Survey Finds Less than Half of Renters Have Renters Insurance

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As U.S. rental occupancy rates continue to rise, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a new Allstate survey found that the number one concern for renters is fire damage. The survey also revealed that 54 percent of renters say it would take three or more years to replace everything they lost if they didn't have insurance, yet only 45 percent of U.S. renters have a renters insurance policy to protect their personal possessions and collectibles.

"It's important for renters to know that their landlord's insurance most likely will not cover the tenant's personal belongings. A landlord may have coverage that can help cover the cost of structural damage to the dwelling if the unexpected happens, but renters may be faced with significant replacement costs for their furniture, clothes, electronics and other belongings," said Keith Rutman, vice president of Allstate's Consumer Household unit. "The average renter owns about $30,000 worth of possessions, and a renters insurance policy can help cover losses due to common perils like theft, fire and smoke, vandalism and water damage."

A renter's insurance policy can help reimburse you for the cost to live in a hotel or another rental unit if you are temporarily forced out of your rental dwelling due to repairs. Renters can opt for additional liability protection and guest medical coverage in case someone gets injured.

Additional findings from the survey include:

• Thirty-two percent of renters made two or more major household purchases in the past two years.
• Only about a third of renters have completed a home inventory to catalog their possessions, compared to 44 percent of homeowners.
• Twenty five percent of renters use a home security system compared to 44 percent of homeowners.
• Eighteen percent of renters have a coin collection, 12 percent have a shoe collection, nine percent collect jewelry and eight percent collect art or paintings.

To help assess how much your belongings are worth and make real-world comparisons of costs to protect your stuff, renters can visit Allstate's What's Your Stuff Worth tool online to calculate the cost to replace clothing, electronics, kitchenware, furniture and more. Available in English at allstate.com and in Spanish at miallstate.com, the interactive tool walks consumers through typical rooms in a home and helps count the number of items and their estimated value.

Renters insurance from Allstate costs an average of $15 a month and renters can save money in total by bundling both Auto and Renters Insurance with Allstate. Renters interested in learning more about their renters insurance options should contact their local Allstate insurance agency, call 1-800-ALLSTATE or visit www.allstate.com/renters.

About the Survey

This survey of Americans age 18 and over was conducted by phone December 3-6, 2011, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults. The margin of error for the national sample of residents is +/-3.1 percent. The survey was conducted by FTI Consulting, Inc. (FTI) for Allstate.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. As part of Allstate's commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.

SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company