Table of Contents
- How much does renters insurance cost in Houston?
- Average price of renters insurance in Houston
- The cheapest renters insurance in Houston: Travelers
- The best renters insurance in Houston: Liberty Mutual
- Other Houston renters insurance providers to consider
- Learn more about insurance providers in Houston
- What else do you need to know about renters insurance in Houston?
- How we gathered our data on Houston renters insurance prices
How much does renters insurance cost in Houston?
The average cost of renters insurance in Houston is $28.84 per month, much greater than the national average of around $20 per month and the statewide average of $22.75. The cheapest renters insurance we found was offered by Travelers ($19.75 per month), and the most expensive was offered by State Farm ($35.15 per month).
A few major factors influence the cost of renters insurance in Houston:
- Weather: As a city on the Gulf Coast, Houston is hit by annual tropical storms and hurricanes. It’s also situated on a network of bayous and floodplains that regularly get flooded during these storms, causing millions of dollars in property damage. Windstorm and flood damage are the renters insurance perils that cause the most damage in Houston, and insurers compensate by raising prices in at-risk areas.
- Infrastructure: Much of Houston’s infrastructure is designed for hot weather, so unexpectedly cold temperatures may lead to problems that are generally covered by renters insurance, such as power loss and burst pipes. This notably happened during the deep freeze that swept across Texas in early 2021, when insurers received an unusually large number of claims.
- Crime: Houston’s crime rate is significantly higher than the national average. Insurers adjust their rates according to your neighborhood’s rate of property crime because renters insurance covers theft.
- Credit score: In Texas, insurers can check your credit score and use it to decide your rates. However, certain restrictions limit when they can raise your rates or cancel your policy — if your credit was negatively affected by a divorce, for example, they can’t hold that against you.
In Houston, the biggest risks to your property are also some of the most expensive to get coverage for. In the next section, we’ll give you a breakdown of the average rates offered by major insurers and how these prices compare to the average cost of renters insurance in Houston.
Average price of renters insurance in Houston
This table shows the monthly and yearly prices of renters insurance offered by the top insurers in Houston. The right column shows how much lower or higher these prices are compared to the citywide average. We provide a detailed explanation for how we got these quotes at the end of this article.
| Insurer | Price (monthly) | Price (yearly) | Difference from average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $33.00 | $396.00 | +$0.14 |
| Geico | $29.33 | $351.96 | +$0.02 |
| Progressive | $33.83 | $405.96 | +$0.17 |
| State Farm | $35.15 | $421.80 | +$0.22 |
| Liberty Mutual | $23.25 | $279.00 | -$0.19 |
| Nationwide | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Lemonade | $24.34 | $292.08 | -$0.16 |
N/A indicates that we did not receive a quote from that insurer. Contact a local agent for pricing information.
The cheapest renters insurance in Houston: Travelers
Of all the major insurers in Houston, Travelers gave us the only quote under $20, offering policies for $19.75 per month. This price is more than $9 per month below the citywide average ($28.84), which makes this a great deal.
Travelers offer cheap and flexible personal property coverage, which is particularly valuable if you’re renting your first apartment or you want more than basic coverage. However, their policies do have some shortcomings.
Before making a decision about whether Travelers renters insurance is right for you, take a moment to consider the company’s pros and cons.
Benefits of Travelers renters insurance in Houston
- Customizable coverage: Residents of Houston (and the rest of Texas) are eligible for a type of insurance they call Traverse. In contrast to renters insurance, Traverse policies provide customizable coverage for certain items. For example, you can get coverage for only your cell phone and exclude your other electronics. Traverse insurance also includes a no-deductible option (which is rare), convenient claims processing through their mobile app, and the freedom to cancel your policy at any time. However, you won’t have general personal property coverage with a Traverse policy.
- Extended coverage: Outside Traverse, you can get additional jewelry coverage in your renters insurance policy without the need for appraisal documents. You can also get up to $25,000 in identity theft protection.
- Huge potential savings: Travelers is the only insurer in Houston that gave us a renters insurance quote that was below the city, state, and national average. On top of their low prices, they also offer several discounts, including a bundling discount for combining your renters and auto insurance, a loss-free discount for not filing any claims during a specified period, and a protective device discount for having home safety equipment.
Disadvantages of Travelers renters insurance in Houston
- No loss-of-use coverage under Traverse: Renters insurance typically consists of four components: personal property coverage, personal liability coverage, guest medical coverage, and loss-of-use coverage (which covers your living expenses if your home becomes inhabitable and you’re forced to leave). However, Traverse doesn’t include loss-of-use coverage, leaving a large gap in your protection. Traverse policies are also currently only available to Texas and New York residents, so you’ll have to get a new policy if you move out of state.
- Flood coverage through a third party: Travelers ended its partnership with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 2013. They now work with Assurant to provide customers with flood insurance under the NFIP, but as we noted in our review of GEICO’s renters insurance, Assurant doesn’t have a very good reputation for handling claims. If you want flood insurance, then you might be better off choosing another insurer.
The best renters insurance in Houston: Liberty Mutual
With policies costing only $23.25 per month, Liberty Mutual offers renters insurance for roughly $5 less per month than the average in Houston ($28.84). Liberty Mutual offers good coverage overall, with several discounts and options for extended coverage. They also have a wider range of availability than Travelers.
Benefits of Liberty Mutual renters insurance in Houston
- Optional flood coverage: Renters insurance usually doesn’t cover floods, but Liberty Mutual offers flood coverage through the NFIP, whose rates are standardized throughout the country.
- Extended coverage: Liberty Mutual offers optional additional renters insurance coverage for jewelry with no deductible. You can also opt for replacement cost coverage, which means you’ll get more money back when you file a claim then you would with actual cash value coverage.
- Price: Liberty Mutual offers the second-cheapest policies in Houston, costing several dollars less than the citywide average.
- Availability: Unlike Travelers’ Traverse policies, Liberty Mutual is available in all 50 states, so you won’t have to switch insurers if you move.
Disadvantages of Liberty Mutual renters insurance in Houston
- Lack of information: Liberty Mutual’s website only shows the bare minimum information about their coverage (reviews of the insurer say more than their site does). If you’re someone who doesn’t like making phone calls, then you won’t like having to call an agent to get a better idea of what’s covered and what’s not.
Other Houston renters insurance providers to consider
Houston’s a big town, meaning that it’s home to lots of people with varied insurance needs. Which insurer is right for you depends on your personal situation.
In this section, we’ll discuss companies that offer the best renters insurance for:
- Military servicemembers, veterans, and their families
- Pet owners
- People living in flood-prone areas
Best Houston renters insurance for military service members and veterans: USAA
USAA’s renters insurance provides some of the best coverage you can get. Although renters insurance doesn’t usually cover earthquakes or floods, their standard policies cover both of these perils at no extra cost.
The catch is that you’re only eligible for their insurance if you’ve served in the U.S. military or you’re a family member of a USAA member. We recommend taking advantage of the solid coverage they offer if you can get it. USAA even offers a 28% discount for living on a military base, which is appealing given how many bases dot the Houston area.
Best Houston renters insurance for pet owners: Depends on your price point
Like many other states, Texas doesn’t have any laws preventing insurance companies from raising their rates or denying coverage to owners of “dangerous” dog breeds (a practice known as breed blacklisting). If you own a commonly blacklisted dog, such as a pit bull, this can make it very hard to get renters insurance that covers dog bites.
State Farm: Comprehensive, but expensive
State Farm offers the best renters insurance for dog owners in Houston because they never ask about breed when writing your policy. Instead, they’ll ask whether your dog has a history of causing personal injury or property damage when deciding whether to give you the pet liability insurance that comes standard with renters insurance. However, their quote of $35.15 per month was the most expensive we received.
Lemonade: Limited, but very cheap
Lemonade is a good option if your dog doesn’t belong to one of the breeds they exclude from coverage. They offer renters insurance for only $24.34 per month on average and provide a discount when you bundle your renters and pet insurance.
Nationwide: Good for owners of exotic animals
For owners of exotic pets, Nationwide offers the most extensive pet insurance. “Exotic” covers familiar pets like guinea pigs and hamsters as well as birds, amphibians, and reptiles. However, their pet insurance is on the pricier end and can’t be bundled with renters insurance for a discount.
Best renters insurance for weather protection: Liberty Mutual
Generally, insurers that offer flood coverage do so through the NFIP. Some of the insurance companies we got quotes from have pulled out of their partnership with the program, leaving only a handful that still directly operate with the NFIP (Allstate, Farmers, USAA, and Liberty Mutual).
Liberty Mutual gave us the second-cheapest renters insurance quote for Houston at $23.25 per month, making it the most economical provider of renters insurance and flood coverage. They also offer a few discounts and renters insurance riders to extend your coverage.
Learn more about insurance providers in Houston
Still unsure which provider is right for you? For a full breakdown of the pros and cons of major renter insurance companies in Houston, check out our detailed reviews:
What else do you need to know about renters insurance in Houston?
Renters insurance in Houston doesn’t differ much from renters insurance in other cities in Texas. However, there are a few things you should know about the type of coverage you’ll need and what steps are involved in getting a policy if you live in Houston.
“Hurricane insurance” doesn’t exist, but other types of coverage do
It makes sense to look for hurricane insurance if you live in a city like Houston that has a high risk of tropical storms. Renters insurance doesn’t offer all-inclusive coverage for hurricanes, but many of the types of damage caused by hurricanes, such as wind and hail damage, are covered.
Flood insurance in Houston
However, as we’ve mentioned, floods aren’t covered by renters insurance. To protect your belongings from flood damage, you’ll need to purchase flood insurance.
You aren’t required to have flood insurance as a renter in Houston, but it’s well worth getting if you live on the ground floor or in a designated flood zone (to find out whether you live in a flood zone, enter your address into FEMA’s flood map database).
Because Houston is so flood-prone, most people are eligible for flood coverage through the NFIP. Insurance companies and independent agents partner with the NFIP to write flood insurance policies, which have standardized rates across the country. Contents-only coverage starts at $99 per year and covers $100,000 in damage.
Although the NFIP generally provides the most affordable flood insurance, it doesn’t cover your car (that’s what auto insurance is for) or additional living expenses if a flood makes your home unlivable. Private flood insurance does include these additional living expenses and also tends to offer higher personal property coverage, but whether it’s cheaper than NFIP policies depends on your area.
Timing matters when you’re buying flood insurance
When you buy renters insurance, you can schedule when you want your policy to begin. However, after you’ve purchased flood insurance, you’ll have to wait at least 10–14 days (if you buy it privately) or up to 30 days (if you purchase it through the NFIP) before it’s activated.
Buy your flood insurance before you think you’ll need it, because by the time you receive a flood warning, it will probably be too late.
Insurers must provide you with a Consumer Bill of Rights
If you live in Texas, your insurer must provide you with a Consumer Bill of Rights when you buy your renters insurance. This document explains your rights as a policyholder, including details regarding when your insurer must give notice of changes to your policy and how your insurance credit score can affect your renters insurance premium.
Does renters insurance require a credit check in Houston?
A credit check isn’t legally required to get renters insurance in Texas, but insurers can check your credit anyway, and most choose to do so. Texas state law limits what insurance companies can do with your credit information, and insurers have to disclose how they use it.
If you’ve got a low credit score and you’re wondering how it might affect your renters insurance, then check out our article on getting renters insurance with no credit check. Even though insurance companies will run your credit, we offer tips for minimizing the impact that a low credit score will have on your premiums.
Can landlords require renters insurance in Houston?
Yes, your landlord can require you to have renters insurance if you live in Houston. Although renters insurance isn’t legally required in Texas, landlords can refuse to rent to you if you don’t have it. Oklahoma is currently the only state where landlords are forbidden to require tenants to have renters insurance.
How we gathered our data on Houston renters insurance prices
Our renters insurance quotes for Houston are based on the following assumptions:
- Insured party: 30-year old male, employed, unmarried, with no pets
- Personal property coverage: $30,000
- Personal liability coverage: $100,000
- Guest medical coverage: $1,000
- Loss-of-use coverage: Insurer’s default (usually based on the quantity of personal property coverage)
- Deductible: $500
Insurance prices vary based on demographics and what kind of coverage you’re looking for, so the quotes you receive will probably differ from what we’ve listed here. We provide our quotes as guidelines for you to estimate your own insurance costs.
We’ve also excluded installation fees and down payments from our calculations, but thankfully there are a few ways to get renters insurance with no down payment.
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