Students are responsible for their personal items if destroyed by water or fire in a residence hall. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor

Let’s see. You’re all packed for your first semester of college. Sheets and pillows — check. Clothes — yep. Enough Febreze to choke the planet — you bet.

Renters insurance — um, what?

In your excitement to be an independent adult, chances are you’ve forgotten to purchase insurance that would protect you if your belongings were destroyed by water or fire damage or stolen. And you’re not alone.

In 2018, only 46 percent of renters nationwide had purchased renters insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit association of insurance providers.

Renters insurance can help pay to replace clothes, books and other personal items in the event that your roommate sets the room on fire after heating up a tin-foiled empanada. And under some circumstances, renters insurance will even pay out if something is stolen, Frank Kremer, a civil staff attorney at Student Legal Services at Ohio State, said. 

Renters insurance can also apply when a student is responsible for damage done to their own property.

“Let’s say you cause a fire,” he said. “Certain types of renters insurance can apply to those sorts of things to then cover your responsibility for the damage that you cause.”

Ohio State recommends that students in residence halls purchase insurance to protect personal items against damage from “flood, fire, theft or other unexpected events that may occur in or around university housing,” the university housing website states.

The university doesn’t provide coverage for students’ belongings, so it’s up to them and their parents to purchase insurance, according to the website.

In December 2019, a water pipe burst on the 12th floor of Drackett Tower, flooding 23 student rooms. A student-led housekeeping staff dried the carpets and cleaned the rooms, but university spokesperson Dave Isaacs said any damage to students’ personal items would not be replaced by the university. Isaacs said the university encourages students to purchase renters insurance.

Renters insurance also can protect a student from being responsible for medical fees or legal fees if someone is injured in their room and it’s the policyholder’s fault, Kremer said.

Students should talk with their insurance agent and explain their living situation and mention how many roommates with whom they’ll be living, he said.

 

Renters insurance can be as low as $10 per month, Kremer said. But it will get more expensive depending on the type of coverage included in the policy.

Kremer said that after students purchase a policy, they should take inventory of personal items so it’s easier to make an insurance claim if something is stolen or damaged. Students should also update their coverage when they move or when the total value of their belongings exceeds their coverage amount.

Kremer said SLS can review insurance policies and answer any specific questions students have about their coverage.

“I know college students are on limited budgets, but we always strongly recommend to students to have good insurance coverage,” Kremer said. “Things are expensive. There’s lots of situations where liability can arise so it’s always good to have it.”