Best Renters Insurance in Florida

Over the last couple of years, the skyrocketing rent prices have left many Florida renters hurting. Naturally, no one wants to spend more on rent-related expenses than needed, which is why renters insurance can seem like an unnecessary burden. 

However, for the price of about one meal a month, the best rental insurance policy can be a crucial safety net, saving thousands of dollars out of pocket in a single claim.

Keep reading to learn how to get the best cheap renters insurance in Florida. 

The cost of renters insurance in Florida is about $258 per year or $22 per month. You may pay less depending on the amount of coverage you need, your location, and more. But, you should almost always be able to find renters insurance for less than a dollar a day per year.

Cost varies by city because risk factors change with location, which we’ll review in depth later. For now, take a look at annual and monthly renters insurance rates in Florida in some popular cities.

You can find some of the cheapest renters insurance in Florida in Palm Bay at about $18 monthly. Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee are just a little behind at $20 per month, although you can find cheap renters insurance in Florida anywhere if you take the time to compare quotes. 

Gainesville and Tallahassee are Florida’s two largest college towns, so they’re rife with renters. College students likely don’t bring many belongings, so they don’t need high coverage limits. And, given the inland and northern location of both towns, they’re largely shielded from hurricanes that drive up home insurance rates in the coastal areas of Florida. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miami is the most expensive city for renters insurance on the list. South Florida has some of the highest home insurance rates in the country. The risk of hurricane and flood damage is very high. On average, Miami renters may also have more to cover since Miami is an expensive place to live. Wealthy renters may have more belongings, necessitating more coverage and higher premiums.

Most rates in the table cost between $200 and $300 per year. This keeps them between the $20 to $25 mark monthly. This is a reasonable cost for the amount of coverage you get with a renters policy. You should shop around to see if you can shave off a few dollars and pocket those extra savings.

Renters insurance covers renters’ personal property and liability in several ways. Renters insurance is much cheaper than homeowners insurance because it’s mainly a personal contents policy. It doesn’t include any coverage for the structure of the rental home because the policyholder doesn’t own the house or apartment they live in.

Rental insurance in Florida includes the following coverages:

Renters liability coverage is a crucial aspect of policies. It often comes with the highest coverage limits in your plan. Renters liability insurance in Florida protects your finances when you’re found legally liable or responsible for an accident or injury at the place you’re renting. 

You’d be found liable after a lawsuit. Accidents can happen to even the most careful renters. Your liability coverage can pay the injured party’s medical bills, including surgery, X-rays, outpatient care, medications, and more. Medical payments is a type of liability coverage.

Renters liability insurance in Florida can also cover lost wages if the injured person can’t work temporarily due to the injury. It can also cover funeral costs and death benefits in the worst cases. 

Liability insurance can also cover accidental damage to someone else’s property, such as a ball going through a window or, in some cases, a tree falling into someone else’s yard.

Note that renters liability coverage doesn’t cover personal injury to yourself and your family. That’s what health insurance is for. The liability coverage in renters insurance is meant to cover damages to others.

Keep your coverage needs and budget in mind when getting a renters policy. Once you know what you need, you must compare quotes from a few companies to find the best renters insurance in Florida for you.

Comparing quotes is essential to know you’re getting the best deal. After contacting some carriers, you’ll also get a feel for their customer service and user experience if navigating their website. These also factor into finding the company you like the best.

Keeping your coverage needs top of mind will help you tweak your policy to suit your situation best. For instance, renters insurance often comes with $100,00 of liability coverage by default. If you have well over $100,000 in assets or you know you’ll be hosting parties or visitors often, you may want to opt for higher limits. 

Raising liability amounts is relatively cheap, and opting for more is never a bad idea to be safe. Medical expenses and legal fees can quickly pile up after a severe accident. For example, the average dog bite claim was over $64,000 in 2022. If you have $500,000 or $1 million in assets and only $100,000 of liability coverage, you’re leaving yourself very exposed.

The personal property limits in renters insurance also have sub-limits for certain high-value items like art or jewelry. For example, let’s say you have a painting worth $10,000, but your policy only covers art up to $5,000 in case of damage. Many companies will allow you to schedule your personal property that exceeds default coverage amounts for total protection at an added cost. 

You should also be aware of actual cash value and replacement cost coverage in your plan. Actual cash value is a cheaper option, but it covers you less since your provider will factor in depreciation for all items before reimbursing you.

There’s no difference between home, condo, or apartment renters insurance in Florida. All dwellings are covered under the same renters insurance policy, officially known as an HO-4 form. It’s important to know typical exclusions in renters insurance. 

By default, policies will never cover damage from floods, earthquakes, or sinkholes. If you’re concerned about these damage sources, you may be able to purchase a rider for sinkhole or earthquake protection at an added cost. But, you’ll never find protection from flood damage or storm surge.

Even the best renters policies won’t cover your roommate’s possessions. They also won’t cover any damage you cause to your rental property. Your landlord has their own insurance to cover the structure of the building from damage.

While Citizens Property Insurance had the cheapest coverage, not everyone can obtain a policy from them, nor would you want to. The best private renters insurance company in Florida by price is Allstate, with Nationwide a close second.

These average rates give you an idea of what to expect. But, rates you experience may vary, and you may find a cheaper quote from another carrier after looking around. Nevertheless, take a look at some of the average costs of renters insurance in Florida from some top companies.

Although the cheapest provider on the list, Citizens likely won’t be your first choice. Citizens Insurance in Florida is a public company, meaning the government runs it. It’s meant to be an insurer of last resort for people who can’t get a policy in the private market from a standard carrier. 

Citizens will only write you a policy if you can’t get coverage from a private company, for having too many recent claims, for example, or if premiums from standard companies are more than 20% higher than Citizens’ coverage would be. Citizens also has lower policy limits than you can get from private carriers.

The above list is far from comprehensive. There are over 140 home insurance companies with written policies in Florida, many of which offer renters insurance. You should be able to find affordable renters insurance in Florida from one of them. With all the options available, it’s crucial to compare at least a few. 

Rental insurance in Florida can be a helpful safety net if something goes wrong. When getting quotes, you’ll see the many options to modify your plan. Before making any changes, look at these actionable tips on renters insurance in Florida.

Don’t undervalue your belongings. The property coverage in your renters insurance is likely the primary reason to get a policy in the first place. Don’t hinder your protection by not getting enough to cover the things you own. Create a home inventory to avoid underinsuring yourself.

A home inventory will list every item you own and its value so you know exactly how much coverage you need. You can also include pictures to document their condition. This will be very handy if you ever need to file a claim.

Be wary of your deductible. Your deductible is the amount you’re responsible for paying before your provider steps in to cover the rest of the property damage during a claim. Raising your deductible is a quick way to lower your premiums. 

Putting your deductible too high may prevent your insurer from helping out with potentially covered damage in some cases and actually render your insurance useless. Common renters insurance deductibles are $500 or $1,000, but you may have higher options depending on the company.

For example, say you set your deductible at $2,000 when you get your plan. Two months later, the laptop you bought for $1,500 gets stolen from your car in your driveway. Your provider can’t help you out because the damage doesn’t exceed your deductible. If you had chosen a lower deductible, such as $1,000, your insurance could reimburse you for your computer. Don’t make your deductible an amount you’re not willing to cover out of pocket.

Know landlord requirements. Know if your landlord will require renters insurance in advance of signing a lease. Some landlords will require renters insurance. You can bind a policy in as little as a day or two, but you shouldn’t procrastinate getting coverage until needed. Give yourself some time to shop around and find the best policy. Don’t let a lack of renters insurance prevent you from moving to a place you want, but don’t rush into a policy, either.

At about $22 per month, the average renters insurance in Florida is slightly higher than in many other states nationwide. This is because many properties in Florida pose a risk for hurricane damage, among other factors. Insurers examine several variables about you and your rental property to determine financially sound premiums.

We touched on them earlier, but the most critical factors determining the average cost of renters insurance in Florida are your location and the coverage amount you want.

Your location affects your risk significantly since some places are more prone to natural disasters than others in Florida. Renters in homes near either coast of the state are more prone to hurricane and tropical storm damage. These people will likely pay more for coverage as a result. Additionally, renters in high-crime areas may pay more since they’ll have a higher chance of experiencing theft.

The amount of coverage you want directly influences your rates. Having more belongings of higher value will require greater personal property coverage limits. Higher limits cost more.

You’ll also pay more if you opt for additional coverage or endorsements. Your provider will offer optional coverages not included by default. You may be inclined to accept some of these depending on your property. 

Common options for coverage include water backup insurance, identity theft coverage, and extended replacement cost coverage. Keeping cheap renters insurance in Florida may mean bypassing some of these endorsements, but remember to weigh your needs accurately.

Depending on your carrier, you might also pay more if you own certain dog breeds. Some companies are wary of species known to be aggressive, such as pit bulls and Rottweilers. Owning these increases your liability risk and thus can increase your premiums.

Providers will also ask you about your claims history when quoting you. You may pay more for coverage if you’ve filed several claims in the past three to five years. Carriers believe someone who has filed many claims is a greater financial risk than someone who has never filed before.

No tenants are required to have renters insurance by law in Florida. But, depending on where you rent, some landlords may require you to have renters insurance as part of your lease. 

When requiring renters insurance, your landlord might also ask to be listed as an additional interest on your policy. This doesn’t allow them to make changes to or receive coverage under your plan. 

Additional interest status only means they’ll be notified of any policy changes. So, many landlords want to be additional interests so they can be alerted if you cancel your policy. This is a way for your landlord to verify you’re maintaining tenant insurance in Florida for the duration of your lease.

Let us help you with your renters insurance quote in Florida. We’re Clovered, an independent insurance agency headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. We partner with some of the top renters insurance companies in Florida.

Getting a quote with us is simple and quick. You can use our online platform to get a Florida renters insurance quote at your convenience. Or, you can chat with one of our licensed agents for a quote at 833-255-4117 during business hours. You can also email us at [email protected] with any questions.

With over five years of experience and over 30,000 policyholders served, we’d love to help you find the best, low-cost renters insurance in Florida.