Blog – Vernfonk Insurance

You’re in luck if you rent your living space in the Emerald City. Renters insurance rates here are generally lower than in the rest of the country. And since this form of coverage is both a highly affordable and wise investment wherever you live, it’s an especially good decision in Seattle. 

Let’s take it from the top. 

What Is Renters Insurance?

It’s not coverage for the structure in which you live since you don’t own it. But you likely do own everything in your apartment, condo, rented house, duplex, or wherever you reside. 

That’s where renters coverage comes into play. 

Let’s say a tenant in another apartment unit recklessly falls asleep while smoking or cooking. The resulting flames or the water from the firefighters’ hoses destroy virtually everything in your unit. 

Or maybe you’re not even touched by your neighbor’s fire, but the smoke damage ruins your entire wardrobe and possibly your pricey electronics. 

Or your unit goes totally unscathed. Nothing at all is damaged, but every apartment in the building must be evacuated so your landlord’s contractor can spend weeks, months, or longer rehabbing the space. Now you need a place to live in the meantime. 

Your renters policy will handle all of this, from replacing your damaged belongings to providing temporary housing when you need it — and not just for fires either. You are also covered if your unit is burglarized or vandalized, or the pipes burst and flood your place, or even if a visitor is injured on your property and threatens to sue. 

Your renters policy covers all of these and many more calamities. If you need any more motivation to look into this coverage, you should also know that the majority of landlords now require renters insurance in Seattle as a condition of your lease agreement. 

How Much Is Renters Insurance in Seattle?

Back to the good news. For starters, Washington state is the 15th least expensive U.S. state for renters insurance. In 2022, on average, premiums came in at just $12 a month, or $140 a year. 

In Seattle, those already low rates could drop even further. It’s not unusual to find premiums here averaging as low as $10 a month. In fact, that rate is lower than the $14-a-month national average many sources cite. 

How Do I Minimize the Cost of My Renters Insurance in Seattle Even Further?

The actual rate you’ll pay for your renters policy in Seattle is influenced by many variables. For starters, you set your own deductible. 

Your Seattle renters insurance deductible is the amount of covered damages that you agree to pay before your policy pays out. For instance, if you have a $500 deductible and $2,000 in covered damages from tornado, wind, and rain, you’d receive $1,500 from your insurer ($2,000 minus the $500 you agree to pay out of pocket). 

If you raise your deductible to $1,000, your premiums will go down because your insurer will be responsible for paying less for a claim. Just make sure you can afford to pay a higher out-of-pocket expense before making that decision. 

As an illustration of the importance of this coverage, consider a burglary. You might not be able to immediately replace all the expensive computers and other automation you need now in order to work from your home if your deductible is too high. Can your home business wait until you can save the amount you must personally come up with before your insurer handles the rest? 

By the same token, you could assume a much higher deductible for even lower premiums. Or find a zero-deductible policy that would pay every penny of a covered claim, but it would cost more in premiums. 

Sit down with an independent agent and a calculator to find the sweet spot between your deductible and monthly premiums. This is the rate that works best for your pocketbook and your peace of mind. 

Smart Strategies to Reduce Renters Insurance Premiums Even More

Take bundling, as an example of a smart rate savings strategy. That’s when you combine various insurance products from a single provider for savings. 

What other products do you currently carry? If you have life or car insurance, for instance, the company that offers those policies might be eager to grant you discounts on your renters policy. They might do so simply because you’re a good customer they’d like to keep. 

Another smart strategy is to start with an inventory of the value of your belongings, which prevents overpaying for coverage. If you buy a policy with a $50,000 coverage limit, but you find that your total possessions are only worth $10,000, you’d be greatly overpaying for your premium. 

It’s not difficult to take such an inventory. All you really need is a rough estimate. Such free apps as Encircle and Home Inventory make this task even easier. As an added bonus, your app will serve as an immediate reminder of what you lost in a fire or other calamity, and help you prove the loss to your claims agent. 

Earn Maximum Savings With an Independent Renters Insurance Agent

The key word here is: independent. Many agents work for a single insurance company. That works fine for you as long as the policy represented through your agent happens to be the best and most competitively priced product on the market. 

An independent broker, on the other hand, represents multiple companies. That means they can help you compare rates in Washington and deliver your best option based on the factors that mean the most to you. 

Reach Out for the Most Affordable Renters Insurance in Seattle

You’re lucky to live in Seattle when it comes to what you’ll pay for renters insurance premiums, but your independent Vern Fonk Insurance agent can help you save even more on the coverage you need. 

Simply call us at (800) 455-8276 or let us give you a quick online quote. If you prefer a face-to-face meeting, visit our office locator for the Vern Fonk location nearest you.