In Washington, PA, some homeowners choose to rent out a room in their home for extra income or flexibility. While renting a room can be beneficial, it also introduces new risks that homeowners should consider when reviewing their insurance coverage.

The team at The Hansen Agency LLC helps homeowners understand how renting part of their home may affect their homeowners’ insurance and what steps can be taken to ensure proper protection.

How Homeowners Insurance Applies When You Rent a Room

A standard homeowners insurance policy is designed to cover the structure of your home and provide personal liability protection. However, coverage may be limited when damage or injuries involve a renter.

If a renter causes damage to your home, coverage under a standard homeowners policy may be restricted, depending on the circumstances and the terms of the policy.

Homeowners insurance also includes personal liability coverage if someone is injured on your property. However, injuries involving a renter’s guests inside the rented portion of the home may not be fully covered under a standard policy.

Your homeowners’ policy does not cover a renter’s personal belongings. Renters are responsible for insuring their own property.

Insurance Options for Renting Out a Room

In Pennsylvania, renting out part of your home may be considered a business activity by insurers. Because of this, you may need to add a rental endorsement to your homeowners policy or consider a landlord policy, depending on the rental arrangement.

It is also a good idea to require tenants to carry renters’ insurance. A renters’ insurance policy helps protect a tenant’s personal belongings and provides liability coverage if a guest is injured within the rented space.

Home Insurance Guidance in Washington, PA

If you are currently renting out a room in your home or considering doing so, The Hansen Agency LLC can help you review your insurance coverage. Our agents work with homeowners in Washington, PA to identify coverage options that help protect both the home and the homeowner.

Contact The Hansen Agency LLC to discuss your situation and make sure your insurance coverage aligns with how your home is being used.

Your home insurance policy covers everyday belongings such as furniture, electronics, and clothing. However, when it comes to high-value personal property like fine art or jewelry, your homeowners’ policy likely has limits that fall short of what these items are truly worth.

If this applies to you and you live in Washington, PA, The Hansen Agency LLC can help you add a scheduled personal property endorsement to your policy for better protection.

What a Standard Home Insurance Policy Actually Covers

Most home insurance policies in Washington, PA provide personal property coverage at about 50 percent of your dwelling limit. While this may sound like a large amount, many categories of valuable items have low sublimits within that broader coverage.

For example, jewelry may only be covered up to 1,500 dollars, and firearms may be capped at 2,500 dollars. If you have a jewelry collection worth 50,000 dollars, a standard policy limit of 1,500 dollars would leave you paying the difference out of pocket unless you have a scheduled personal property endorsement in place.

How a Scheduled Personal Property Endorsement Works

A scheduled personal property endorsement is an add-on to your existing home insurance policy. It is often referred to as a rider or floater.

To set it up, you begin by having your high-value items professionally appraised. Proof of purchase can also help, and photos of each item are recommended.

Each piece is listed individually on your policy with its appraised value. If an item is lost, stolen, or damaged, the endorsement provides coverage up to the full amount listed for that item.

Adding High-Value Personal Property to Your Policy

After your items are appraised, your insurer uses that documentation to determine how much coverage you need. The Hansen Agency LLC can guide you through the process to ensure your valuable belongings are fully protected.

Many scheduled property endorsements come with no deductible or only a small deductible. They also tend to offer broader coverage than what is included in a standard home insurance policy, sometimes extending to accidental loss or damage that occurs away from your home.

Be Clear on What Your Policy Covers

High-value items often carry both financial and sentimental significance. Proper protection helps safeguard them in the event of an unexpected event. Contact your insurance provider today to start protecting the items that matter most to you.

Most people think of their home insurance policy as one long document that’s difficult to read and even more difficult to understand. It’s often why people end up with coverage that’s either irrelevant or unhelpful in the case of a disaster. At The Hansen Agency LLC, we’ll look at how homeowners in Washington, PA, can prioritize their insurance so it protects them when they need it most. 

Make a List 

Every homeowner uses their home differently, which is why it’s important to consider the risks. For example, if you have parties every week, you may want to look into higher liability coverage in case of an accident or injury. An umbrella policy can help raise the liability limits on your home and auto policies, giving you peace of mind.

Or, say you have an extensive art or jewelry collection. For this, you can add a scheduled personal property endorsement, which provides broader coverage for high-value items. 

Consider Your Other Structures 

From garages to pools, the other structures on your property matter. For example, if you put in an affordable gazebo, you’ll want to balance out how much you’re willing to spend on insurance to protect it. (It could be cheaper to pay out of pocket to repair or replace it if it’s damaged.)

Talk To Someone Who Knows 

If you don’t want to spend your time reading every line of a long insurance contract, The Hansen Agency LLC is here to help you piece it together. Our agents have seen how different claims work out in Washington, PA. They can help you cut out the excess in your policy and swap in better terms and conditions.