California: Your Need for Renters Insurance
Did you realize your apartment community's insurance policy does not cover your personal belongings when a natural disaster strikes? Most apartment communities' insurance only covers damage to the building, leaving your belongings uncovered. Renters Insurance offers protection for your personal property when fire, theft or a natural disaster occurs. Between the years of 1976 and 2004, California had 45 declared major disasters, ranking California second in disaster declarations among the nation. But Renters Insurance does not end there; it also can cover your liability if someone is injured in your home.
Can you imagine trying to replace your personal belongings straight out of your pocket? Or paying hundreds of dollars or more in doctor bills if a friend hurts themselves while in your home? Don't realize the importance of Renters Insurance when it is too late. The affordable premium is well worth the peace of mind.
Learn more about prominent risks in California and the surrounding area:
Theft
U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that rented households were burglarized at rates 79 percent higher than owned households. In 2001, the bureau reported that rented households experienced 210 property crimes per 1,000 households nationwide, while owned households experienced only 146 property crimes per 1,000 households. In 2004 alone, 513,266 burglaries occurred in the West according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As you can see, the most common threat to an apartment unit in the nation, as well as in California, is burglary. Unfortunately, your apartment community's insurance policy does not cover your possessions lost due to theft. Do not let fences or gates at your community mislead you to think it is safer. At most low-crime properties, the main purpose of gates or fences for apartment complexes is to create the sense of privacy and exclusivity.
Fire
Fire is a risk in all states, including California. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $9.8 billion in 2004. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, apartment fires accounted for 23 percent of residential fires between 1992 and 2001 as well as accounted for 20 percent of the dollar loss from residential fires during these years. With these kinds of statistics, it is better to be prepared and protect your property from this risk.
Earthquakes
Impossible to predict, earthquakes can cause significant damage to your property. Earthquakes occur frequently in California, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Oregon. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California. Although it was considered a moderately strong earthquake, the $20 billion in property damage ranked it the costliest seismic disaster in U.S. history.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storm. Although tornadoes affect all states in the nation, including California, they highly impact Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida and Nebraska. Surrounding areas of Norman, Oklahoma had over 473 apartments destroyed and damaged 568 apartments. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration reports about 1,000 tornadoes across the United States in an average year. The ‘Tornado Alley’ extends roughly from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians and from Iowa and Nebraska to the Gulf of Mexico.
Wildfires
Wildfires are a threat in California, as well as a risk to all of the United States. Wildfires consume thousands of acres of land, threatening the apartments, homes and lives of many in the vicinity. An average of five million acres burn every year in the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage. According to the National Fire Protection Center, wildfires that occurred in Southern California in October and November of 1993 resulted in an estimated $809 million in property damage.
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