Renters insurance is an important safety net. Having a policy can save you from big expenses—and even bigger headaches—if disaster strikes your rental. But what are those disasters, exactly? Does renters insurance cover everything?

Whether you are signing up for the first time or you have had a renters insurance policy for years, here’s what you need to know about your coverage:

Your Landlord’s Insurance:

Many renters assume they don’t need their own insurance because they do not own the building they live in, but that thinking could cost you.

“Your landlord’s insurance should cover losses to the structure that you are renting, but not your personal items,” said Troy Thompson, an insurance agent with Pinnacle Insurance Agency in Coon Rapids, MN.

So, if you do not have renters insurance and disaster strikes your apartment, you will have to pay to replace all of your belongings that are damaged or destroyed. Your landlord or his insurance company will not be responsible for them.

What Is and Isn’t Covered:

Renters insurance covers the most common situations. For example, if your building catches fire, your insurance company will cover replacing your furniture and personal belongings, and it may also pay for a hotel stay while your apartment is being repaired.

However, not all natural disasters are covered.

“Floods, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes and wind [damage] may not be covered in all states,” Thompson said.

If you live in an area prone to those perils, you may need additional coverage.

If your rental is robbed or your personal property is vandalized, your insurance company will cover that, too. However, it’s a good idea to consider what you own beforehand.

“For antiques and jewelry you should get an appraisal and have a rider on your policy to make sure you get the full value of said items,” Thompson said. Without a rider, your basic insurance policy may not pay out enough to replace your more expensive possessions.

Actual Cash Value vs. Reimbursement:

“One thing that is important to consider is that you have replacement cost on your items,” Thompson said.

Renters insurance policies come in two varieties. One type of policy pays actual cash value—or the full replacement value—if you ever need to file a claim. The other type of policy pays a reimbursement amount, or a depreciated value for your belongings based on factors such as the initial value and age.

For example, “That couch you paid $1,500 for may be only worth $300 without replacement cost coverage,” Thompson said.

While actual cash value policies may cost more—“about $10 per thousand in coverage,” Thompson said—the cost may be worth it if you own a lot of furniture or other expensive items you can’t afford to replace with a depreciated value.

It would be wonderful if every apartment came complete with an installed air-conditioning unit; unfortunately, they are not. Many of us swelter away the bright summer days with whirring fans and open windows. There are ways for apartment dwellers who want to beat the heat.


1. Keep bedroom curtains closed

It is a fallacy to think that opening up windows in hot weather will cool a room. For better sleeping at night, keep your bedroom curtains closed through the day. You want to keep the room as dark as possible. In the evening, when the weather cools, you can open a window.

2. Turn your fan into an air cooler

Buy a box of ice pops. They are the long plastic colorful tubes of sugar water that you freeze. Using a twist tie, fasten a clip or two or three to your fan and clip on one of the tubes. You'll have an instant cold air stream blowing over you. These are very inexpensive and can be used again and again. Plus, they are a cool treat for hot weather.

3. Cool down the air

Keep a spray bottle of water in your refrigerator. Spray the ice-cold water toward the ceiling. The mist will cool the air. This is a good thing to do when you first come home from work to cool the room.

4. Exchange the hot air in the apartment

If walking into your apartment is like walking into a brick oven, you need to get the hot air out. If you don't have a twin window fan, it is a good investment. One fan pulls in cool air and the other fan exhausts hot air. If finances are a consideration, you can always turn a fan around to blow out.

5. Air cooling system

This is the cheapest air-cooling system available. Simply freeze several bottles of water, and then put them out around the room you are in. The air around the bottles will cool as the ice melts.

6. Keep windows closed

You only want to open windows if it's cooler outside than indoors and at night for ventilation. Keep an inexpensive thermometer both outside and inside to help gauge the heat.

7. Cross ventilation

When you do open your windows, try to open windows at opposite ends of your apartment, since this is not always possible, you can use fans to achieve this. Placing fans so there is a cross flow of air will best serve this purpose. That will keep the air circulated, which will serve to lower temperatures.

8. Using sheer panels

Most apartments with patios and balconies come complete with vertical blinds. These are white in most cases, and thus reflect heat; however, an added way to insulate your living room and defuse heat is by added inexpensive sheer panels. Not only are these available for just a few dollars and come in a myriad of colors, but they also can add a delightful decorative touch to your apartment. The curtain rods can be expensive, so if you defray that cost, just use garden poles that can be taped together for length. Buy three stick-on hooks that are removable for each end, and one for the middle. Place on top of the vertical blind rod. Place the poles with the sheers behind the hooks.

9. Keep your body temperature down

Take a quick cool shower to lower your body temperature. This is especially important at night before you sleep. It takes less than a minute to cool a hand towel to use for a neck wrap. Thoroughly wet a towel and ring it out. Place in the freezer for approximately one minute. You'll have an instant cold wrap. If you keep your feet and neck cool, then the rest of the body will usually cool as well. Also, you can use the spray bottle of cold water to cool down your feet, or you could get a pair of plastic thongs and keep them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. They'll be nice and cool for your feet.

Staying cool in the summertime heat can be accomplished without the high cost of air-conditioning. Following these tips can beat the summertime blues! So, chill out and beat the heat!


Author: Mary V. Kolar
Original Article: http://voices.yahoo.com/inexpensive-ways-stay-cool-hot-apartment-3914612.html