Thanks for taking the time to review our Tampa, FL Renters Insurance Guide. At Effective Coverage, we’re not just a Florida Renters Insurance provider. In line with our core values, we believe in not only offering the products and services that renters most need, but also in educating renters on how to protect themselves. We also work hard to educate renters on the insurance products and services they might not need, in order to save them as much money as possible.
Admittedly, renters insurance in Tampa can be complicated, and so it pays to work with experts. At Effective Coverage, we’ve spent years focusing on the needs of renters. Our insurance experts understand the complexities of Tampa renters insurance, especially with regard to coverage for storms and other events unique to the area.
Tampa, FL Renters Insurance
Why Doesn’t Tampa, FL Renters Insurance Cover Wind?
Hurricanes are always a risk in the area, of course. Hurricanes can be overwhelmingly damaging, admittedly. But here’s the thing. They’re damaging to the outside of buildings. Most of the apartments in Tampa are fairly new construction, and as such are built to standards of being nearly hurricane proof. While there can be damage to the building, it’s highly unlikely that the damage will extend to the interior, and therefore to your property. Your risk level for hurricane damage to personal property is extremely low. As a result, it generally doesn’t matter if wind coverage is present or not because you’re not likely to need it for your personal property.
On the other hand, if there are other types of losses that are caused by the storm, there may be coverage. If a fire breaks out as a result of the hurricane, there can be coverage for that fire as a distinct event. The wind didn’t cause the damage to your property, the fire did. Tampa renters insurance could also provide coverage if there was a theft as a result of an evacuation for an impending hurricane.
What Is Covered Under Renters Insurance In Tampa?
There are four major types of coverage you’ll find on a renters insurance policy in Tampa. The first, of course, is personal property. That protects your things from a number of perils, including but not limited to fire, theft, and vandalism. There are many other things that you’re property is protected from, as well. Generally there’s a deductible applied, often $500, and then the policy covers the loss from there up to the policy limit.
Next, you have liability coverage on your Tampa renters insurance policy. That protects you if you cause bodily injury or property damage to another person. It could cover you if you have an apartment fire that damages the building, of course, but it’s so much more than that. You have a friend over for dinner, and somehow drop your chef’s knife on their foot, amputating a toe the painful way. Obviously your friend will want for you to cover their medical expenses. Most people aren’t able to write a check that large, and that’s where liability coverage comes into play.
For smaller injuries that don’t require as much care or expense, you’ll find that you have coverage for medical payments to others. It’s a smaller amount than liability, generally $1,000 to $5,000. The best part is, medical payments coverage is no fault. That means that you don’t have to admit liability for the injury, it’s covered regardless of fault.
The last major coverage on your Tampa renters insurance policy is called loss of use. This covers you if there’s a claim that makes your home unusable for a period of time. You’ll have hotel expenses, meal expenses that you might not have had otherwise, and a host of other expenses. Loss of use coverage can respond to these and make it much easier to recover your life.
Do I Really Need Renters Insurance In Tampa?
Everyone needs renters insurance in Tampa. Not because Tampa is a rough town. In fact, it’s a great, peaceful, safe place to live as we’ll see in a few moments. You need a policy because you’ve worked hard to build up a life. You’ve spent a great deal of time, energy, and money getting to where you are. One fire or one major theft could set your life back by years.
You don’t want to run the risk of losing everything because of one bad day. Renters insurance in Tampa runs only about $180.00 for an entire year of coverage. That’s a small price to pay for peace of mind and to have your liability covered or your personal property replaced. Your risk of being a crime victim is low in Tampa, but it’s definitely non-zero. Your risk of fire is somewhat higher. The vast majority of Americans will be impacted by a home fire at some point in their lives.
Yes, you really need renters insurance in Tampa! You owe that protection to yourself and your family.
How Difficult Is It To Get Renters Insurance In Tampa?
It’s more challenging than in some parts of the country. Indiana Renters Insurance is easier to get, for instance. But on the other hand, more challenging doesn’t mean difficult or impossible. The major issue is that many insurance companies have stopped writing new business in Florida. Effective Coverage is not one of them! Effective Coverage has worked to get Florida Renters Insurance for clients for many years, and we know who’s writing, who’s not, and how to get the best coverage for the best price. Working with Effective Coverage gives you solid expertise in renters insurance and the coverage and service that you deserve.
Renting In Tampa, FL
Renting in this thriving city of 350,000 people is not difficult, but with a population increase of more than two percent per year, the rental market has tightened up a bit in recent years. The median rent of $895 is not strongly correlated with the mean home price across all housing units of $325,276. Part of the reason for this is that much of the rental housing in Tampa is in multi-family dwellings built for the purpose, such as Pierhouse At Channelside. This helps to disconnect the price of purchasing a home from the median rent.
Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County, and most of the area is served by the 813 area code. The city abuts Tampa Bay, on the west coast of Florida not far from the Gulf of Mexico. The Tampa Bay area includes St. Petersburg as well as Clearwater, covering four counties. In 2012, the Republican National Convention was held in Tampa, and it also played host to the International Indian Film Academy Awards in the spring of 2014. The Hillsborough River is one of Tampa’s main sources of fresh water.
Tampa has 18 buildings taller than 250 feet, and 69 high rises. The tallest building in the city is 100 North Tampa, at 579 feet tall. 157,130 households call Tampa home, and the average family size is 3.07 people. The economy is in part dependent on services and tourism, but real estate, defense, shipping, and professional sports are also major drivers. Tampa could survive without tourism, but it’s an important part of the economy. MacDill Air Force Base is also a major employer of both military and civilian workers.
While not a major employer, it’s worth noting that Wikipedia’s offices and servers are located in Tampa. Tampa is also a major port for both cruises and shipping. Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival all use the port heavily.
Tampa is a great place to raise kids, as well. The school district, while the eighth largest in the county with 190,000 students and 208 schools, is highly rated. Newsweek has consistently listed twelve Tampa schools on its list of best schools in America. In additional the great schools, Tampa also has great public libraries. Original funding was provided by Andrew Carnegie. Tampa also offers more than 20 hospitals, three of which were ranked among America’s best hospitals by US News and World Report.
Tampa is a great place to live, and a great place to raise a family. Make sure you and your family are protected with Florida Renters Insurance from Effective Coverage.