Does Renters Insurance Cover Moving?
Moving can be one of the most stressful parts of renting a new place. You might choose to take on this challenge yourself, or you might decide to let the professionals move your items for you. Either way, your personal property is at a much higher risk when it’s packed away in boxes and driven to a new home. While you can count on coverage for your belongings after move-in, your renters insurance most likely will not cover losses or damages during the move. Fortunately, you still have plenty of options! Let’s take a closer look at how to make sure you’re still covered while moving.
When Won’t Renters Insurance Cover Moving?
Your renters insurance policy can’t start until your lease does! If you plan to start moving before the effective date of your lease, you won’t be covered by renters insurance yet.
Typical insurance policies help you recover from worst-case scenarios like fire. Broken or lost items aren’t usually included! Review the perils on your insuring agreement to learn exactly what’s covered.
How to Insure your Property During the Move
Though most renters insurance will not cover moving, you can still insure your personal property with a separate policy! Moving insurance provides either all risk or total loss coverage. All risk coverage will help you replace any of your items, while total loss coverage will only kick in if 100% of your belongings are damaged or lost in the move.
If you’re worried about a collectible baseball card or your great-grandmother’s wedding band, you can schedule it with its very own insurance! An inland marine policy covers individual, high-value items. These policies usually require appraisals and can continue to cover your most prized possessions even after the move.
Related Reading: Does Home Insurance Cover Moving?
Movers Can Offer Limited Coverage
If you’re using a professional moving company, they might offer limited coverage through a valuation. Unlike insurance, a valuation will not cover natural disasters like earthquakes or fires. The movers might also set a limit on their liability if you packed the boxes yourself or failed to let them know about a high-value item in writing.
A valuation could still help you replace your belongings if they’re lost or broken during the move. Released value protection is free and will cover $0.30 per pound for moves within state borders or $0.60 per pound for interstate moves.
If those numbers have you worried about your flat-screen TV, some companies also offer full value protection for purchase. This gives you the full current market value of a lost or broken item. Read the fine print carefully to know when your movers will fund the repair or replacement of your property. Remember, valuations do not offer as much coverage as insurance!
How We Can Help
Moving is stressful enough without worrying about what-ifs. Our experts at TGS Insurance are here to help! Contact our independent insurance agents today to learn more about your moving insurance options. We’ll search through our extensive list of A-rated carriers with your budget and moving needs in mind to get you the right policy at the right price.