Does renters insurance cover a power outage?

Does renters insurance cover power outages?

Whether or not renters insurance covers a power outage will depend on two things:

What caused the power to go out
The specifics of your policy

“Renters insurance is only going to cover specifically listed perils,” Leinweber says.

Renters insurance policies specifically cover a list of named perils. These are, most commonly, damage to your property caused by certain types of weather, accidents, fire, theft and vandalism.

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?

Depending on your policy, renters insurance may help with a few key issues during a power outage. Coverage often includes:

Spoiled food. “There may be limitations to certain items covered, for example, food spoilage usually is only up to $500,” Leinweber says.
Electronics damaged by a power surge. A power outage can cause a surge that damages or destroys expensive electronics.
A hotel stay. If you’re forced out of your apartment due to having no heat and electricity for an extended period.
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.

“The largest potential claim I can think of is if the building is uninhabitable due to power failure,” Leinweber says. “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.”

Always read through your insurance policy in detail and ask lots of questions so you know exactly what’s covered, and be familiar with the covered perils on your policy.

When does renters insurance cover power outages?

Renters insurance has a list of covered or named perils. This means that your losses after a power outage– what you can put in a claim for– have to be due to one of these perils. The most common are:

Windstorms
Hail
Snow and ice
Lightning strikes
Fire
Theft
Vandalism

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.

It’s important to note here that the reason for the loss is the ice storm, which is a covered peril on your renters insurance policy. As a result, you can file a claim.

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

Unfortunately, there are exclusions to renters insurance and it doesn’t always cover the damage to your items when there’s a power outage. For example, if there’s a city-wide blackout, renters insurance doesn’t usually kick in.

“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.

How to file a renters insurance claim for power outage-related losses

To file a claim for power outage-related losses, follow these steps:

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- don't wait. The longer you wait, the harder it is for them to assess the damage and tell exactly what caused it. Your claim could be denied.
Cooperate with the claims adjuster and the investigation, meet all deadlines and submit all paperwork on time

Frequently asked questions

What renters insurance coverage protects expensive electronics?

You’ll probably need to add an endorsement or rider to cover expensive electronics or other high value items on your renters insurance. For instance, your regular TV and laptop would be covered, but there’s usually a dollar limit. Expensive items (generally over $2,000) need to be specifically named and paid for via an endorsement.

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