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Personal Insurance / Renters

Renters Insurance

Most people reading this are here because a lease asks for renters insurance and names a liability figure, often $100,000. That is the quickest part to sort out. The part worth a minute is the other half of the policy, because your landlord's insurance covers the building and not one item of yours.

Get a quoteCall 570-344-0211

What It Covers

The parts of the policy, in plain terms.

  • Personal property

    Furniture, clothing, electronics, tools, the bike in the hallway. Coverage follows your things off the property too, so a laptop stolen from a car is generally in scope.

  • Personal liability

    Covers you if a guest is injured in your apartment, or if you cause damage to the building or a neighboring unit.

  • Loss of use

    Pays for somewhere to stay if a covered loss makes the apartment unlivable, which is not a cost most renters have set aside.

  • Medical payments

    A small no-fault limit for a guest hurt at your place. It settles minor incidents before anyone starts talking about liability.

How it plays out

A kitchen fire two doors down puts your building out of service for six weeks. Nothing of yours burned, but everything smells of smoke and you cannot live there. Loss of use covers the temporary housing and the policy covers the cleaning or replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Renters Insurance questions we get.

How much does renters insurance cost?
For most apartments it lands in the range of a modest monthly bill, and bundling it with an auto policy often reduces the auto side by more than the renters policy costs. We will quote the actual number for your address rather than a range.
How much personal property coverage should I carry?
Walk each room and total what it would cost to replace what is in it, at today's prices, not what you paid. People routinely land at two or three times their first guess.
Does it cover my roommate?
Generally not, unless they are named on the policy. Most carriers prefer each person to hold their own, which also keeps a claim from becoming a dispute about whose stuff was whose.
My lease says I need $100,000 in liability. What is that asking for?
That figure is the personal liability limit, not the amount of cover on your belongings. The two are set separately, and the liability side is usually the cheaper of the two to raise. Send us the page of the lease that states it and we will write the policy to match what it asks for rather than guessing.
Is renters insurance required in Pennsylvania?
Not by the state, the way auto liability is. A lease is a different matter, and most around here now ask for it. Your lease is the document that decides the answer, so read what it actually requires before buying anything.
How fast can I get proof for my landlord?
Usually the same day. We need the address, the move-in date and whatever limit the lease names, and the certificate goes to you and to the landlord or the property manager directly if that is easier. Call the office or send the lease page through the contact form.

Everything we write for households around here, and why the local housing stock changes what you need, is on the Scranton insurance page.

Coverage details on this page were last reviewed . Policy wording and availability change, so call the office at 570-344-0211 before relying on anything here for a decision.

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Also worth a look

Other coverage we write.

  • Auto Insurance

    Coverage shopped across multiple carriers, with real limits explained in plain terms.

  • Home Insurance

    Coverage for the structure, your belongings, and the liability that comes with owning a house.

  • Condo Insurance

    Fills the gap between the association's master policy and everything inside your unit.

  • Flood Insurance

    Separate coverage for rising water, which no home or renters policy includes.

  • Motorcycle Insurance

    Cruisers, sport bikes, touring and off-road, with custom parts actually accounted for.

  • Boat & Watercraft

    The boat, the motor and the trailer, on the water and on the road.

Let's get you a real number.

Tell us what you're insuring and David will shop it across our carriers. No obligation, and no pressure if your current policy turns out to be the better deal.

Request a quoteCall 570-344-0211

Independent agency / 10 carriers on file