Nobody ever wants to have some unforeseen accident occur in their home, but occasionally guests and visitors can get hurt right inside the walls of the apartment you’re renting. While the landlord is liable for certain aspects of the building, your apartment liability insurance also is expected to cover certain items. The following is a quick look at what that means.
What is Renter’s Liability Insurance?
Put simply, should something happen in your apartment for which a claim would be filed against you, liability insurance makes sure you aren’t on the hook for all the expenses that are almost sure to follow. These expenses can come in the form of legal fees after being sued, but they also could include medical expenses that result from any event for which you are found liable. Most apartment insurance includes a liability policy that provides a minimum of $100,000 of financial protection for covered accidental bodily injury or property damage.
Without proper liability coverage attached to your apartment, the ensuing expenses could be financially ruinous. Unless you want to be on the hook for some accidental injury in your apartment, it is imperative that you invest in the right type of apartment insurance policy.
What Are You Liable For?
Basically, renter’s liability insurance covers anything that occurred by accident in your apartment that resulted in some sort of bodily harm. This most often applies to occurrences that happen:
- In your home or apartment.
- As a result of your personal activities (most often sports).
- As a result of something caused by the insured’s children or pets.
Basically, your renter’s policy covers things accidentally caused by you, inside or outside of your home.
What is Your Landlord Liable For?
However, since you live in a building that your landlord runs and operates, they are responsible for some liability, too. Their liability responsibilities include:
- Tenant injuries caused in common areas. For example, if a tenant falls down the stairs because of a faulty handrail, the landlord would be held liable for the medical expense.
- Injuries caused by negligence in the building. Landlords are required to maintain a reasonable safe structure.
- Unlawful tenant behavior that the landlord doesn’t take reasonable measures to stop.
In other words, the landlord is responsible for maintaining the safety of any common areas and the building as a whole, while the tenant is responsible for what happens within their own four walls. Both entities are required to have the proper insurance to protect from these sorts of accidental injuries ruining you, but if you aren’t sure whether you’ve got a policy that covers all the requisite bases, contact Insurance by Castle so our agents can help you get the coverage you need.
Whether you’re a landlord looking for ample liability coverage or a renter hoping to find the same, we hope you’ll trust our professionals to ensure that your policy does everything it’s supposed to do in terms of liability in your apartment.
