Florida law does not require you to have renters insurance, but your landlord probably will. Standard renters insurance covers your personal property, provides liability coverage and helps out if you have to relocate temporarily.
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The cost of renters insurance in Florida by city
Renters insurance rates vary from city to city in Florida. Jacksonville, the most populated city in the state, has an average renters insurance rate of $221 a year.
| City | Monthly rate | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | $22 | $266 |
| Fort Lauderdale | $21 | $251 |
| Hialeah | $21 | $251 |
| Jacksonville | $18 | $221 |
| Miami | $21 | $251 |
| Tallahassee | $18 | $221 |
| Tampa | $18 | $221 |
| Orlando | $19 | $228 |
| Port St. Lucie | $22 | $259 |
| St. Petersburg | $21 | $251 |
| Note: Average rates are based on online quotes from GEICO. Your rates may vary | ||
Renters insurance companies in Florida
Renters insurance providers tend to offer very similar standard policies. This means price and customer satisfaction are two of the best points of comparison when looking for coverage. To help with this, we've compared renters insurance companies in Florida based on their J.D. Power overall satisfaction scores and NAIC Complaint Index ratings.
J.D. Power, a data analytics and consumer intelligence company, publishes an annual report ranking the overall satisfaction that policyholders have with their insurance companies. This report is based on factors including policy offerings, cost and claim resolution. Insurers are ranked on a scale of one to 1,000, with 841 being the current average score. The higher the score, the better.
The NAIC Complaint Index ranks renters insurance companies based on the number of complaints they receive relative to their size. The complaint index average is 1%. The lower the index score, the better.
The table below gives examples of overall satisfaction ratings and complaint index ratings of major renters insurance providers.
| Company | 2022 J.D. Power overall satisfaction (out of 1,000) | 2021 NAIC Complaint Index (lower is better) |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | 837 | 0.5 |
| Amica | - | 0.1 |
| Farmers | 831 | 0.4 |
| State Farm | 836 | 0.08 |
| Travelers | 801 | - |
| Sources: J.D. Power 2022 Overall Satisfaction Study and NAIC Complaint Index | ||
What does renters insurance cover in Florida?
A standard renters insurance policy covers your possessions against damage or destruction, liability costs if you're responsible for injury or property damage and extra costs if you need to relocate while your rental home is repaired.
Personal property
The personal property section of a renters insurance policy covers your belongings if they're damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. This includes:
- Clothing
- Electronics
- Furniture
Valuables such as art, jewelry or other expensive collectibles can also be covered under a renters insurance policy, but may have a different, lower limit than the policy personal property limit. When comparing quotes from different renters insurance companies, make sure you're aware of any separate limits.
See how much you could save on renters insurance
In order to make sure you have the correct amount of personal property coverage, it is recommended that you make a home inventory list. Include a description of your belongings, as well as any serial numbers when available and the purchase cost. Not only will this help to avoid over-insuring or under-insuring your belongings, it may help expedite the claim process.
Personal liability
If you cause injury or property damage to someone else, the personal liability section of a renters insurance policy covers legal fees and settlement costs. Most renters insurance policies have a default personal liability limit of $100,000, but this can usually be increased as needed.
Medical payments
This section takes care of medical expenses if you're responsible for another's injuries. Medical payments coverage often ranges from $1,000 to $5,000.
Additional living expenses
Additional living expenses (ALE), also known as loss of use (LOU), covers the extra costs that can arise if you need to relocate while repairs to your rental unit are made. ALE can cover additional costs such as:
- Rent
- Meals
- Extra transportation costs
- Storage
- Furniture rental
- Laundry
The ALE coverage section of a renters insurance policy usually has a default limit of $3,000. While this amount may seem low, keep in mind that it's only covering the extra expenses beyond your standard cost of living. For example, if your regular food budget is $600 a month, and needing to rely on restaurant meals while relocated raises that to $800 a month, ALE will cover the additional $200.
How to get a renters insurance policy in Florida
When renting an apartment or home, your landlord will probably require you to show proof of renters insurance as part of the rental agreement. Take the time to compare quotes, policy options and customer satisfaction scores of multiple companies.
When you've made your best choice, go to the insurer's website. Have your personal info and coverage limits needed on hand. If you have any specific questions, contact the provider directly and speak to an agent. They will also be able to help you set up the policy and the starting date of coverage.
Methodology
Quotes were pulled using the following policy limits:
- $30,000 of personal property coverage
- Loss of use: 30%
- $500 deductible
- $100,000 of personal liability
- $1,000 of medical payments to guests
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