7 Steps to File a Renters Insurance Claim

For those who have to file renters insurance claim forms, a good process is key to being compensated for the loss of items due to theft, fire flooding or any other eventuality. Here are some steps that many renters include in the process of filing their renter’s insurance claim for the best chances of getting their expected payments from an insurer.

1. Contact Your Insurance Company

Prompt communication with the insurance company improves your chances of making a successful claim. Contact your company within 24 hours if possible, and if you run into any snags due to weekend hours, leave a contact message so that you can tell your company you were timely in your response to an unfortunate event.

2. Get a Police Report if Applicable

For any theft or vandalism related claim, the police report will be a key part of the documentation for showing the insurance company what happened to your home.

3. Document Loss

Take any pictures or video that will help show how flooding, fire or some other event impacted all of the possessions that you have in your home. This will be part of what you send to the insurance company to help provide proof of loss.

4. Look Over Your Renters Insurance Contract

Evaluating your insurance is important to make sure you understand what you are entitled to in a claim situation. Each renter’s insurance policy covers a specific range of damage types, and what one policy includes may not be included in another. Take time to reference the exact events that happened to your home. You may also want to review how your possessions are valued, whether it’s by weight, by item, or in any other kind of renters insurance valuation agreement.

5. Itemize Your Losses

To better administrate your claim process, include an itemized list of all of your lost possessions. This will make your claim process more exact, and help you to see what is being paid out when payment does arrive. Looking at a list of large and small items will help both the renter and the insurer to get an accurate picture of the total loss situation.

6. File Your Claim

Attach any documentation to your standard renter’s insurance claim and send it to the company. It may be a good idea to send your claim certified or otherwise ensure that it will reach its destination, since so much can be riding on this simple document.

7. Ask About Payment Times

Ask insurer representatives to keep you in the loop about when you can expect payment for your claim. Continue to monitor the situation until your check arrives.

The above are some of the main things renters will do when trying to get compensated for loss of possessions under a standard renter’s insurance contract. Having a good idea of what’s in your renter’s insurance contract ahead of time is a good idea for taking advantage of the best insurance arrangements for your rented home.