TenantTag

Floods, tornadoes, fires, and other disasters keep coming. To make matters worse, when rental properties are damaged by disasters, tenants are on their own. Landlords’ property and flood insurance does not protect the tenants’ possessions or cover unexpected moving and relocation expenses. To be better prepared, there are 3 Ways Tenants Can Protect Themselves from Disaster.

Renters Insurance

The first way to be protected is to have renters insurance. Renters insurance is designed to help protect tenants from situations such as a theft, break-in, or visitor’s injury. As a result, a standard policy covers personal property, liability, and additional living expenses. Companies offering renters insurance include Allstate, Progressive, and many more.

Coverage Type	What It May Cover	What’s Typically Not Covered
Personal Property	The cost to repair or replace belongings, such as clothing, furniture and electronics, up to the limits in the policy.	Personal property loss over coverage limit.
Liability	Repairs if tenant accidentally damages someone else’s property or a guest’s medical bills if tenant is found responsible for their injuries.	Liability protection over coverage limit.
Additional Living Expenses	Additional costs tenant incurs, such as hotel bills, if the rented residence is damaged and left uninhabitable.	Damage to the structure of the building you’re renting

Flood Insurance

The second type of protection is flood insurance. A standard renters insurance policy does not cover flood damage. While a landlord may have flood insurance, their policy does not cover a tenant’s personal belongings. In order to be covered for flood damage, tenants must purchase a separate policy. Checkout FEMA for more information about purchasing flood insurance as a tenant.

Before moving into a property, tenants should check if it is in a flood zone. Do they need flood insurance? Is it worth the cost? Check an address and see if it is in a flood zone. Select the Dynamic Map button after entering address.

Disaster Relief

The third type of protection is disaster relief from FEMA. After a disaster, it is common for landlords to receive insurance payments or low-interest loans. However, tenants can also apply for disaster relief. Assistance is used to pay for a different place to live for security deposits, rent and the cost of essential utilities, such as gas and water. However, grants are not used to pay for cable or internet bills.

Apply for Assistance with FEMA.

Other Helpful Resources

5 Tips for Renters Insurance and Hurricanes

What is Renters Insurance and 6 Other Common Questions About It

TenantTag does not receive any compensation from the companies mentioned in this post.