Renters Insurance for International Students in the US

1. Can my landlord require renters insurance?

Yes. No law makes renters insurance mandatory, but a landlord or property management company can make it a condition of leasing the unit. The requirement lives in the lease, so read that section before you sign and ask the leasing office what coverage it expects.

The Connecticut Insurance Department's consumer advisory for students makes the same point: a landlord's policy covers the building, not a student's personal items, and landlords may require renters insurance. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) adds that a school usually does not require coverage, but some landlords and property managers may. Its guide also notes that a school's or landlord's insurance will not cover your personal items in a rented or on-campus home.

If the lease requires coverage, keep the proof your policy issues with a copy of the lease, and send the proof to the leasing office before you move in.

2. What does renters insurance cover?

Renters insurance covers four things: the belongings you own, damage you cause to another person's property or body, extra living costs after a covered loss, and some medical bills for a guest who is hurt in your home. In policy language these are personal property, liability, loss of use and medical payments. The Tigerless renters page describes each of them.

Personal property coverage pays to repair or replace listed belongings, such as furniture, appliances and clothing, when they are stolen or damaged. A laptop taken in a break-in or a sofa damaged in a fire are the kinds of losses it covers.

Liability coverage may help pay another person's medical bills or property repair costs after they are hurt or their property is damaged in your home. It can also help with legal fees and settlement costs if a claim goes that far. A guest who trips on a loose rug in your apartment is the typical case.

Loss of use pays extra costs when a covered event leaves your home unlivable, such as a hotel while repairs are done. Medical payments usually covers medical expenses for someone injured inside your home, up to a set limit.

What is not covered

The exclusions are the part to read closely before you buy. The Tigerless renters page lists damage from pests such as bed bugs, mice and cockroaches. It also lists structural parts of the building and fixed items such as a fireplace, losses caused by a breach of your lease, and losses involving tenant vehicles. War, civil unrest, terrorism and nuclear events are excluded as well.

Natural disasters are excluded unless you insure them specifically. Flood and earthquake damage therefore need to be added on purpose. Ask the team whether the policy can add them before storm season. Our guide to health insurance exclusions covers the same kind of list for medical plans.

Cars are the usual case for a second policy. The renters policy does not cover a car or other vehicle, so the auto insurance side belongs to a separate policy. Our guide to choosing car insurance in the US explains the vehicle coverages.

Jewelry and other valuables

Valuable items such as jewelry and collectibles may need to be listed separately or covered by an additional policy, because the standard limits may not reach what they are worth. Make a list of anything expensive before you move in, with its purchase price, and add the model number or serial number and a photo where you have them. The NAIC says a list with prices, model numbers and serial numbers is enough to support a claim, and Connecticut's advisory recommends photos or video stored somewhere other than the apartment.

3. How much does renters insurance cost?

Renters insurance costs a modest amount each month for most renters, and four factors move the price up or down. The NAIC puts the average at $15 to $30 a month, depending on the location and size of the rental and the belongings inside it. Use that figure for orientation only. It is a market range, not a Tigerless price.

What moves the price

Location is the first factor. Costs vary by state, and premiums run higher in areas with more risk. More belongings and valuables mean more coverage and a higher premium. A lower deductible, the amount you pay before the insurer pays a claim, also raises the premium. A history of large or frequent claims can push the premium up as well.

We do not state a fixed price in this article. Your premium depends on your state, the coverage you choose, your deductible and your claim history. The quote on the renters page shows your number before you submit an order, and availability varies by state.

4. Do I need a Social Security number to get a quote?

No. The Tigerless renters quote form does not ask for one.

The form asks for your first and last name and your date of birth, the policy effective date, the property type and construction type of the building, and the address to insure. It also asks whether you have lived at that address for less than 24 months, and if you have, it asks for your prior address. A few insurance questions follow, and the form says those answers do not change your quote.

The construction type is one of three choices: masonry, brick or stone; frame, where the structure is wood or steel with siding over it; or masonry veneer over frame, where thin brick, stone or stucco covers a wood or steel structure. The form describes each choice. If you cannot tell which one fits your building, the leasing office can usually tell you.

A rental application is a different form. It can ask for a Social Security number too, and that question belongs to the landlord. Ask the leasing office what they need from you before you apply, so the application and the insurance quote do not stall on the same question.

5. What is the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value?

Replacement cost pays to buy a new item of similar value, and actual cash value pays what the old item is worth today after depreciation. The choice decides what a claim pays, so ask which payout your policy uses before you buy.

The NAIC gives a clear example. Say a five-year-old stereo is stolen. An actual cash value policy pays the stereo's current value, which is often far below the price of a new one, and you cover the difference. A replacement cost policy pays for a new stereo once you have bought it and sent the receipts. The NAIC notes that replacement cost costs more up front, and that it is more likely to give accurate compensation for what you owned.

Tigerless is a broker, so the carrier that writes your policy decides the claim. Our partner carriers for renters are Stillwater and Allstate, and availability varies by state. Whichever payout you choose, a claim asks for proof of what you owned. Connecticut's advisory recommends an inventory with photos before you move in, and the NAIC's list of purchase prices, model numbers and serial numbers covers the same ground. Store a copy outside the apartment, such as in cloud storage, so it survives a fire or a theft.

6. How do I get a renters quote as an international student?

Getting a quote takes a few online steps. Have your passport details, your lease and your inventory ready, and the form runs in this order:

1. Enter your name, date of birth and the policy effective date, which is the day you want coverage to start.

2. Enter the address to insure, with the unit number if you have one, and say whether you have lived there for less than 24 months.

3. Choose the property type and the construction type of the building.

4. Enter the value of your personal property, using the inventory you made before you moved in.

5. Review the quote, submit your order and save the order confirmation.

Send the confirmation to your landlord if the lease asks for proof of coverage. If a question stops you partway through, the team answers 24/7 in English and Chinese by phone, email and WeChat. You can reach them through the contact page, and the FAQ page answers the common questions first.

7. When is renters insurance the wrong choice?

Renters insurance is the wrong choice when someone else's policy already covers your belongings, or when you do not rent an apartment or a house. Skipping it is also the wrong choice when your belongings would cost a lot to replace. The NAIC warns that replacing even a small number of items could cost thousands of dollars, and a basic policy can cover that cost.

If you live in a university dorm and are under 26, your belongings may already be covered by a parent's homeowners or renters policy. The NAIC points out that even then, the policy may pay only up to a specified amount. Ask your parents' insurer whether the policy covers a dorm room and what the limit is. The Tigerless renters policy is designed for people who rent an apartment or house, so a dorm room is not the product to buy.

Travel is a different kind of coverage. Lost bags and trip cancellation belong to a trip policy, and our travel medical plans list lost baggage among their covered items, depending on the plan. They do not replace the things in your apartment.

Once you buy a home, the homeowners insurance page covers the house itself, and a renters policy no longer fits. Until then, a renters policy fits a lease.

8. Conclusion

Renters insurance is optional by law, but a lease can require it. The policy pays to replace your own belongings, covers damage you cause to other people and pays extra living costs after a covered loss. Its exclusions matter as much as its coverage list, and its price depends on where you live, what you own, the deductible you pick and your claim history.

The best renters policy is the one that meets your lease, covers the belongings you would have to replace, and uses a payout option you understand before you file a claim. If you cannot yet say which of those is true, start with your lease and an inventory, then check each answer against the policy's terms.

The next step is a quote. Open the renters insurance page, keep your lease beside you, and check the requirement it names against the coverage the form returns.