Living in Colorado Springs is expensive. That’s mostly because of the number of people who want to call the city home. Apartments are pricey and you’ll be expected to have Colorado Springs, CO Renters Insurance as well. The landlord wants you covered by liability, of course. They want to make sure you can pay for any damages you cause. But your policy also covers your personal property against named perils. One of those perils is the weight of ice, snow, or sleet.
Winter is that time we head into where the weight of ice, snow, or sleet become worrisome across the country. Renting means you’re not responsible for the building, but damage to it can cause damage to your personal property. That damage can cost you a great deal of money. It also takes time to deal with a loss and replace your property. Renters insurance is the single best way to protect your property and your family.
What Is The Renters Insurance Peril Of Weight Of Ice, Snow, Or Sleet? How Does Renters Insurance Protect Me?
As noted above, the building itself is not your problem. The contents of the building are what you’re responsible for. Ice, snow, or sleet can damage your personal property inside the building in a variety of nefarious ways. Ice that builds up in the wrong way can force the roof apart and allow melting water into your home. That water could damage your property. Water could damage the ceiling, causing it to collapse onto your property.
Primarily what we’re concerned with, however, is the weight of ice, snow, or sleet. That weight is covered when it “causes damage to property contained in a building.” If you have storage on-site, built-up snow could fall from the roof of your home onto the building and cause it to collapse from the sudden loading. It wouldn’t cover your car in a garage, because that’s why you have car insurance. Your renters insurance would cover the other property stored in that garage if the roof collapsed from the snow.
Another risk from winter weather is that ice, snow, or sleet falling off the roof and landing in such a way as to damage your window. Damage to the window would be the landlord’s problem, of course. Damage to your property from the snow, water, or wind that enters because of that damaged window could be covered by your renters insurance. There are other risks, as well.
What About Liability For Ice, Snow, Or Sleet? Does My Policy Cover That?
Did you know that it’s common practice to name in a lawsuit anyone even remotely connected to an injury? If snow slides off the roof and lands on your mail carrier, or the mail carrier slips on your walkway, you’ll probably be named in the suit as well. It doesn’t matter what the lease says about whose responsibility it is to clear snow. You’re close enough to the problem that you arguably knew or should have known that it was a problem. You’ll need a defense against the suit.
Fortunately, your renters insurance protects you there, as well. Liability coverage provides a defense against a claim that you’re liable for bodily injury or property damage. That defense coverage doesn’t require you to be responsible for it. Perhaps clearing the snow really was the landlord’s responsibility by city code. Perhaps the snow was still falling quickly, and no reasonable person would have started to clear it yet. Renters insurance pays for a lawyer to defend you against the claim, even if it’s false or frivolous.
If you are somehow responsible for the injury from ice, snow, or sleet it’s not the end of the world. After paying to defend you, the Colorado Springs, CO Renters Insurance policy will cover paying for the settlement or judgement up to the policy limits. Your defense coverage is generally outside the policy limits. In other words, money spent to defend you against the claim does not reduce the amount available to pay the claim.
How Can I Be Sure I’m Covered?
How Does Renters Insurance Protect Me From The Weight Of Ice, Snow, or Sleet? Painful Perils Explained Easily
You’ll find the peril of weight of ice, snow, or sleet in the “covered perils” section of your renters insurance policy. You’ll also find that the liabity section of your policy is quite broad. You should read the entire policy, but the liability section is a good place to start. That’s because it’s short and written in plain language. Once you’ve read and understood it, you can move on to the rest of the policy.
Reading your policy is how you know what’s in it. You’re responsible to know what’s in the policy, of course. But if you get stuck, or something doesn’t make sense in the policy, what do you do? Just call the insurance experts for renters at Effective Coverage. All questions are good questions when it comes to insurance. Asking questions helps you understand the policy. When you understand the policy, it’s easier to know what kind of coverage you need.
If you have questions about your policy, or if you need to get covered today with instant proof of renters insurance, just call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need Colorado Springs, CO renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!
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