Eli Porter
Having your car keyed or your windshield smashed is really distressing. You might want to check with your renters insurance company as a first step. In brief, no, renters insurance does not include vehicle damage due to acts of vandals. Such coverage should be obtained through your auto insurance. However, there is some degree of overlap.
Renters insurance can also cover items that are related to your vehicle vandalism in limited circumstances, which this article will describe.
Table of Contents
What Does Renters Insurance Actually Cover?
Renters insurance is meant to protect items owned by tenants that are kept at their home as well as protect the tenant from certain types of lawsuits and situations.
A typical renters insurance policy will provide coverage for:
- Damage to or theft of personal possessions such as electronics and furniture
- Damage or injury caused to a third party which could lead to a lawsuit (i.e. liability coverage)
- Coverage for loss of use of your home and the resulting extra living expenses if you have to relocate temporarily
- The coverage can also be extended outside of your rental premises if items, for instance, a bag in your car, are stolen or damaged there. That is called “Off premises”.
Vandalism is one of the named perils listed in many renters policies. This means the damage caused by such an action is generally covered if it occurs within your home. Your car is treated differently because it is a vehicle rather than the possession, so the damage caused by such a vandal to your car is not covered.
Does Renters Insurance Cover Vehicle Vandalism?
Renters insurance will not assist in covering vandalism to cars. Cars are auto insurance’s coverage and not personal property. Comprehensive auto coverage is what handles the types of car vandalism issues that get submitted as insurance claims, such as broken car windows, painted cars from a key, or slashed tires.
Why Doesn’t Renters Insurance Cover Cars?
Coverage of insurance policies depends on the nature of the subject. Renters insurance insures houses and personal possessions. Auto insurance insures cars.
Since a car constitutes a motor vehicle, it is the general rule that motor vehicles will, without exception or qualification, be outside the scope of a renters insurance policy.
Whether it is your driveway, a parking lot, or the road outside of your residence that your car is in, the policy split between renters and auto continues the same.
What About Items Stolen or Damaged Inside Your Car?
Here we can look at where renters insurance may have its hand; however, one scenario is if someone cracks your car window to steal personal belongings such as your laptop, phone, or backpack; these items of property may be recovered by renters insurance for their damage/thief.
But the damaged window on the car or door lock issue will still fall under auto insurance even though the personal items taken in the car may be covered by your renters ins.
The kinds of things that might be covered under your renters policy are:
- Computers (desktop/laptop), mobile phones, etc.
- Backpacks, Purses, Luggage
- Apparel and accessories like handbags, shoes, jewelry, etc…
- Gym Equipment or Sport Gear and Personal Items
Keep in mind that a standard deductible applies for any claim you might file. Sometimes the loss is too small to be reported with the claim.
Renters Insurance vs Auto Insurance: Who Pays for What?
A side-by-side comparison makes this easier to remember.
| Type of Damage | Covered By |
| Keyed paint or slashed tires | Auto insurance |
| Broken car window from vandalism | Auto insurance |
| Stolen belongings from inside the car | Renters insurance |
| Damaged car locks | Auto insurance |
| Graffiti on the vehicle | Auto insurance |
| Stolen car stereo or built-in electronics | Auto insurance |
How to File a Claim After Car Vandalism
We expect that after your car gets vandalized, you’ll need to make two separate claims for two different reasons. Damage or theft can cause these two. Do the following to simplify the whole procedure.
The best thing to do immediately after vandalism of your car is to photograph the damage in detail so that insurance assessors can determine the cause and extent of the damage without doubt. Make a police report for vandalism because insurers, in most cases, require one.
In case your car itself was vandalized, then you’ll have to report it to your car insurance company. If any personal items were broken/steolen, report it to your renters insurance company for them to cover your losses. Besides that, you shouldn’t forget to preserve documents or receipts for the items stolen.
The claim is settled faster when both companies are informed quickly, and the process is coordinated well.
Does Comprehensive Auto Coverage Cost Extra?
Comprehensive car coverage is one of the options in your automobile insurance policy, which is separate from compulsory liability insurance, and you need to pay a higher premium for it. This policy includes all sorts of non-collision events such as damage caused to the car by thieves, fire, natural disaster, etc. Without comprehensive coverage, all you would lose is your money to pay for repairs after vandalizing your car.
If you are parking at a place that is usually a crime spot or living in a city that is known for vandalism, then you will have a lot of advantages in the future because of comprehensive insurance coverage.
Quick Recap
The way auto and renters insurance share responsibility after a loss is very clear once one has figured it out. Some of the things that one should be constantly refreshed about:
- Renters insurance can not be used in a case where the vehicle suffers physical damage
- Covered under comprehensive car insurance are repairs for car vandalism
- The renters’ policy might be a cover for stolen items from your car
- In case of car vandalism, it is likely that you will need to make two individual claims
It will be helpful to identify the boundaries of two policies when an unfortunate incident occurs.
Final Thoughts
We all know that a damaged car is a really frustrating thing. Having to figure out who is going to pay for what just adds another headache. Renters insurance is good for protecting the belongings that you would find inside your home or car, but this coverage doesn’t extend to the destruction of the vehicle. A comprehensive insurance policy on a car comes to cover such expenses. By going through both your renters and your auto insurance policies, you will have the knowledge to be completely ready if a real-life car-damaging situation should occur.
If you’d like to choose and compare renters insurance and auto insurance plans that suit your budget, click on www.insurancheck.com and get protection tailored to your car, your home, and your life.
You may also read: Does Renters Insurance Cover Hotel Stay?
