A Critical Question All Renters Should Ask Many people who rent their homes have not considered this basic question: when renting, am I covered by my landlord’s insurance? The answer is that the contents of your home are not covered, unless you have a very unusual lease. The fact is that if you rent a house or apartment, you need to protect yourself against loss and damage. None of us like to think of losing our possessions from catastrophic events, such as fires, water damage, wind, and theft, but we all have to admit that these things do happen. When landlords get home insurance, it is almost always for damage only to the building itself and not for the tenants’ possessions. If someone breaks into your home and steals your jewelry and computer, the landlord’s insurance will not cover your loss. If a fire breaks out and destroys everything you own, your landlord’s home insurance will not provide you with funds to replace your possessions. You might think your possessions are not valuable enough to justify the expense of insuring them. Take a moment to consider what it would cost to replace the contents of your home if they were stolen or ruined. Almost everyone who thinks about it realizes that they would have difficulty affording the cost of replacing all of their possessions. You will have to take out a policy called tenants insurance.When you get tenants insurance, list all of the items of value in your home, including electronics, appliances, art, and clothing. If you have antiques or special collections, you may want to have them appraised and take photos to document their value. Be sure to shop around when you are considering contents insurance and read the language of the policy carefully, so you know that you are adequately protected against loss and damage.