Are electronics covered by renters insurance? More specifically, are all electronics covered by renters insurance?
Spend more than a few moments looking at an insurance policy of any kind, and you’ll quickly learn that absolute statements like “all electronics” are few and far between.
Why are insurance policies written that way? Why do insurance companies go out of their way to specify so much?
Most people have wondered these things about their policy. A renter who has York, PA Renters Insurance asked us, and when we started coming up with hypotheticals…
…The answer quickly became clear. Saying “all electronics are covered” would open the policy to a variety of situations it was never designed or intended to handle.
A question like “Are all electronics covered by renters insurance” has so many different answers that we can’t even list them all. But you’ll find a few of our favorite (and most telling) answers to the question below!
Are Electronics Covered By Renters Insurance? Are All Electronics Covered?
What About My Stuff? Are Those Electronics Covered By Renters Insurance?
Yes! You’ll find that consumer electronic devices are covered by your policy in most cases.
Wait, there we go again! Why the hedging? Is that really necessary? Can’t we just simplify the answer to a yes or no?
It’s not quite that easy!
Fire, theft, and vandalism of consumer electronics you own are often straightforward covered losses. On the other hand, there are some scenarios where additional information might be needed. There are also scenarios where electronics would not be covered by renters insurance, because of how broad the term is. No, we’re not being difficult on purpose, and we can prove it with a few examples.
Electronic Devices You May Not Possess
Did you somehow acquire a radar altimeter for a currently produced nuclear bomb? Yeah, so you’re not supposed to have that and you know it.
Did you think you’d catch your spouse cheating and purchase some hidden cameras or keyloggers from overseas because they weren’t available here? Perhaps you had to import them because what you bought isn’t legal to own or possess. Are those electronics covered? Probably not!
Did you use a home automation system to automate your grow lights and irrigation of your marijuana plants? While renters insurance coverage for marijuana and related grow equipment is still a developing part of the insurance industry, coverage might also be dependent on your state. Why?
Because you wouldn’t be allowed to have the thing you’re trying to get coverage for. For example, an Indiana Renters Insurance policy would be interpreted as no electronics covered if you use them to grow marijuana.
That still has laws on the books that would speak to such equipment, even if it wasn’t manufactured specifically for use by growers. If you may not own it (or use it for your desired use case), there’s not likely to be coverage after a loss.
Are Electronics Covered By Renters Insurance If A Business Owns Them?
The answer is generally no. There may some extremely limited coverage, but mostly it’s the responsibility of the business to insure it. A business which offers laptops to employees is likely to have a policy in force that would cover those laptops if something happens to them. That “policy” will take one of two forms:
- An insurance policy
- An HR policy stating that you’re responsible for loss or damage to the business’s property
Make sure you know which one it is!
Above The Policy Limit, Are Electronics Covered?
Nope. Nothing is covered above the policy limit. The limit on personal property is a number that you should review on a regular basis to ensure that it will cover all of your stuff. You can find out how much personal property coverage to have on renters insurance in our other articles – it’s pretty straightforward.
Raising the personal property limit often doesn’t make much difference in the cost of the coverage, and people have a habit of acquiring additional property without giving much thought to what it adds to the total. If you haven’t reviewed your tenant policy in a while, now is a great time!
I Collect Old Computers, Are Those Electronics Covered?
Vintage electronics are those that have inherent value because of their age. Do you have a collection of early cell phones, or a collection of TRS-80 computers? If so, you’ll want to get that collection appraised and make sure to add it to your policy or to a separate floater policy that will protect collectibles whose value comes from their rarity.
Are Electronics Covered By Renters Insurance If The Loss Is Not Named In The Policy?
Well… No. Renters insurance is often written on a named perils basis. That means your property is protected against risks that are specifically listed and described in the policy. In other words, when the zombie apocalypse is upon us, zombie damage is not a covered type of loss.
If you’d like damage from the undead to be covered, you need open perils renters insurance. In most states, it’s widely available and you can add an endorsement that will give you the coverage. It’s important to remember that “open perils” doesn’t mean “anything and everything.”
There are a few exclusions listed in the policy even still. Those exclusions are situations like nuclear hazard and nuclear war. In other words, the exclusions on an open perils renters insurance policy mostly fall under the broad category of “If you suffer that kind of loss, you’ve many more grave concerns than insurance coverage.”
Are Implanted Electronics Covered By Insurance?
This scenario could actually take two forms. The first, of course, is the tracking chip that the government implants in all newborns who are born in hospitals. Isn’t this the first thought that comes to mind when one considers “implanted electronics?” The second form would be something like a pacemaker.
To be clear, we are not aware of a single verified instance of anyone having a chip implanted at birth for a nefarious purpose or otherwise. We’re certainly not aware of the procedure having been performed at the behest of some shadowy three letter agency.
With that in mind, it’s difficult to find coverage within the language of a renters insurance policy for something that never existed. We’re also not convinced that someone concerned about such a thing would want to replace the chip in question if it had been stolen.
Moving right along, the form of implanted electronics which can actually be covered by renters insurance would be related to medical needs. We can’t think of an instance where a pacemaker has been stolen, but durable medical equipment in general, electronic or otherwise, can be covered by York Renters Insurance.
Things like insulin pumps could be stolen, and often are. That would likely be a covered loss, and that’s a good thing because durable medical equipment is expensive. Why would someone steal an insulin pump? The reasons include ignorance of what the device does, the fact that it “looks expensive”, and the sort of situation where the thieves steal everything that isn’t nailed down.
So After All That, Are Electronics Covered By Renters Insurance?
Yes, most consumer electronics are covered by renters insurance. Just like anything else in life, there are exceptions, but as you can see those exceptions are narrow and have solid reasoning behind them. It’s always a good idea to read any insurance policy, of course.
There are many situations that fall outside the norm, the above are just a few examples. The only way to make sure you’re getting the coverage you think you’re getting is to ask about specific situations you’re concerned about. Effective Coverage is always happy to clarify those situations for you.
To learn more about how to protect your family with affordable coverage that’s efficient to get, just call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need York renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!
Effective Coverage offers the nation's only completely mobile platform to quote and purchase renters insurance right from your phone or tablet in just one minute. Get an online renters insurance quote today and protect your family.
What's Your Insurance Language?
- Do You Need Renters Insurance ASAP? Check out the fastest way to buy renters insurance online and get covered in just 60 seconds!
- Do You Feel Like Talking About It? Just call Effective Coverage and a renters insurance expert can help you get great coverage in minutes.
- Do You Need Some Time Alone With Your Thoughts? We understand, which is why we created the Pennsylvania Guide To Renters Insurance.
- Just Want To Watch A Movie Together? See our Video Pennsylvania Renters Insurance Guide!