What Every Renter Should Know About Insuring Personal Valuables

Necessity of Protecting Personal Possessions

Misplacing personal belongings can be heartbreaking, especially when they are valuable and difficult to replace. Fortunately, the right insurance policy can cushion the blow by providing compensation in such situations.

Renter’s Insurance Policy

Renter’s insurance comes to the rescue when you encounter theft or your personal property is damaged or destroyed by a fire or natural catastrophe. Regularly review your plan to understand what’s covered and the compensation you’d receive in the event of a setback. Dispatch any presumption: unless specifically included in your policy, the event won’t be covered.

Scheduled Personal Property Insurance

Consider securing a scheduled personal property insurance if you possess significant assets, like jewelry or heirlooms. Under this policy category, insurance companies will first appraise your items, assuring full compensation if they are lost, damaged, or stolen.

Umbrella Coverage

Umbrella insurance steps in when there are gaps in your coverage. For instance, if your renter’s insurance policy falls short of covering the replacement cost of a particular item, umbrella insurance can make up the difference. Even if your valuables incur damage due to situations not covered by your scheduled personal property insurance, your umbrella policy can step in and provide compensation.

Connect with Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. for Personal Property Insurance

With over four decades of service to renters in Richmond, VA, Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. focuses on helping you find the right insurance policies that match your needs and budget. If you’re renting a property and are concerned about your personal possession coverage, don’t hesitate to touch base with us for available policy options or a quote.

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I Rent, Someone Got Hurt, Who Gets Sued?

It’s an annoying thing that renters have to deal with. The landlord wants their rent and Heaven help you if the property isn’t as pristine as it was when you moved in. When something happens to the property that’s not your fault, they’ll try to twist it into a "you" problem that they don’t have to handle.

Renter’s insurance alleviates this situation. So, what happens if someone gets hurt at a property you’ve rented? This could be a delivery person slipping on a sidewalk or stairs. Or a meter reader hit by a shingle or branch. Or your visiting brother-in-law said, "Hold my beer and watch this!"

What To Do

Firstly, get medical attention taken care of immediately. Not only will this get physical damage on the road to recovery, but the scope of the injury will be documented. Follow your doctor’s orders. Collect as much documentation as you can along the way. This includes bills, pay stubs, and receipts. Photos and videos will also be helpful for when you file your claim. Once you’ve handled that, time to lob the ball into your landlord’s court. They should contact their insurance provider promptly. Otherwise, you can bring forth a lawsuit. Most of these claims end in a settlement rather than a trial. 

Is Your Landlord at Fault?

Let’s look at the examples from earlier. Slippage from walks and stairs in bad repair can be the landlord’s fault. If falling objects are due to the landlord’s neglect, they’ll have to pay. The result of your brother-in-law’s antics may be his own fault, though. 

Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. Serving Richmond, VA 

If you are in the Richmond, VA area and need renter’s insurance, we at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. are here to help. We are dedicated to providing you with fair treatment and a good deal. 

My landlord already has insurance. Why do I need renters insurance?

Having renters insurance from Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. is an important part of protecting your belongings and ensuring that you are covered if something happens to your apartment or rental home. Though your landlord may have their own insurance policy, it may not cover any of your personal property should it become damaged or destroyed in a fire, flood, theft, or other disasters here in the Richmond, VA area.

Benefits of Renters Insurance

Renters insurance can provide coverage for these scenarios, as well as providing liability coverage should someone get injured while on the property.

Renters insurance also covers additional living expenses if you need to temporarily move out of your home due to a covered loss such as a fire or natural disaster. This coverage can help with hotel bills and other costs associated with finding a temporary place to live until you can return to your rental home.

Finally, renters insurance also provides protection against personal legal claims. If someone is injured on the premises and files a lawsuit against you, the policy will step in to help pay legal fees, and settlement costs up to the policy limit.

Reach Out To Us

When it comes down to it, having renters insurance is essential for anyone living in a rental property. Not only does it provide financial protection in case of an emergency, but it also offers peace of mind knowing that you are covered from any potential risks that may occur on the property.

If you have any additional questions, give us at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. a call today. We proudly serve the Richmond, VA area and would be happy to help you find a policy that meets your needs and your budget.

Why Renters Insurance Is So Important

If you are a renter, there are certain aspects of your home that you don’t have to insure. The dwelling will be insured by the owner, so you don’t have to worry about that. However, you do need to have renters’ insurance. It doesn’t cover the dwelling itself and instead gives you types of coverage that you need to have in place. You run a lot of risks as a renter, and this insurance can protect you from many of them.

For expert insurance guidance, give us a call at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. in Richmond, VA.

The Benefits of Renters Insurance

Your Belongings Need Protection

Though you don’t have to cover the home itself, you do need to cover what’s inside it. If a serious event happened to the home and your things were destroyed, you would have to pay for everything to be replaced if you didn’t have a renters insurance policy. These policies protect everything so that the policy can pay to have them replaced if something should happen to them. This coverage is very valuable, and yet renters insurance is quite inexpensive. 

Your Liability Needs Protection

Sure, you don’t own the property, but you are still responsible for anything that happens there. If a third party came into your home and somehow became injured there, such as in an accident, you are likely to be liable for the injuries. This means that you would have to pay for their expenses like their lost wages and any medical bills. No one should be open to that kind of risk and renters’ insurance makes sure that you aren’t, paying those bills. 

Get Renters Insurance Today

If you don’t have a renters insurance policy, you are likely required to have one by your landlord. To get started, call us at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. in Richmond, VA.

What Level of Renters’ Insurance Is Necessary in Virginia?

If you have an apartment in Virginia or about to move into one, it’s important to find out about renters’ insurance. You may not know whether you’d be required to have renters’ insurance. Learn more about this and more from the experts at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. of the Richmond VA area. 

Is it Necessary to Have Renter’s Insurance in Virginia?  

Are you required by law to have a renters’ insurance policy in the state of Virginia? You should know that while it isn’t a strict requirement to have such a policy in place, some landlords do ask in their that their tenants obtain a policy. 

In July 2019, changes went into effect in the legislation that a landlord will have to make their tenants aware that the landlord is not responsible for covering the personal properly of the tenant. This means that you also will not have coverage from your landlord’s insurance policy. 

On that note, the tenant should set up renter’s insurance if they do want their personal property to be protected. If you’re a landlord, it’s in your best interest to include this requirement in your standard lease if you want to avoid putting in the written notice about what’s expected.

Get the Best Type of Protection to Suit Your Needs

Renter’s insurance allows you to have the peace of mind associated with knowing that you won’t have to pay out-of-pocket for damage or theft of your possessions. There are many things that you should know first. Contact us at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. to find out about this process. Serving the Richmond VA area, we’re pleased to offer top-notch insurance policies that apply to different situations. 

 

What to Consider When Buying Renters Insurance

When renting an apartment in Richmond, VA, your landlord’s insurance policy does not cover your belongings. It only covers the structure of the apartment. To ensure your personal belongings are adequately protected, you should get renters insurance. And as Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. explains, here are some factors to consider when purchasing renters’ insurance.

The Amount of Coverage

The purpose of renters insurance is to protect your personal belongings in case of theft, property damage, or a natural disaster. When choosing the right coverage amount, it is best first to take inventory of your belongings. Note down the value of each item, as that will help guide you on the amount of coverage to buy. Apart from personal belongings, there is also the liability protection that you need to be covered under renters insurance. This assessment will make things easier for you when you approach an insurance company.

Understanding What Is Not Covered

Just like any other type of insurance policy, there are things covered under renters insurance while some are not. For instance, when you live in an area prone to floods, you may have to get a separate policy for floods. This is because floods are not covered under renters insurance. Discuss this with an insurance agent to avoid surprises when exposed to some types of risks.

Bundling

You may feel like renters insurance is costly if you are paying for other policies like car insurance and health insurance. In such cases, consider bundling your policies. It can save you some cash while still giving you adequate coverage. Therefore, check whether your auto insurer also offers renters insurance and what the benefits of bundling are. This might save you some cash instead of buying two different policies.

Renters insurance is essential. Picture the financial loss you may have to incur if your apartment is robbed or catches fire. With renters insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing your insurer will help cover or replace those items. Here at Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. of Richmond, VA we can help ensure your apartment is protected from these risks. Contact us today for assistance in purchasing renters insurance.

Types pf coverage renters insurance provides

The number of renters is on the rise as the number of homeowners is falling. While 95% of homeowners have home insurance, only 37% of renters have renters insurance. As a renter, you may believe your landlord has insurance that will protect you and your possessions. You would be wrong. He only has insurance to protect his building. Your possessions are not his concern. At Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. in Richmond, VA, we are an independent agency with more than 35 years of experience. We believe every customer has different insurance needs, and their policy should reflect that. 

As a renter, most of what you own in the world may be located in your apartment or rental home. If suddenly it was all gone, how would you cope? Would you be able to replace everything with the money you have in savings?  If not, then apartment insurance is worth considering. Apartment insurance includes several types of coverage, and all of them are beneficial. 

Content

One of the primary reasons for getting renters insurance is to provide for the replacement of your possessions. This includes items you may have with you when you travel away from your home. You have a choice of actual value or replacement cost. 

Loss of use

When a covered peril damages your rental, you may need a place to stay for a day or two or even a few months. If you have this type of coverage as part of your renters’ insurance, you will get money to help pay for a roof over your head. 

Liability

If you think as a renter, you are safe from being sued, think again. If someone is injured while visiting you or by a member of your family, you could be facing a lawsuit. Liability coverage is a protection everyone can use. 

Contact Cary-Wheeler & Associates Inc. in Richmond, VA to find out more about renters insurance.