Does Renters Insurance Cover Trampolines?

There’s no simple answer to this question. Some insurance companies allow trampolines for homeowners and renters, and some don’t. Some will let you have a trampoline but will only give you limited coverage. To find out where your specific renters insurance policy stands on trampolines, your best bet is to contact your insurance agent or provider. 

Most renters insurance companies cover (or don’t cover) trampolines in one of these ways:

Some insurers don’t blink at trampolines. They see them as another part of your personal property, covered under that section of your insurance. These companies also have you covered for liability in case someone gets hurt on your trampoline. Even if your insurer has no restrictions on trampolines, you should let them know you have one. 

Some insurance companies will insure your trampoline against damage or theft, but they won’t cover medical or legal expenses if someone gets hurt on the trampoline and needs medical attention and/or sues you. This is called a trampoline liability exclusion because the trampoline is excluded from your liability insurance.

Other insurers allow trampolines, but trampoline coverage doesn’t come with the standard renters insurance policy. These companies will require that you add an endorsement (insurance-speak for an add-on that provides extra coverage) for your trampoline to be covered under your personal property and liability insurance. 

Many insurance companies will only allow trampolines if you take certain safety measures. The most common requirements are that the trampoline must have a safety net around the edge and must be inside a fenced portion of your yard. 

Still other insurers won’t give you a renters policy at all if there’s a trampoline on the property. If you currently have a policy from one of these insurers, they might drop you as soon as you get a trampoline. That’s why you should always ask your insurance company before setting up a trampoline in your yard.

Read through your renters insurance policy documents or talk to your insurer to find out where your insurance sits on this scale. 

Even before you start thinking about insurance, you’ll have to ask your landlord if they’re ok with you getting a trampoline. Since you’re living on their property, you have to follow their rules, and they may not want a trampoline on the premises because of the high risk of someone getting hurt. The trampoline could affect their landlord insurance, too. 

So, first things first, ask the landlord. If the landlord says you can have a trampoline, the next step is to ask your insurance company. If your insurer says yes, you’re good to go. If they say no, you’ll have to decide between giving up on your trampoline dreams or finding a new (and possibly more expensive) insurance company. 

The main reason insurance companies like to stay away from trampolines is that a trampoline is an attractive nuisance. An attractive nuisance is something that may attract unsupervised children into your yard and poses a high risk of those children getting hurt. A swimming pool is another example of an attractive nuisance. 

Because people – especially the young ones – are far more likely to get seriously injured on a property with a trampoline, your insurance company is taking a higher risk when they insure your trampoline. That’s why some of them charge more for trampoline insurance and some of them won’t cover trampolines at all. 

Most standard renters insurance policies include $100,000 of liability insurance. But is the standard enough coverage for a trampoline? Let’s explore. 

Say the kid from down the street comes over to play on the trampoline with your children. They get a little too rowdy, and the kid goes flying across the yard, breaking an arm and a leg. Because it happened on your property, you’re legally liable for that injury. 

Now, let’s say the kid’s parents sue you. If your trampoline is covered under liability insurance, it will pay for the child’s medical expenses and your legal fees if you need a lawyer, up to your policy’s liability limit.

Say the child’s surgery, hospital stay, and ambulance fee cost about $50,000 total, and the parents sue for another $100,000 on top of that for emotional damage. If they win the suit, and your liability insurance coverage caps out at $100,000, you’re stuck paying the other $50,000, plus your legal fees, out of your own pocket. 

This might seem like an extreme example, but it only takes one major injury and lawsuit to ruin you financially. We highly recommend increasing your liability coverage above the standard if you have a trampoline on your rental property. Most renters policies can go up to $500,000 of coverage. 

You could also add umbrella insurance to increase your liability coverage to $1 million or more. Increasing your coverage will also increase your premium (the amount you pay for renters insurance on a yearly or monthly basis).