Protect What You Own with Renter's Insurance in Pennsylvania

Purchasing a renter’s insurance policy is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to protect yourself and your belongings while renting your home. A typical policy costs only $10 to $20 per month and can save you much more should unexpected damage or liability occur. 

But despite its affordability and practicality, only about half (55%) of U.S. renters currently have renter’s insurance, most of whom must have a policy per their landlord’s requirements. 

We’ve prepared this article to help you understand why you need renters insurance and how to obtain a policy in this state—from cost and coverage to additional policies you may need.  

What is Renter’s Insurance? 

Renter’s insurance is insurance that covers specific types of losses suffered by renters during their occupation of a rental property. A typical renter’s insurance policy covers personal property, liability protection, and additional living expenses. Renter’s insurance often kicks in after damage from natural disasters, accidents, or other incidents.  

An important note: Renter’s insurance does not cover the actual building itself. The physical building you live in should be covered by your landlord’s insurance. Renters insurance helps protect you and the belongings you own within the property that may be damaged or stolen. 

Why Do I Need Renter’s Insurance? 

Everyone who rents their home—whether that be a single-family home, studio apartment, mobile home, townhome, condo, or other type of property— should have a renter’s insurance policy. This is because even though you don’t own the physical building you are renting, the items you keep within it (or even in your car, or elsewhere) could still be damaged or stolen. 

For example, imagine that a fire occurred in your apartment complex. Your landlord’s insurance would cover the damage to the actual building, appliances, and building systems. However, your landlord is not responsible for replacing all your lost clothes, furniture, electronics, and other belongings. That’s what renter’s insurance is for.  

Renters insurance policies can also cover medical or legal expenses if you are sued. For example, your renter’s insurance would apply if someone gets injured in your home and you are responsible for their medical bills. 

An average renter’s insurance policy includes $20,000 – $30,000 of personal property coverage and doesn’t cost you more than a $20 bill each month. It’s a small price to pay for the great financial security renters insurance offers. 

What Does Renters Insurance Cover? 

Renter’s insurance has three main categories of coverage. 

• Personal Property: Personal property refers to any belongings like clothes, furniture, electronics, etc. Your personal property is subject to limits and requires a deductible. However, your insurance will reimburse you should your personal property get damaged by disasters such as the following:  
• • Fire and smoke 
  • Storms, lightening, wind, hail 
  • Theft 
  • Vandalism 
  • Explosions 
  • Winter weather damage 
  • Damage from infrastructure tearing, cracking, burning, etc. 
  • Sudden, accidental damage from electric currents 

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• Liability: Liability coverage pays for your medical or legal bills should you be responsible for an injury on the property or damage to the property itself. 
• Loss of Use/Living Expenses: Loss of use insurance kicks in if the property you rent becomes uninhabitable due to damage or repairs. It pays for your hotel bills and even certain food expenses while you wait for repairs to be completed. 

There are a few disasters renter’s insurance doesn’t cover, like flooding. It’s important to read your renter’s insurance policy to understand what is and isn’t included. If you need coverage that isn’t included, you can purchase add-on policies, such as water backup coverage, theft extension coverage, scheduled valuables coverage, or earthquake and volcano coverage. 

Pennsylvania Renters Insurance 

Renters insurance in Pennsylvania protects you and your belongings from a range of perils. Pennsylvania residents experience a variety of extreme weather events throughout the year, including severe winter storms, thunderstorms, and water damage in addition to losses like property crime and theft. Your Pennsylvania renters insurance policy will cover the cash or replacement value of belongings lost in any of these disasters, up to your coverage limits and minus your deductible. Renter’s insurance also covers legal or medical expenses if you are liable for an injury that occurred in your home. 

What Does Renters Insurance Pennsylvania Cost? 

What does renters insurance cost in Pennsylvania? Fortunately, the cost of renters insurance in Pennsylvania is very affordable. According to NerdWallet, the average Pennsylvania renters insurance premium in 2024 is $124, or about $10 a month. Pennsylvania’s monthly renters insurance rates are a few dollars cheaper than the national average cost of $12 per month. 

Remember that other factors will influence the cost of your insurance as well, such as the specific risks in your location and the amount of your deductible. The cheapest renters insurance companies and policies tend to have higher deductibles, while more expensive policies will have lower deductibles. 

What Are the Most Common Claims in Pennsylvania? 

A common renter’s insurance claim in Pennsylvania is motor vehicle theft. In 2022, Pennsylvania had 21,149 motor vehicle thefts, a rate of 1.6 per 1,000 people in the state. While renter’s insurance won’t cover your vehicle itself, your policy does cover items that may have been inside your car when it was stolen, like laptops and phones.   

What Additional Policies Do I Need in Pennsylvania? 

Pennsylvania renters also need flood insurance. Pennsylvania is a high-risk state for flooding, which is common after storms and near large bodies of water.  

According to FEMA data from the past few decades (1996-2019), Pennsylvania has the seventh highest historical flood risk in the U.S. based on total number of flooding-related claims in that period (56,676) and the eighth highest risk for total claim dollars paid on flood damage ($1,389,219,229.02). Most Pennsylvania counties have experienced more than 50 flood events between 1996 and 2019, with many counties totaling more than 100 or even 200 floods, especially in the southeastern part of the state. Counties with the highest number of floods during that period include Philadelphia (234), Montgomery (209), Delaware (207), and Allegheny (201). 

If your home is in a floodplain or has a high likelihood of flooding, flood coverage may be needed. Flood coverage is typically excluded from most renters insurance policies, so a separate policy is necessary. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) helps renters find a flood insurance policy customized to their individual needs and coverage preferences. 

How to Get Renters Insurance in Pennsylvania 

Most major insurance providers offer renter’s insurance, often bundled with auto insurance for renters insurance discounts. To determine your policy and coverage details, your insurer will typically ask you a few questions about the rental unit (such as the type of building, year it was built, and address) and the dollar value or replacement cost of high-value personal belongings you own. You’ll be able to tailor your policy and coverage details to your needs so that when you need to make a renters insurance claim, you’ll be prepared. 

Get Renter’s Insurance with Innago 

Innago offers renter’s insurance through our partnership with Viaffinity. If you’re a renter, regardless of whether your landlord uses Innago, you can purchase a policy and get protection for you and your personal belongings. You can get quick and affordable quotes, customize your coverage, and add an additional person onto your policy at no extra cost.