Does My Landlord's Insurance Cover My Belongings in California?

No. Your landlord has insurance on the building. It doesn't cover anything of yours. Your furniture, clothes, electronics and everything else you own are yours to insure.

That's what renters insurance in California is for.

Darlene Baxter is a licensed California insurance agent and owner of Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency in Pleasant Hill, CA, helping homeowners, families and business owners get covered with real choices: their main company first, and other companies through the brokerage when it isn't the right fit. She and Michelle Henning handle the agency's renters policies themselves.

A renters policy does two main jobs.

• Your belongings. It covers your personal things after a covered loss like a fire or a break-in.
• Your liability. It protects you if someone gets hurt in your home and blames you, or if you accidentally damage the building you rent.

The policy wording always decides what's covered. We go through the coverages with you before you sign anything, not after. Our renters insurance page has the full picture.

Because you can still be blamed. If a guest gets hurt in your home, liability is the part of the policy that protects you.

Most people think of renters insurance as coverage for their stuff. The bigger reason to have it is the liability. One accident can cost far more than everything you own, and liability is what stands between you and that bill.

Most people call us for exactly this reason, and it's a fine one. Tell us what your lease asks for, including any liability amount, and we'll set the policy up to match.

If your landlord needs proof that you're covered, tell us and we'll help you get it to them.

It's one of the least expensive policies we write. The price depends on where you rent and how much coverage you choose, so we can't quote one without a few details from you.

For what it protects, Darlene recommends it to every renter, required or not.

Right now, our main company offers renters insurance to people who already have an auto policy with it. If your auto is already with us, adding renters is simple.

If it isn't, you still have a way to get covered. We have other companies available through our brokerage that offer renters insurance.

Darlene Baxter is a licensed California insurance agent and owner of Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency in Pleasant Hill, CA, helping homeowners, families and business owners get covered with real choices: their main company first, and other companies through the brokerage when it isn't the right fit.

The office is in Pleasant Hill, and we insure renters all over California. It's a short conversation. Tell us where you rent, about how much your belongings would cost to replace, and whether your lease asks for a certain amount of liability.

Call the office at (925) 940-6970 or send us a message. We can't promise approval or a price. Those decisions belong to the insurance companies. You'll always know where things stand. Here are the steps we follow.