The short answer
Tenant insurance, also called renters insurance, covers your belongings in a rented home, your legal liability if you cause damage or injury, and the cost of staying elsewhere if a covered event makes the place unlivable. It does not insure the building itself, which is the landlord's responsibility. A licensed broker can set it up from a list of what you own and where you live.
- Students and first-time renters moving into a flat or shared house
- Anyone whose lease now requires proof of liability insurance
- Roommates trying to decide whether one policy can protect everyone
- Renters who work from home or own expensive equipment
- People renting a furnished unit short term while between homes
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for tenant insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Personal belongings
Furniture, clothing, electronics, bikes and everything else you own in the unit, paid for after fire, theft, water damage and other covered causes. Check whether the policy pays replacement or depreciated value.
Personal liability
Your legal responsibility if a guest is hurt in your place, or if something you do, such as a stove fire or an overflowing tub, damages the building or a neighbour's property.
Additional living expenses
Reasonable extra costs of living elsewhere when a covered loss makes the unit unlivable. Policies set both the time and the amount.
Improvements you made
If you installed flooring or shelving at your own expense, ask whether and how it is covered. Many leases limit what a tenant can change.
Water and sewer backup
Often optional. Worth asking about if the unit is on a lower floor or in a basement.
Special items
Jewellery, cameras, instruments and similar belongings may be limited unless listed separately.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- The address, the type of building and the floor you live on
- Your lease, especially any clause about insurance requirements or required liability amounts
- A room-by-room estimate of what you own, including electronics and clothing
- Receipts, serial numbers or photographs for larger items
- Names of everyone living in the unit and whether roommates have their own policies
- Whether you run a business or keep work equipment at home
- Any items of unusual value, such as an instrument, a watch or a bicycle
- Claims on any previous policy, with dates
A broker will ask
- What is the address and what type of building is it?
- Who lives with you, and are they related to you?
- What do you own that would be expensive to replace?
- Does your lease or landlord require a particular liability amount or a named party on the policy?
- Do you want belongings covered at replacement cost?
- Do you work or run a business from home?
- What deductible would you be comfortable paying?
- Has anyone in the household made an insurance claim in the past few years?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
Four university students sharing a house
Four roommates signed one lease for a four-bedroom house. Everyone owns a laptop, a bike and a few instruments, and the landlord has asked for proof of insurance before keys are handed over.
First steps. Ask the broker whether each roommate needs a separate policy or whether the insurer allows one policy to name more than one tenant. Each person should list their own belongings, and the lease should be read for what the landlord actually requires.
A remote worker with expensive equipment
A graphic designer rents a one-bedroom apartment and works at home with two monitors, a drawing tablet and a printer. Her employer owns some of the gear and she owns the rest.
First steps. Separate what she owns from what her employer owns and photograph both. Ask the broker how a home office is treated on a tenant policy, whether business property has its own limit, and whether the employer's equipment should be insured by the employer.
A family renting a house with a landlord who lives upstairs
A family with two children rents the main floor of a house while the owner lives above. A previous flood in the basement made the family nervous about their stored belongings.
First steps. Ask the broker about water and sewer backup, and which items stored on the floor are protected. Check the lease for who is responsible for what, and ask whether the landlord's policy changes anything about how the family's own policy responds.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Personal liability
- Protection if you are held responsible for hurting a visitor or damaging the building, for example through a kitchen fire or an overflowing tub.
- Actual cash value
- What your belongings were worth at the time of loss, after allowing for wear and age. It is usually lower than the cost of buying new ones.
- Proof of insurance
- A document from the insurer or broker confirming that a policy is in force. Landlords often ask for a copy before handing over the keys.
- Subrogation
- The insurer's right to recover what it paid from whoever caused the loss. It is why a landlord's insurer may look to a tenant's liability cover.
- Named insured
- The people the policy actually protects. A roommate who is not listed may have no cover for their belongings or their share of liability.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Believing the landlord's insurance covers your belongings. It covers the building.
- Guessing the value of belongings low, then finding the policy limit is too small after a loss.
- Assuming a roommate's policy protects you too.
- Not reading the lease clause about liability requirements before buying cover.
- Forgetting about items in a storage unit, a locker or a car.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles tenant insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
What does tenant insurance cover?
It covers your belongings after events like fire, theft and water damage, your personal liability if you hurt someone or damage the property, and extra living costs if you cannot stay in the unit. It does not cover the building. The detailed list of causes, limits and exclusions is in the policy wording, which a broker can walk through with you.
Is tenant insurance mandatory?
Generally no law requires it. Many landlords make it a lease condition, though, and some require proof of a minimum liability amount. Even when it is not required, your belongings and your liability are not protected by the landlord's policy, so going without leaves you carrying any loss.
Does my landlord's insurance cover my belongings?
No. A landlord's policy covers the building and the landlord's own property and liability. Your furniture, clothing and electronics are yours to insure. In some circumstances a landlord's insurer may pursue a tenant who caused a loss, which is one reason tenant liability cover is worth understanding.
Do roommates need their own tenant insurance?
Often yes. Many insurers will cover only the people named on a policy, and roommates who are not related frequently need separate policies. Some allow named additional occupants. A broker can tell you what each insurer allows, and it is worth writing down who owns what in a shared home.
How much tenant insurance do I need?
Think about what it would cost to replace everything you own tomorrow: clothes, electronics, furniture, kitchen items, and so on. Most people underestimate this. Then consider the liability amount your lease asks for and what you would want available if someone was hurt. A broker can help you set limits based on your list.
Does tenant insurance cover theft from a car or a storage unit?
Sometimes, with conditions. Belongings away from the unit may be covered under the same policy, but limits and exclusions often apply, such as items left in a vehicle. If something valuable lives in a locker or storage space, tell the broker so the right wording is attached.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.