Best Renters Insurance in New Jersey

If you are a renter in New Jersey, you may be wondering if your personal belongings are covered under your landlord’s insurance policy. Since a landlord insurance policy only covers the rental building itself, obtaining personal renters insurance is a smart financial decision. Renters insurance provides several important coverage types in case your personal belongings are damaged or if someone is hurt or injured while visiting you. However, each insurance company has different options and features, so it’s beneficial to shop around and compare. Bankrate has reviewed and ranked several renters insurance companies based on coverage and customer satisfaction rankings so that renters in the Garden State can find the best renters insurance companies in New Jersey.

Best renters insurance companies in New Jersey

When selecting the best insurance providers for renters in New Jersey, we compared pricing, customer satisfaction scores from the 2022 J.D. Power Home Insurance Study and AM Best financial strength ratings. AM Best financial strength ratings indicate a company’s historical ability to pay claims, which could be a helpful indicator of what to expect for future claims. The following companies are some of the top companies offering a renters insurance policy for New Jersey residents.

*Not officially ranked with J.D. Power due to eligibility restrictions

Allstate

Best for: Budget-friendly options

Allstate offers a renters policy covering both damage to your personal property due to covered events and injury if you have a guest visiting your property. Additionally, if your home becomes inhabitable due to a covered loss, the policy offers additional living expenses to help you during your temporary relocation. The policy can be managed either through speaking with customer service or a local agent, online or through the app, making policy management as convenient as possible.

Standout features:

• Discount for bundling with your auto policy.
• Renters insurance starts with rates as low as $4 per month.

Learn more: Allstate Insurance review

Lemonade

Best for: Digital experience

Lemonade is newer in the renters insurance industry and it’s one of the cheapest. While its newer status means it doesn’t have AM Best scoring available yet, the company advertises rates starting as low as $5 per month and received the second-highest customer satisfaction rating in the 2022 J.D. Power Home Insurance Study. Lemonade features an easy-to-use app, through which you can purchase renters insurance in 90 seconds. Lemonade is a peer-to-peer insurance provider, meaning premiums go into a collective pool and Lemonade uses money from that pool to pay claims for policyholders who suffer covered losses. Lemonade also donates its profits to charities and causes of your choice in their Giveback program.

Standout features:

• All-digital experience, making it easy for those who prefer to manage a policy on their own.
• Money from unused premiums is donated to charities. Lemonade has given back over six million dollars through this program.

Learn more: Lemonade Insurance review

Nationwide

Best for: Policy options

At Nationwide, you can personalize your renters insurance with options to include coverage for water damage, earthquake and theft extension to items stored in your car or watercraft. Nationwide offers Brand New Belongings coverage, which initially pays you the depreciated value for claimed items, but will reimburse the difference once you buy replacement items. Nationwide also offers coverage for building additions and alterations, which can provide coverage for improvements or alterations you make to your rental property. And in 2022 year, Nationwide earned the highest customer satisfaction ranking for renters insurance.

Standout features:

• Nationwide offers add-ons to renters policies such as earthquake insurance and flood insurance, which are not always offered with other insurance companies.
• Credit card coverage is standard in a renters insurance policy, which covers any unauthorized transactions with cards or checks forged in your name.

Learn more: Nationwide Insurance review

State Farm

Best for: Flexible customer service options

State Farm has been in the business of insurance for over 100 years. With State Farm, you can include inflation protection on your renters insurance policy, which increases your coverage limits to match higher costs of living and inflation. You can easily receive a quote and purchase online, but New Jersey has a plethora of local agents if you prefer to handle your insurance in person. If you combine your auto insurance with State Farm renters insurance, you could save on both policies.

Standout features:

• Inflation coverage is included, which automatically increases coverage amounts each year based on rising cost of living expenses.
• You could bundle your renters insurance with other policies to earn a bundling discount.

Learn more: State Farm Insurance review

USAA

Best for: Military families

USAA is the highest-scoring provider in the J.D. Power customer satisfaction study, but does not qualify for official ranking due to its eligibility requirements. USAA works with former and current military members and their immediate families to offer a long list of banking and insurance products. USAA renters insurance includes earthquake and flood coverage, which is rare for a renters insurance company. You can also purchase replacement cost coverage on your belongings to further build out your policy. If you live on base, in military dorms or in barracks, you can save up to 28 percent on the cost of renters insurance with USAA.

Standout features:

• A standard renters insurance policy through USAA includes flood coverage and earthquake coverage.
• Your personal property is covered through overseas coverage if you are deployed or move abroad.

Learn more: USAA Insurance review

Average price of New Jersey renters insurance

As of 2019, the average cost for renters insurance is $174 per year. This is far cheaper than the average cost of homeowners insurance nationally, which is $1,428 per year for $250,000 in dwelling coverage. That is to be expected, since homeowners insurance covers the entire building plus contents, whereas renters insurance generally only covers contents. According to the Insurance Information Institute (Tripe-I), the average renters insurance quote in New Jersey is $156 annually, which is also lower than the national average.

New Jersey ranks ninth among U.S. states in terms of the percentage of its renters spending 30 percent or more of their income on rent. However, New Jersey also has a higher percentage of renters overall compared to more than half the states in the U.S.

Renters insurance coverage options in New Jersey

Similar to homeowners insurance, renters insurance includes three key types of standard coverage plus custom add-ons. Unlike homeowner’s insurance, renters insurance does not cover the structure or dwelling. Renters insurance is thus protection for your person and your belongings.

Standard coverage typically includes personal liability coverage. This includes bodily injury or property damage to anyone visiting the property you are responsible for. Personal property coverage insures your belongings if there is damage due to covered events. This coverage typically extends to guests visiting your home too. Additional living expenses are another important component of a renters insurance policy, which provides coverage if you have to move out of your dwelling temporarily due to a covered event.

Add-ons are another way to personalize your renters insurance policy even further and provide added coverage for a reasonable cost. Examples of add-ons might be identity theft coverage, which provides reimbursement for any expenses associated with a stolen identity. Another option to consider is high-value items coverage, which provides added protection for valuables such as jewelry, art or antiques.

Frequently asked questions

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    What is the best renters insurance in New Jersey?

    Not all renters insurance companies in New Jersey offer the same coverage options or have the same underwriting process. The best way to find the best renters insurance for you depending on individual factors and what is most important for you. For example, you may need a renters insurance that will cover your belongings in storage, which not all insurance companies provide. Therefore it’s best to shop around, get several quotes and speak to a licensed agent about coverage options.
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    How do I get renters insurance in New Jersey?

    A quick online search will yield multiple providers ready to give you a quote online. All the providers mentioned in this article provide fast methods for getting an online quote and buying renters insurance. After you get quotes and decide which renters insurance company you want to go with, the company will guide you through the process to purchase your coverage.
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    Is renters insurance required in New Jersey?

    Renters insurance is not required by law. However, check with your landlord or leasing office because many include a renters insurance requirement with leasing agreements.
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    How much New Jersey renters insurance should I buy?

    Creating a detailed list of your belongings and an estimate of their value is the best way to determine how much coverage you require in the instance of a covered disaster. Basic coverage plans typically start with $20,000 in personal property coverage.