A few years ago, I had the unfortunate task of researching for a friend, whether or not there was coverage on a claim. This involved locating the home insurance policy details, and browsing through the exclusions to see if there might be a grain of hope, also known as insurance coverage. This is not the time you want to wonder "Do I have coverage?"
Incidents Happen
This particular event was a break-in. A friend's house was broken into during the day when no one was home. (The rumor mill was that I left the deadbolt unlocked...from the appearance of the damaged door, I am not 100% sure that even mattered.)
Several items were taken -- particularly electronics, and the house was trashed as the thieves looked for other valuables in drawers, closets, etc.
There is nothing fun about coming home to find your backdoor hanging open and visibly in dire need of replacement.
(There is also no fun in being the last person to leave the house and receiving a call about the deadbolt.)
Nor is it any fun being the person to house sit while the owner of the home is out shopping for a replacement, and hoping the thieves will not return in that time frame. (They did not, but every noise can put a body on edge!)
Insurance
At the time of the incident, the house was insured, so for the homeowner, there was insurance to replace stolen items and repair the damage to their home.
However, they had a roommate living in the home at the time of the incident.
The roommate was a friend---not a relative or family member. Their roommate's electronics were also stolen and their personal items damaged. The roommate did not have their own renter's insurance policy, because they assumed their belongings would be covered under the homeowner's insurance policy.
Hard Lesson
The home insurance policy clearly stated unless a relative residing in home, an unrelated roommate's belongings would not be protected. The roommate's belongings do not belong to the homeowner; therefore, there was no insurance coverage for the roommate under the home insurance policy.
The roommate would have needed their own renters (aka tenant) insurance policy. Had they had one, the policy would have provided the protection they were missing in this incident.
Educate
As insurance agents, we customize a plan that works for you through our consultative process.
We ask a lot of questions to learn more about what risks you face, and help design a policy to hopefully, help prevent situations like the one described above.
We want to be your insurance of choice. Drop by one of our convenient office locations, give us a call, or contact a member of Our Team.
Looking forward to being your agent!