability.

Answer 10

Sorry but yes you are being irrational. Your insurance would only pay if you were negligent - for example a candle you left unmonitored started a fire. If the shoe was on the other foot and the apartment below you negligently started a fire wouldn't you want your stuff replaced. The apartment complex insurance would not cover your personal belongings so you would be out of luck. You would have to go after the person at fault. Luckily at your complex everyone has insurance so you would be covered.

Also your insurance would cover the building if the fire was deemed to be your fault. The prior answers are incorrect in that area.