New Mexico: 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, New Mexico had 14 declared major disasters, ranking New Mexico among the top twenty states in number of major disaster declarations. But Renters Insurance doesn't just end there; it also can cover your liability if someone is injured in your home.
Can you imagine trying to replace your personal belongings without insurance? Or paying hundreds of dollars in doctor bills if a guest hurts themselves while in your home? Don't make the mistake of realizing too late the importance of Renters Insurance. The affordable premium is well worth the peace of mind when you consider the facts.
Learn more about prominent risks in New Mexico 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 New Mexico, is burglary. Unfortunately, your apartment community's insurance does not cover your personal property lost due to theft. Do not let fences or gates at your community mislead you to think it is safer from theft. On most low-crime properties, the main purpose of fences for apartment properties is to provide the sense of privacy and exclusivity.
Fire
Fire is a risk in all states, including New Mexico. 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.
Wildfires
Wildfires are a threat in New Mexico, 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.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storm. Although tornadoes affect all states in the nation, including New Mexico, 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.
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