Effective Coverage: Protecting Your Valuables With Idaho Renters Insurance Across The Gem State
Effective Coverage is the leading provider of Idaho renters insurance to renters across the state. Whether you’ve downsized, or you’re a student sharing an apartment with a few too many people, you need renters insurance in Idaho. Not only will the landlord require it, but it just makes sense to protect what you have. Even if you don’t have much, it’s still difficult to replace property after one of the 365,000 home fires that happen every year in this country! If you do have things worth protecting, you don’t want to replace them out-of-pocket.
While you might think of Idaho as a state of single-family homes, plenty of people rent here. Boise boasts well over 100,000 residents. Idaho Falls, Nampa, Pocatello, Meridian, Caldwell, and Coeur d’Alene are all major cities in their own right with plenty of renters. Idaho also has a well-respected state university system that attracts thousands of students – most of whom need rental housing such as Avery Estates Townhomes in Hayden, ID. The rental housing that’s available in Idaho helps to attract university students, many of whom stay after graduation.
In general, people in the middle of their lives who rent are often aware of the protections that are available to them, but that’s only about a third of the tenants in Idaho. The other two-thirds are made up of students and young people as well as people who have sold their homes and maintenance worries in order to enjoy their later years. Often, these renters don’t know that insurance is even available to them, or they think that it’s too complicated or too expensive.
Effective Coverage creates renters insurance guides because our mission is providing solutions for those buying insurance, because insurance is our world, and we want you to get back to yours. In other words, we want to make it as quick, painless, and affordable as possible to get covered and get back to living your life. No matter where you live in this beautiful state, it’s easy to get covered. Effective Coverage was born as an online insurance provider, and there’s always a friendly insurance expert available to answer your questions on the phone, as well. Just call (800)892-4308.
2017 Idaho Renters Insurance Guide Table Of Contents
- How Large Is The Average Idaho Renters Insurance Fire Claim In 2017?
- What Does Idaho Renters Insurance Cover?
- Are Power Surges Covered By Renters Insurance In Idaho?
- Do I Need Idaho Renters Insurance?
- How Can I Save Money On Renters Insurance In Idaho?
- Can Roommates Share Idaho Renters Insurance?
- How Do I Document My Property For A Claim?
- What Is An Attractive Nuisance On Idaho Renters Insurance?
- Bonus Section: 2017 Guide To Renting In Idaho
How Large Is The Average Idaho Renters Insurance Fire Claim In 2017?
While the average individual Idaho renters insurance fire claim is fairly small, between five and ten thousand dollars, that’s not really a meaningful number. The Clearwater Complex forest fire burned at least thirty homes. Those claims were much larger, and would have included loss of use claims as well as liability claims. Each part of your policy works together with the other parts to protect you, come what may. Only forty-four percent of renters in Idaho have renters insurance, the other fifty-six percent of them are just hoping nothing bad will ever happen to them.
Many Idaho apartment dwellers face a serious risk of fire. Even in 2017, many of the of apartments that are available throughout the state are either homes that were converted into a few apartments or older construction apartment complexes. In both cases, those apartments may lack safety features ranging from sprinkler systems to firewalls.
That means a fire in one apartment is in essence a fire in all of the apartments. Even if the fire is kept under control, the smoke damage alone can cause a total loss of your property. A fire in one apartment could mean that fifty or more people need a temporary place to stay while repairs are made and the smell of smoke is removed from the building. Renters insurance in Idaho pays for those additional living expenses, and smoke is certainly a covered peril.
What Does Idaho Renters Insurance Cover?
Personal property is covered at replacement cost rather than actual cash value on most Idaho renters insurance policies in 2017. Actual cash value used to be common, but the general expectation is that insurance will return you to the place you were before the loss by actually replacing the property that was lost. Over the years, replacement cost coverage has largely become standard.
What is your personal property protected against? The standard renters insurance covered perils include: Fire or lightning, windstorm or hail, explosion, riot or civil commotion, aircraft, vehicles not your own, smoke, vandalism or malicious mischief, theft, volcanic eruption, falling objects, weight of ice, snow, or sleet, accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam, sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, or burning, freezing, and sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electric current. (We discuss power surges separately below).
That’s a long list of covered perils!
In addition, you’re covered for liability. If you negligently cause bodily injury or property damage to someone else, your policy can pay for that loss. Your policy will also defend you against the claim – the lawyer works for you but is paid for by the insurance company. Medical payments to others covers if a guest is injured in your home and there’s really no fault or negligence involved. Additional living expenses is the coverage we discussed above that would pay for the costs of living somewhere else after a covered loss. It lasts for the shortest reasonable time to repair the premises or for you to find a new place to live.
Idaho renters insurance policies are generally written on what’s called a “broad form” policy form. That’s because the coverage is quite broad and includes a variety of things that you might not even have considered as risks. All of that coverage is included in your premium payment, which is quite affordable.
Are Power Surges Covered By Renters Insurance In Idaho?
Are Power Surges Covered By Renters Insurance In Idaho?
We mentioned that renters insurance in Idaho covers loss from sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electric current, as well as lightning. What does that mean in reality? Damage to tubes, transistors, and electronics is excluded from this coverage. That’s because there is a known risk inherent in plugging your equipment into the wall power.
If the power surge causes a fire, that’s a covered loss. If the power surge damages the transformer in the basement of your apartment building and there’s no power to the building, you may have access to loss of use coverage. Damage to the home from that power surge or lightning strike would probably be covered by the landlord’s policy, but damage to your property that resulted would be covered by your Idaho renters insurance policy.
Do I Need Idaho Renters Insurance?
Yes. If you don’t own the home in which you live, you need Idaho renters insurance. While a written lease is a good idea, it’s not strictly necessary to have a lease in order to get covered. In fact, those without a written lease most need a policy, because they have the fewest protections and the most to lose. If you’re living with someone else, you can generally still get renters insurance in Idaho. Whatever the living situation, so long as you don’t own the place in which you live, you’re probably eligible for the protection that you deserve.
Are you a college student? One claim is all it would take to ruin your future. You may not have much in the way of earnings today, but you will when you graduate and the judgement will wait until then. A liability claim would be even worse, because without renters insurance you’re unlikely to have a defense against the claim. That often leads to default judgements, or awards of nearly the amount requested by the plaintiff. That could impact your earnings for years to come, after all the work you put in to get a career you enjoy that pays the bills.
Renters insurance in Idaho is so easy to get and so affordable that there’s no reason to be without the coverage.
How Can I Save Money On Renters Insurance In Idaho?
There are a number of factors that go into the price of your coverage.
- Rates that are filed with the state, specific to the qualities of the risk
- Risk from location
- Risk from building construction
- Risk from previous claims
- Risk from individual credit
- Levels of coverage
There are other rating factors, as well. All of those factors go into the price of your policy. You may not be able to change the city that you live in, but you can improve your credit. There is also a benefit to living in newer construction apartments, because of the additional safety featured in modern construction. All of these elements are a part of the price of your coverage.
Want to save money on your renters insurance in Idaho? Smoke detectors, deadbolts, and other safety features can earn you discounts. Being free of claims can save you money, as well. By working with an insurance expert at Effective Coverage, you can save money by getting the correct level of coverage for your needs. This protects you by saving money in the future when your claim goes smoothly, and by preventing you from paying for coverage that you don’t need.
Most discounts are small in the scheme of things, because renters insurance in Idaho is already so affordable. According to Insurance Journal, Idaho insurance costs are among the lowest in the nation. Discounts are always a benefit, of course, but you’re already fortunate enough to pay less than most other people for your Idaho renters insurance.
Can Roommates Share Idaho Renters Insurance?
If you have roommates, everyone should have their own renters insurance policy in Idaho. There are a couple of reasons for this, the most important of which is that the policy doesn’t provide coverage for anyone who is not a named insured or a spouse or relative of the same.
- The named insured is defined quite specifically in the policy.
- Each roommate who has a policy can select the level of coverage that they are comfortable with.
- Each roommate with a policy can make sure the items they brought into the household are covered.
- Claims are easier when a check is issued to each individual.
- If one roommate leaves, they can take their own policy with them. There is then no impact on everyone else in the home.
While it’s understandable that many people want to live with roommates and save money, it’s important to make sure that everyone who lives with you is covered by a policy. Your lease holds you jointly and severally responsible for the apartment, so if something happened that was your roommate’s fault you could be held accountable as well. When each of you have a policy, you each have the full defense coverage and policy limit available for your protection.
How Do I Document My Property For A Claim?
The best way to document your property for a claim is with a home inventory. While that may sound daunting, it’s really not!
- Take of each wall of each room of your home.
- is even better.
- Don’t forget the inside of drawers, cabinets, and closets.
- Make a of big-ticket items, purchase dates, and even serial numbers.
- Upload all that to somewhere in the cloud, and then have a . You’re done!
By having all the information in the cloud, it’s safe if there’s a loss in your home. By having pictures and video of what’s in your home, you’ll be able to easily make a list of what was lost for a claim. Without that, the only things you can claim are the things you can remember. Many people lose out on quite a bit of money they could claim because they just can’t remember every single thing they owned.
What Is An Attractive Nuisance On Idaho Renters Insurance?
An attractive nuisance is a hazard that is likely to draw people to it and which risks liability. One example would be a trampoline with no fencing around it. Neighborhood kids would be drawn to it when you’re not home, and could easily injure themselves because of the lack of superviesion. You’d be responsible for that, and your Idaho renters insurance liability coverage could protect you.
If there’s an attractive nuisance on your property, your insurance company will want to know about it. In fact, many companies perform exterior inspections of newly bound risks. If you have an attractive nuisance such as a trampoline or a poorly maintained shed or outbuilding, the company will want to cancel the policy. You may be able to prevent this by simply removing the offending thing.
You don’t necessarily have to get rid of something like a trampoline or an above-ground pool. You do need to take steps to secure it against people who shouldn’t be there. That could be a fence, a lock, or a number of other measures that are quick and easy.
Bonus Section: 2017 Guide To Renting In Idaho
Idaho has strong tenant protections in many ways, but there are some things that you need to be aware of. Oral leases are valid for terms less than one year, but it’s always prudent to have a written lease. Without it, it’s your word against the landlord’s if there is a dispute. According to the Idaho Attorney General’s Tenant Guide (PDF), certain restrictive lease provisions are legal, but poorly advised. When renting in Idaho, the lease may include a waiver of your right to attend the landlord’s move out inspection. That would make it difficult to dispute any alleged damages.
Renting In Idaho Offers Strong Tenant Protections, But You Still Need Idaho Renters Insurance
Additionally, it’s important to be aware that Idaho is one of the few states where the landlord may legally charge you for the full cost of replacing or cleaning items that usually would be subject to normal wear and tear. Most states limit your liability for damage to long-life items such as carpet, as long as the damage is from normal wear and tear. In Idaho, it appears that a landlord could replace the carpet between every tenant, at the previous tenant’s expense.
Idaho landlords have an obligation to maintain the property safely. This is important, because there is at least one state where no such implied warranty of habitability exists. Smoke detectors must be present, there must be a way to remove or store garbage, and structural and plumbing problems must be fixed by the landlord. Insect infestations are generally the landlord’s problem but exceptions exist. Idaho renters insurance does not cover vermin, insects, or infestation because of the causes that give rise to those problems.
If one of these habitability concerns exists, you can notify a landlord in Idaho in person, by certified mail, or by leaving it with an employee at the landlord’s place of business. That starts a three-day clock for the landlord to fix the problem. After that, you can sue the landlord to resolve the problem. Landlords may not turn off utilities or commit similar “constructive eviction” violations. According to the Idaho Attorney General, “No tenant should be expected to live in a home without power, water, or heat.” If the landlord doesn’t turn them back on, the tenant may terminate the lease in writing.
It’s worth noting that tenant protections and remedies in Idaho does not include withholding of rent, even if you place it in an escrow account. Idaho law provides one, and only one, exception to this. If smoke detectors are not present and functional, you must give a three-day notice to the landlord to install or repair them. After that three-day period, you may “repair and deduct,” meaning you buy and install smoke detectors, keep your receipts, and deduct the cost from your next rent payment. This is, for all intents and purposes, the only landlord violation which allows repair and deduct.
Idaho does not make assumptions about the end of a lease. If a lease ends, and the agreement does not speak to what happens at the end of the lease term, there is no automatic renewal. The only automatic renewal provision is one that is written into your lease. Unlike most states, you don’t automatically become month to month after the end of the lease. When you move out, the landlord has twenty-one days to provide a return of the deposit or an itemized list of deductions and partial refund if applicable. Idaho is one of the few states allowing the security deposit return to be longer or shorter if specified in the lease, but in no event may the deposit be held longer than thirty days.
It’s important to read your lease carefully when renting in Idaho. Idaho is one of a very few states where the lease may include a contract to give the landlord a lien on a tenant’s property. If your lease says that the landlord retains a security interest in your personal property to cover unpaid rent and damages, you would be well advised to choose another apartment. This is not an automatic provision, it’s part of the lease, so read every word before you sign!
Renting in Idaho requires you to be aware of the terms of your tenancy, and may require a little extra work to find the perfect home. Once you’ve found the perfect home, make sure you have the perfect protection. Just call (800)892-4308 or click above to get the Idaho renters insurance you need with easy payments and coverage you can rely on. Effective Coverage insurance experts are happy to answer your questions and help you to understand what type and amount of coverage may best fit your personal situation.
