Does Renters Insurance Cover Power Outages?

Power outages are often covered by standard renters personal property insurance coverage. Personal property coverage protects your personal belongings from damage caused by power outages.

For example, if a lightning storm strikes your home, causing a power outage and physical damage to the building, making your home unlivable, your renters insurance may pay for alternative housing. Or, if a power outage ruins food in the refrigerator because electricity is out for a period of time, renters insurance may help you recoup the loss, and since a power outage may prevent you from cooking, insurance may cover the expense of dining out.

MoneyGeek's renters insurance and personal property coverage guides can help you understand what they do and do not cover because of a power outage.

Your personal property insurance, part of standard renters insurance, covers damages from a power outage. The following are examples of things renters insurance covers because of a power outage.

Renters insurance covers damage from a power outage to your personal belongings. But, if you cause the power outage, compensation for your losses is unlikely. Outages caused by disasters named in the policy, on the other hand, are covered.

For example, if lightning strikes and the power goes out, you should unplug/remove electrical equipment since electricity might be restored with a quick surge that damages your electronics. If your insurer discovers that the damage was avoidable, the policy may not pay the loss.

Renters insurance does not cover power outages if there is no physical damage to your personal property. Meanwhile, if there is physical damage to your property and your renters insurance provider determines that you were the cause of the power outage, they will not pay the loss.

Prevention is better than filing a claim, and it is also less expensive as renters insurance rates could go up after making a claim. Being proactive to avoid power outages in your apartment is preferable but not always possible. You can protect yourself against damage to electronics in a power outage by installing a surge protector and unplugging appliances when the power goes out.

Also, pay attention to news reports to know whether a weather event is coming that may cause a power outage and protect your belongings as best possible.

You can get renters insurance from major insurance companies, such as Farmers and Travelers, or smaller companies, like Lemonade and Toggle. If you're not sure which is best for you, MoneyGeek has a guide on comparing renters insurance quotes.

Renters insurance costs an average of $13 a month; however, premiums vary depending on your location and the value of your personal possessions. If you need help determining how much coverage to purchase, use MoneyGeek's personal property calculator below.