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Renters Insurance Does Renters Insurance Cover Floods?

Does Renters Insurance Cover Floods?

No, renters insurance doesn’t cover floods. However, insurers only consider water to be a “flood” when it originated outside the home. For more info on flood insurance for renters, read on.

Robert Jellison Robert Jellison February 18, 2021 Get a Renters Insurance Quote
Exterior view of an apartment during a flood

Table of Contents

  1. Does renters insurance cover flood damage?
  2. What do insurers mean by “flood”?
  3. How can I get flood insurance as a renter?

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Does renters insurance cover flood damage?

No, renters insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. Your provider won’t pay to replace items destroyed by flooding or provide loss-of-use coverage if a flood forces you to stay in a hotel.

However, when insurers refer to “floods,” they mean something very specific. You might call something a flood that your provider would not, which is why there’s often confusion about this issue.

Renters insurance covers some natural disasters

You may have read that renters insurance doesn’t cover natural disasters. However, while floods and earthquakes aren’t covered, wildfires, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions are. Read our guide for more on what renters insurance is and what it covers.

What do insurers mean by “flood”?

When insurers say that floods aren’t covered by renters insurance, they’re referring to external floods — in other words, floods that originate outside the home.

External floods

As a rule, if you look outside and the ground is underwater, you’re dealing with an external flood.

External floods are usually (but not always) caused by extreme weather. Common causes include:

  • Hurricanes
  • Tsunamis
  • Melting ice or snow
  • Overflowing rivers
  • Burst dams or levees

External floods are never covered by standard renters insurance policies.

Water from internal sources isn’t considered flooding

Insurers don’t consider water that came from a source inside your apartment to be a “flood,” no matter how much of it there is.

For instance, if a pipe explodes in your basement, completely filling it with water, you might say “my basement flooded” — but that wouldn’t be a flood according to your insurer.

Most internal sources of water damage, like faulty pipes and broken appliances, are covered by renters insurance. However, sewage and drain backups usually aren’t covered; to get protection against them, you need to buy additional insurance (referred to as an endorsement or rider).

Does renters insurance cover hurricane damage?

Renters insurance sometimes covers hurricanes. It doesn’t cover damage caused by hurricane-related flooding, but damage caused by lightning or the wind is covered.

Hurricane damage often has multiple causes

You can often trace hurricane damage back to more than one peril. For instance, if the wind tears a hole in your wall and water rushes in, the ensuing damage will have been caused by both wind (a covered peril) and flooding (an excluded peril). Insurers decide whether incidents like that are covered on a case-by-case basis.

How can I get flood insurance as a renter?

To get flood insurance as a renter, you either need to add a flood endorsement onto your renters insurance plan or purchase a separate flood insurance plan.

Buying a flood endorsement

Some insurers allow you to add a flood endorsement onto your renters insurance policy. However, this is relatively uncommon, and the insurers that offer this endorsement usually don’t publicize it online.

If you’re interested in buying a flood endorsement, try calling your provider and asking if they offer one. If they don’t, you should look into getting a separate flood insurance policy.

Buying flood insurance

Many insurers offer flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is a government program that works with insurers to provide coverage from floods. NFIP insurance plans offer up to $250,000 of coverage.

You can also buy private flood insurance

Some providers offer their own flood insurance policies, which are not sponsored by the NFIP. These policies offer more coverage (above $250,000), but are usually more expensive. Private flood insurance is overkill for most renters, since you just need to insure your possessions, not the building you’re living in.

How do I buy flood insurance through the NFIP?

The NFIP makes buying flood insurance very simple. NFIP plans are standardized, so your premiums and coverage will depend entirely on where your home is, and won’t vary based on which insurer you choose. (Unsurprisingly, your premiums will be higher if you live in a flood-prone state, like Florida.)

To get insured, call up your provider and ask if they offer flood insurance through the NFIP. If they don’t offer flood insurance, you can also call the NFIP Referral Call Center at (888) 379-9531 and ask them to refer you to an insurer that does offer coverage in your area.

Takeaways

  • Renters insurance never covers floods caused by external sources
  • However, if a source of water inside your home (like your pipes) fills your house with water, that isn’t considered a “flood,” which means it might be covered
  • Flooding from hurricanes isn’t covered by renters insurance, but wind and lightning damage from hurricanes are both covered
  • To get flood insurance, ask your provider if they offer a flood coverage rider, or if they offer flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

Related Questions

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  • Does renters insurance cover home-based businesses?
  • Does renters insurance cover gold or silver bullion?
  • What does "dependent in the care of" mean in renters insurance?
  • Does State Farm renters insurance cover hotel stays?

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