The backpacks and notebooks are ready, but that’s not all! So are the televisions, laptops, tablets, and other expensive items. As your college student gets ready to head to campus, you may be wondering how their personal belongings will be protected if a theft, fire, careless accident, or other unfortunate incident should occur. Will their laptop, jewelry, and other items be covered by your homeowners insurance when they’re away at school? Share this
Here are some initial key questions to ask:
- Are they living on campus or off campus?
- Are they bringing expensive items with them?
Every homeowner’s policy is different, and first and foremost it is important to sit down with your agent to understand your coverage. Before the posters and pillows are packed.
Whether they’re living on campus or off campus could have a significant impact on whether their personal belongings are covered by your homeowners insurance. If they are living off campus, your student should obtain renters insurance to cover their personal property and more. However, if your student is living on campus, such as in a dorm, fraternity house, or sorority house, in some cases your homeowners insurance may cover their belongings up to 10% of your Coverage C. For example, if you have $100k in personal property, that could translate into $10k in coverage for your college student’s personal property.
As a parent, it may be wise to advise your college student to keep the expensive jewelry and other high-priced items at home. Certain personal items may have a coverage limit only up to $1,000. However, if your daughter simply cannot live without her new diamond earrings, you may want to look into purchasing more coverage. Additional coverage may be available for items such as jewelry, cameras, or musical instruments.
Before leaving for school, it is also a good idea to take an inventory of everything that your son or daughter will be taking with them. Tweet this.
This is very similar to a home inventory. Keep receipts and take photographs. In the event of a claim, this could make the process go faster.
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Every homeowner’s policy is customized. Contact your agent today to find out about the coverage available in your policy and if your student’s belongings will be covered when they head back to school.