Renters Insurance in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is an awesome place to call home, but, wherever you live in the Keystone State, you’ll want to make sure you’re protected with renters insurance. Life is unpredictable, and having an up-to-date policy puts you in a good position if something unfortunate happens to your stuff.

Whether your phone is swiped while you’re watching the Eagles game at the local watering hole or a fire in your Pittsburgh apartment damages your furniture, renters insurance can offer some valuable protection.

Let’s dive into the finer points of renters insurance coverage in Pennsylvania.

What does renters insurance cover in Pennsylvania?

Renters insurances covers you for a number of unfortunate things that could happen to your stuff, plus offers liability protection if you accidentally injure another person or damage their property.

Basically, a renters policy hooks you up with the following benefits:

Personal Property

‘Personal property’ coverage protects your stuff, no matter where you are. You don’t have to be at your apartment to be protected! Whether your furniture is soaked by an exploding water pipe, or your expensive computer is stolen while you’re traveling abroad, your insurance will come in handy.

Loss of Use

If you have to leave your home due to covered losses (like a fire or windstorm), your ‘loss of use’ coverage provides reimbursements for a temporary place to stay. It should also kick in for additional living expenses such as food, laundry, hotel parking, and more.

Liability protection

You’re hanging out at your Pittsburgh loft, and a framed Andy Warhol print falls on your buddy’s head. You could be responsible for the costs that incurs. Oof! So if someone is injured on your property, or anyone on your policy causes damage to someone else’s property or stuff, your insurer should have you covered.

Medical protection

If your friend needs to get stitches after being accidentally attacked by art, another component of your policy will be a real lifeline. Your insurer covers medical costs if your guests get injured at your place, or if you accidentally people hurt outside of your home as well. But here’s a big thing to keep in mind: Renters insurance does not cover medical costs if you or someone residing with you are injured—only non-residents and people visiting.

Different coverage for different lifestyles

For example, you might have $20,000 worth of personal belongings, so you’ll want to get $20k worth of personal property coverage (rather than the $10,000 minimum) to make sure you’re adequately covered. Your landlord also might require you to have a certain amount of personal liability coverage. Don’t worry, changing your coverage options is a lot less of an ordeal than it sounds, with Lemonade’s Live Policy.

What property damages does renters insurance in Pennsylvania protect me against?

A lot of crazy things can happen in the world, from natural disasters to chaotic accidents. Are you covered against theft? What about hail, lightning, or smoke?

Your policy covers you and your stuff for damages (or ‘perils’ in insurance speak), including theft, fire, vandalism, and water damage from things like a pipe bursting in your Travers City apartment.

Here’s a list of the perils that are covered under your base policy:

• Fire or lightning
• Windstorm or hail
• Explosion
• Riots
• Aircraft
• Vehicles
• Smoke
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Falling objects
• Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
• Sudden and accidental tearing, cracking, burning, or bulging
• Freezing
• Volcanic eruption
• Sudden, accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current

How much does renters insurance cost in Pennsylvania?

The average cost of renters insurance in Pennsylvania is $16/month, according to ValuePenguin.

But did you know that the average cost of Lemonade renters insurance across the U.S. is just $14/month, with prices starting as low as $5/month? 

While these numbers reflect average rates, keep in mind that your policy price will depend on several factors—such as where you live, your deductible amount, and the actual amount of coverage you need.

Is renters insurance required in Pennsylvania?

There is no state law requiring you to get renters insurance in Pennsylvania. However, many landlords do require their tenants to have renters insurance… and you are legally acquired to follow your lease. So in those cases, it’s still a must.

Most landlords and property managers require you to provide proof of your policy before you sign your lease. Sometimes, they’ll also ask for proof of insurance each time you renew your lease.

Why? Usually, landlords want to make sure you have enough personal liability coverage within your renters policy. They might also check to make sure you have enough personal property coverage for your stuff.

Your landlord might also ask you to list them as an interested party, so they’ll be notified if you cancel your policy. That way, they can make sure you don’t cancel your policy right after you provide proof that you have one. Nice try!

What’s the right amount of coverage?

As we previously mentioned, your policy has a few main categories:

• Contents (your stuff)
• Loss of use
• Personal liability / medical payments

The coverage amounts you choose for each category are up to you—tailor them according to what you need. You should choose your personal property coverage amount based on the value of the stuff you own, and how much it would cost to replace it.

What about setting your ‘loss of use’ coverage? Consider all of the expenses you could rack up beyond your normal daily budget (such as a place to stay, food, laundry, your commute, etc) if your home becomes unlivable for an extended period of time.

For a more in-depth look at this topic, check out this resource on how much renters insurance you need.

How can I lower my renters insurance rates in PA?

Renters insurance rates are generally quite affordable, but there are still some ways to land an even better rate. Here are some possibilities:

• Adjust your deductible and coverage amounts: Increasing your deductible and lowering your total coverage amount are easy ways to lower your premium. Just make sure that you’re still adequately covered should disaster strike.
• Pay in full: Paying your annual premium all at once instead of month-to-month will get you a discount with many insurance providers, including Lemonade.
• Check for security devices: If your rental property has a burglar alarm or fire alarm, you might qualify for a discount.
• Bundle: Bundling multiple policies is a simple way to save some money on your insurance premiums. You can get a discount by bundling renters insurance with car insurance, for example. Or, if you’re a Pennsylvania pet parent, you can bundle renters with pet insurance by clicking the button below. 

Your Lemonade renters insurance quote in PA

Hey, we get it. When you think of a fun time, no one pictures “signing up for a renters insurance policy.” And we’ll admit that, with a lot of companies, it can be a total pain.

But we also want you to know that we’ve done everything possible to make the Lemonade experience smooth, fast, and even… pleasant. We’ve harnessed artificial intelligence and the power of our app to create a digital sign-up process that’s quick and painless. Just head to the Lemonade app, answer a few questions, and AI Maya will crunch some numbers and give you a renters insurance quote instantly. No lame paperwork, no endless conversations on the phone with humans.

Maybe changes is simple too. If you ever need to tweak your coverage because your landlord asked you to, or if you realized your stuff is worth way more than you thought, you can do it on the app instantly using Lemonade’s Live Policy feature.

And Lemonade’s claims experience is instant, too. If anything bad happens, simply chat with AI Jim, our claims handling bot, and quickly tell him what happened.

Best part? All leftover premiums go to a charity you choose at the end of the year through our Giveback program.

How? Rather than making money by denying insurance claims, we take a fixed fee out of your monthly payments, pay reinsurance (and some unavoidable expenses), and use the rest for paying out claims. Then, we donate unclaimed remainders in our annual ‘Giveback‘.

This way, our Lemonaders enjoy amazing coverage, and society gets a little push for the better. It also means that, unlike traditional insurance companies, we’re not in conflict with our customers, so we’re happy to pay claims quickly and with no hassle.

A few quick words, because we <3 our lawyers: This post is general in nature, and any statement in it doesn’t alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of policies issued by Lemonade, which differ according to your state of residence. You’re encouraged to discuss your specific circumstances with your own professional advisors. The purpose of this post is merely to provide you with info and insights you can use to make such discussions more productive! Naturally, all comments by, or references to, third parties represent their own views, and Lemonade assumes no responsibility for them. Coverage and discounts may not be available in all states.