Does renters insurance cover renter-made changes to the apartment?

When you build a bookcase inside your Boise, ID apartment or replace fixtures to update the place, you put your stamp on your domicile. Although you rent, if you have lived there long-term, it probably feels like home. You need to know which of your changes your renter’s insurance from Fuhriman Insurance Agency covers and which you need an add-on to cover.

Your renter’s insurance covers all of your personal property. If you could pick it up and take it with you, it gets covered. That applies to things you can unscrew, too. That means the light fixtures, drawer pulls, cabinet hardware, etc. that you purchased and installed without reimbursement from your landlord gets covered by your renter’s policy if damaged or destroyed.

If you built-in a desk or bookcase, that gets trickier. Sure, you bought the materials and built it, but you made it a permanent improvement to the apartment which you do not own. It became a permanent part of the structure which is not covered by a typical policy. You can make an add-on to your policy though to cover these unusual items, much as you would for high-end hobbyist equipment or business equipment.
A renter’s insurance policy covers your personal belongings, liability, and additional living expenses. It does not cover the structure. That falls under the landlord’s homeowner’s policy.

Some damage will not get covered by your renter’s insurance regardless. That is damage caused by a flood anywhere in the US plus damage caused by earthquakes in some states or hurricanes in others. For instance, in Texas, you must obtain a wind policy separate from renter’s or homeowner’s insurance to cover hurricane losses.

Understanding your renter’s insurance policy helps protect your personal belongings better. Contact Fuhriman Insurance Agency serving Boise, ID for more information on renter’s insurance.