Does renters insurance cover a power outage?

Does renters insurance cover power outages?

Renters insurance covers damage due to power outages when the outage is caused by a covered peril and the type of damage is covered by the policy. Renters insurance covers a list of named perils, including fire, wind, lightning, theft, and vandalism. A power outage not caused by a listed peril isn't covered.

What damage is covered depends on your policy. Damage to electronics is typically covered, as well as spoiled food, up to a certain limit.

“First thing that comes to mind is possibly some food spoilage coverage,” says Brody Leinweber, agent and owner of Leinweber Insurance Agency in Northglenn, Colorado. “Certain carriers may cover the food lost in a power outage.”

Your renters insurance covers your personal property, along with a personal liability component and loss of use/additional living expenses coverage. Personal property coverage (damage to property) and additional living expenses coverage (extra costs to live elsewhere) are the two that might apply after a power outage.

What does renters insurance cover in a power outage?

Renters insurance covers personal property damage when a covered peril causes a power outage, such as electronics and spoiled food, or water damage if a winter outage causes pipes to freeze and burst. It also provides coverage for you to stay elsewhere if necessary.

Spoiled food. Food that goes bad because your fridge wasn't working is covered, usually up to a $500 limit, according to Leinweber.
Electronics damaged by a power surge. Electronics damaged by a power surge are covered under personal property coverage up to your policy's limit. Items valued at more than $2,000 may require an endorsement to be covered in full. Check your policy for details.
A hotel stay. Renters insurance includes coverage for hotels and other living expenses if your home is uninhabitable due to a power outage.
Damaged items from burst pipes. If an extended power outage during winter results in a burst pipe, you may have water damage.
Stolen items or vandalism while the power was out. Theft and vandalism are covered by standard renters policies; this would be covered regardless of the power outage.

Additional living expenses coverage kicks in when a covered peril causes a power outage that results in your home being uninhabitable; for example, being without heat in the winter. It provides coverage for anything beyond your usual expenses, like eating meals out or using a laundromat.

“There is a coverage on the policy called additional living expenses– if the power outage is a covered peril. Then the additional living expense cover will pay for alternative living and the additional costs associated with the need to live somewhere, for example, meals,” Leinweber says.

When does renters insurance cover power outages?

Renters insurance covers power outages only when caused by a covered peril, such as wind, lightning or hail.

For example, an ice storm causes the power to go out. Without heat for an extended time, the pipes in your apartment building freeze and burst. Water leaks all over your TV and laptop. The fridge is not running, and you lose a week’s worth of groceries. You can file a claim for both the damage to your property and the spoiled food.

Since it’s not safe to stay at home without heat in the winter, you may need to go to a hotel while the power company works to restore power and heat. Additional living expenses would cover your hotel and meals you have to eat out because you can’t cook in your kitchen.

Because an ice storm is a covered peril, you can file a claim for all of your damaged property as well as your additional living expenses, and your policy will cover it.

Does renters insurance cover damage to electronics from a power surge?

Yes, but only if the power surge was caused by a covered peril, such as a lightning strike. A power surge is not itself a named peril on a standard renters insurance policy. Items valued up to your policy's personal property limit are reimbursed at replacement cost or actual cash value, depending on your policy type. Items valued at approximately $2,000 or more may require a scheduled personal property endorsement to be fully covered.

To file a power surge claim:

Submit all documentation by your insurer's stated deadline to avoid claim denial.
Photograph the damaged electronics and note the model, serial number and estimated replacement cost of each item.
Obtain a repair estimate or replacement quote from a licensed retailer or technician.
Contact your insurer's claims line immediately and confirm whether the cause of the surge, such as a lightning strike, qualifies as a named peril under your policy.

What isn’t covered by renters insurance during a power outage?

Renters insurance doesn't cover damage from any power outage that was not caused by a covered peril. Outages caused by utility work or city-wide blackouts are not covered perils on a renters insurance policy. Power failure alone is not a covered peril; it must be caused by a named peril to be covered.

“Generally, power failure is not named peril on renters policy,” Leinweber says. It needs to be caused by one of the named perils on the policy.

Floods and earthquakes are always excluded from renters policies—you must have separate policies to cover any damage caused by these disasters, including power outages.

To file a claim for power outage-related losses, gather documentation, including evidence of the damage and the value of the damaged items, and obtain a statement from the landlord regarding what caused the outage. Then, call your insurance company to file the claim and work with the adjuster.

Gather as much documentation as possible, including pictures, videos and receipts. The more details, the better.
Get a statement from your landlord regarding what happened to the building.
Call your insurance company's claims number right away to tell them what happened. Delayed reports make it harder for the insurance company do determine the cause of the damage, and can lead to denied claims.
Cooperate with the claims adjuster and the investigation, meet all deadlines and submit all paperwork on time

FAQ: Renters insurance and power outages

What renters insurance coverage protects expensive electronics?

Standard renters insurance covers most electronics under personal property coverage, but high value items (over $2,000) may require a scheduled personal property endorsement, which insures a specific item for its replacement cost. Contact your insurer to schedule high-value items before a loss occurs.

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