Does Renters Insurance Cover Hurricane Damage?

Hurricanes can wreak immense damage to your home and belongings. While your renters’ insurance policy may cover some of the damage you experience in a storm of this magnitude, it may not cover everything.

The coverage your policy provides depends upon how it is written, and not all renters’ policies are created equally. This is why it is essential to understand your policy as we’re in the middle of a busy 2022 hurricane season.

If you have questions or concerns about a renters insurance policy or claim, an experienced New Orleans homeowners insurance attorney is standing by to help.

Renters Insurance and Hurricanes

The truth is that no specific renters – or homeowners – insurance covers hurricane damage. In other words, you cannot purchase renters’ hurricane insurance. Instead, you will need to purchase insurance that covers the kind of damage caused by these immensely powerful storms. Such damage can include:

• Structural damage caused by wind or flooding
• Damage caused by falling trees or by windswept debris
• Roof damage caused by high winds
• Damage caused by a flooding basement
• Wall damage caused by water
• Damage to electrical wiring

While these categories of damage typically apply to homeowners insurance policies, hurricane insurance for renters – or renters insurance that covers the damage caused by hurricanes – should address the property loss that you suffer as a result of the storm, including:

• Anything of yours that is damaged in a fire caused by lightning
• Anything of yours that is damaged by wind or hail
• Anything of yours that is damaged by an explosion in a natural gas line
• Anything of yours that is damaged by falling objects or flying debris
• Anything of yours that is damaged by water – that is unrelated to flooding, such as water damage caused by rain that leaks through a hole ripped in your rented home’s structure

The degree of coverage variance in renters’ policies cannot be overstated, making knowing your policy paramount.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Flood Damage?

Generally, renters insurance does not cover flood damage, which is a category of damage that is very common to hurricanes throughout Louisiana. Not only do renters’ policies typically not include flood coverage, but renters are also denied the ability to purchase storm-related flood coverage add-ons.

To obtain flood insurance as a renter, you will likely need to go through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

A Note about Bad Faith Renters Insurance Practices

It is important to know that some insurance companies are not above stooping to bad faith practices in order to keep their profits high. This makes being on the lookout for such practices critical, including:

• Failing to cover valid claims
• Underpaying valid claims
• Prolonging the settlement process

Consult with an Experienced New Orleans Homeowners Insurance Attorney Today

If you have questions or concerns about a renters insurance claim related to hurricane damage, the trusted New Orleans homeowners insurance attorneys at Insurance Claim HQ have reserves of experience successfully guiding claims like yours toward optimal outcomes. We are standing by to help.

Your case is important, so please do not wait to reach out and contact us for more information about what we can do to help you today.

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.