What Is Personal Liability Coverage for Renters Insurance? The Surprising Answer!
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Codee Chessher
- Last updated:
Renters insurance isn’t quite the same thing as homeowners insurance, but it does cover many of the same things, including personal liability coverage. This coverage is standard with most renters insurance policies, but what exactly does it cover?
Personal liability coverage will pay for personal and medical expenses from damages that happen on your property, and sometimes off the property.
While $100,000 is fairly standard for a renters insurance policy, you can usually adjust that as needed by talking to your insurer. Sometimes you can even get a lower deductible if you take a lower level of coverage—a big win-win if you don’t really need the coverage, if you ask us.
Personal liability works like this: If someone slips and hurts themselves on your icy driveway, for instance, and the court holds you liable, your personal liability coverage would kick in, after the deductible, of course.
A similar but distinct instance covered by personal liability would be if your child shot a BB gun and broke a neighbor’s window. Personal liability would pay for that too, plus medical expenses in the unfortunate case that someone got hurt.
What Are the Most Common Personal Liability Claims?
We know, the above explanation is a bit vague. That’s why we’ve listed the most common personal liability claims so you can get a better idea of what may or may not be included.
Most Common Personal Liability Claims:
- Dog bites: dog bites can be expensive, and sometimes, ‘aggressive dog breeds’ can raise rates or outright exclude you from insurance
- Slip & falls: infamous for being easy to fake, legit slip & falls do happen a lot, but may only be covered if the cause was neglect such as a wet floor or icy outdoor walkway
- Accidental property damage: extends to you and guests at your home
- Pool accidents: pools qualify as attractive nuisances that can attract neighborhood kids, which may raise your risk and monthly premium
What Isn’t Covered by Personal Liability Coverage?
Personal liability coverage is powerful but has several hard limits. Make sure you’re aware of these so you can more easily know when your insurance is at the limits of its power or you may be paying out of pocket in these cases!
Instances Not Covered by Personal Liability:
- Injuries to yourself
- Property damage
- Business-related damages or losses
- Accidents or damages to an auto vehicle
What Else is Included With Renters Insurance?
Personal liability is bundled together with other insurance in your renters insurance policy. While liability is certainly very important to avoid paying unexpected costs out of pocket, you should know about the other standard parts of your policy too. Let’s check out those other parts now so you know when they kick in.
Renter’s Insurance includes the following coverage:
- Personal property: a fixed monetary amount further separated into categories that covers your possessions in the event of a covered peril (i.e., windstorms, fires, hail, vandalism)
- Loss of use: reimburses you for nearly any unexpected expenses incurred after a covered peril that renders your home unusable – hotel costs, takeout, and laundromat bills are a few common examples
- Medical expenses: sometimes bundled with personal liability and sometimes not, this includes a fixed amount for medical payments to individuals or for medical care
Is Renters Insurance Required by Law?
No, renters insurance isn’t required by federal or state law anywhere. The biggest catch is that landlords may have different policies. They can and sometimes do require you to purchase and carry a valid, up-to-date renters insurance policy as part of your rental agreement or lease.
Regardless of whether it’s required or not, it’s a good idea to get renters insurance. It protects you from unexpected property damage, medical bills, and other catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses. Honestly, it’s about the cost of another streaming subscription, and it could save you thousands. Seems like a no-brainer to us!
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Conclusion
Renters insurance personal liability coverage is a great tool to have on your side when someone slips and falls on your property, or to cover a broken window when your kid throws a baseball too far. No matter why you need it, renters insurance is vital for renters everywhere.
Featured Image Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi, Shutterstock
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