Renters insurance usually covers your own belongings damaged by a sudden burst pipe, extra living costs if the apartment becomes unlivable, and your liability if you caused damage to the building or a neighbor. It does not pay to repair the building, which is the landlord's responsibility. Landlords with a burst pipe in a unit can call (413) 603-1274.
What renters insurance usually covers
- Personal property: furniture, clothes, electronics damaged by the water
- Loss of use: hotel and extra costs if you cannot live in the unit while it is repaired
- Liability: if you caused the damage, such as by turning off the heat in a freeze
Your deductible applies, and freezing exclusions can apply too. General information only.
What it does not cover
- The walls, floors, ceilings, pipes and fixtures: those are the landlord's
- Damage from a slow leak you knew about and did not report
- Flooding from outside, unless you have separate flood coverage
No renters insurance?
If the landlord's negligence caused the damage, you may be able to recover your losses from the landlord or their insurer. If not, you may have to absorb them. Many Chicopee renters in older two- and three-deckers have no policy, which makes a winter burst expensive. See pipe burst in your apartment and can a landlord charge a tenant.
Make a renters claim easier
- Photograph every damaged item before moving it.
- List what was damaged and roughly when you bought it.
- Tell the landlord in writing.
- Report to your insurer promptly.
If you caused it
If a burst happened because of something you did, such as turning off heat you controlled during a cold snap or leaving a window open, the landlord's insurer may pay for the building and then seek repayment. That is when the liability part of your renters policy matters. It can pay for damage you are legally responsible for to the building or to neighbors' belongings, up to your limit. Without renters insurance, you could be personally responsible.
What it costs
Renters insurance is usually inexpensive compared to the value of what it protects. When you buy it, choose replacement cost coverage for belongings if you can, check the deductible, and ask whether water backup is included. Some landlords require it in the lease.
Making the claim
- Report it to your insurer the same day
- Photograph damaged items before throwing anything away
- Make a list with approximate age and replacement cost
- Keep receipts for a hotel, meals and laundry if you cannot stay in the apartment
- Get a copy of any notice you gave the landlord
Tell your landlord too
Your renters claim and the landlord's building claim are separate, but they describe the same event. Tell the landlord in writing, the same day, what happened and when. Keep a copy. Both insurers may want to see it. Ask the landlord for their insurer's name too. Write it down with the claim number.
Questions
The water came from the unit above. Whose insurance pays?
Usually your renters policy for your things, with the insurers sorting out recovery later. See upstairs water damage: who pays.
Can my landlord require renters insurance?
Many leases do. Check your lease and local rules.
Landlords: burst pipe in a unit? Call
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee. See apartment water damage.