When students go off to college, they take many of their belongings with them. But what happens if their personal property is stolen, lost, or damaged? Renters insurance for college students can help cover the costs to replace or repair their possessions when losses like theft, fire, or other covered damage occur. More importantly it can also address liability issues that arise.

How Renters Insurance Helps

Renters insurance coverage protects students in several ways:

• Safeguards possessions: Renters insurance can help cover losses when personal possessions are lost or damaged due to fire, lightning, windstorms, hail, explosions, smoke, vandalism, or theft. Note that certain items like laptops, expensive jewelry, or musical instruments may require additional coverage.

• Covers liability: Renters insurance can help pay for medical bills if a non-insured person injures themselves in the rental or the student accidentally damages the dorm or apartment.

• Provides for emergency housing: Renters insurance can assist with additional living expenses if property damage from a covered event requires the student to temporarily relocate while repairs take place.

Why Renters Insurance Matters

College life brings new challenges—data shows that property damage and theft are fairly common during this stage of life. That's why it's important to understand the coverage limits or exclusions the student may have under their parents' homeowners insurance policy when living in a dorm. If the student plans to live off campus, they will absolutely need a renters insurance policy to ensure the protection they need.

Renters insurance for college students is relatively inexpensive, especially compared to the potential cost of replacing important items like laptops, electronic devices, clothes, school supplies, furniture, and other household items if disaster strikes.

Learn how Yennie & Jones renters insurance can provide peace of mind by helping protect your college student from the potentially devastating costs of replacing their possessions should they be damaged or stolen or addressing a liability situation, damage to the rented structure or a lawsuit.

Do You Need Renters Insurance for a Dorm Room?

If a student lives in a college dorm or other school-affiliated housing, they may not need renters insurance. Their possessions and liability may already be covered under their parents' homeowners policy. It's important to check your homeowners policy to understand what protection your child's has when residing in the dorm room. Protection may end at a certain age for student as well depending on which insurer the protection is placed with.

Renters Insurance for Off-Campus Housing

If a student lives off campus in a non-school-affiliated apartment or house then renters insurance is needed and most landlords will actually require renters insurance as part of the lease agreement because its easier to get an insurer to pay for damage to the building than force Mom and Dad to write a check for damages which could be as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars.. 

Even if renters insurance is not required by the lease, it's a smart choice. Purchasing a renters insurance policy for a student living off campus is simple and affordable.

Do Grad Students Need Renters Insurance?

Graduate students are generally not covered under their parents' homeowners insurance, making renters insurance especially important. Typically, grad students don't live with their parents and may be too old to be covered under their parents' policy. They may be going out on their own for the first time and have little or no direct experience buying insurance. Contact your Yennie & Jones Insurance agent or account manager at 816-540-2114 to learn more about this affordable protection option.