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Does renters insurance cover tenant damage?

Our house has a nice “in-laws suite” above a detached garage. We’ve been looking into renting it out as an apartment. But how do we protect it? Does renters insurance cover tenant damage, or do we need some other policy?

avatar
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Renting out part of your home can be an adventure! But the insurance aspects can definitely get confusing, so let’s help you navigate this a bit.
Renters insurance usually won’t cover tenant damage and is held by the tenants themselves. If you’re a landlord, you’ll want to require a security deposit from renters and have a protective landlord insurance policy to protect yourself against damage to the building itself.
Renters insurance definitely won’t cover damage caused by tenants. It’s great for protecting tenants’ property from burglaries and fire, though, so it’s highly recommended that you
require any renters in your place
to take out a policy.
Landlord insurance often only covers damage to your building as a result of a
named peril
, like a windstorm, explosion, or fire—and not bad tenant behavior.
So the best route to avoid losing money due to tenant damages would be to require a security deposit from which you can pull money for repairs.
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