7 Best Renters Insurance Companies in Pennsylvania of 2023

Renters insurance is a type of policy that the tenant can purchase to cover theft and damages to their personal property.

The property’s insurance only handles damage and loss done to the building.

Your landlord may require you to purchase renters insurance before moving in, so read the lease carefully.

Pennsylvania experiences the elements of all four seasons, so it is essential to ensure your home is always protected.

Renters insurance will cover your property if there is damage due to a storm but also protects your personal belongings should your home suffer a burglary, fire, etc.

We did the work for you, including both smaller and larger rental insurance companies. Focusing on cost, coverage, and customer service, we were able to narrow the list down to the best renters insurance companies in Pennsylvania.

According to PropertyNest research, the average basic renters insurance cost in Pennsylvania is $17.31 a month or $207.72 a year.

Compare the coverage and cost of the best renters insurance providers in Pennsylvania picked by PropertyNest expert editors.

Compare Renters Insurance Rates in PA

Lemonade: Best Overall

Lemonade is one of the newer insurance providers out there. Even being relatively new, this technologically forward company has already proven itself and is quickly gaining popularity.

Lemonade makes things convenient and user-friendly for both the younger and older generations. Customers can easily file a claim, receive customer support, purchase a policy, view your policies, and more through their app and website.

There are basic policies that Lemonade provides for only $5 a month, but you can also purchase more extensive options as well.

One of the best perks about Lemonade is their philanthropic side, aka the Lemonade Giveback. Lemonade takes a flat fee for themselves and lets you choose which charity they should donate the remainder to.

Lemonade provides many pros, such as being convenient, technologically advanced, affordable, and more. It is also an added benefit that they donate a certain amount to charity as well.

Cons of Lemonade include not being able to contact a live person, not being able to bundle with auto insurance, and not being available nationwide.

Read the full Lemonade renters insurance review.

Liberty Mutual: Best for Customization

Liberty Mutual is one of the more well-known companies on this list. They allow you to keep what you want and remove the unnecessary. Some standard coverage options include medical expenses, extra living expenses, and personal property liability coverage.

Additional extras include coverage for: replacement cost, identify fraud, water & earthquake damage, and more. The fun part is creating the perfect policies for you.

Liberty Mutual provides several discounts and allows you to bundle your policies for even more savings. Liberty Mutual also provides a multitude of tools (such as an in-depth coverage calculator) to help you save with their high-rated app.

Their traditional policy does not include coverage for natural disasters, so these policies must be bought separately.

Read a full Liberty Mutual home insurance review.

Allstate: Best for Coverage

Allstate’s renters insurance policy has the basic coverage that most companies provide, such as coverage for your belongings, liability, and medical coverage if someone gets hurt on your property.

If you need to move out of your home due to a natural disaster, Allstate will go one step further and will cover hotel and restaurant fees. The best part is that there is no maximum on the dollar amount that can be spent; however, there may be a 12-month max.

Allstate’s standard policy includes coverage for additional living expenses in case you need to leave your home due to a natural disaster.

Read a full Allstate renters insurance review.

State Farm: Best for Comprehensive Coverage

State Farm is one of Pennsylvania's leading providers of renters insurance, offering comprehensive coverage at a competitive price. In addition to personal belongings, State Farm's renters insurance policy also covers loss of use, personal liability, and medical payments.

So if you're looking for comprehensive renters insurance coverage in Pennsylvania, State Farm is a great option to consider.

They also have a wide range of deductibles, so you can customize your policy to fit your needs.

State Farm stays up to date with their high-rated mobile app. You can contact your agent and file/track claims digitally.

See a full State Farm renters insurance review.

USAA: Best Renters Insurance in PA for the Military

Families of the military should look into USAA, especially when it comes to renters insurance. These policies are affordable and provide extra coverage specific to military members.

Their standard policy includes flood and earthquake coverages. They also boast about themselves when it comes to their replacement cost coverage policy. This policy will pay you enough money to replace the stolen item.

The idea of USAA was originally launched to serve members and their families of the armed services. USAA is selective with its customers because its aim is to provide the best customer service available.

USAA strives to make its services as accessible and affordable as possible. However, they are specific on who they allow as a member.

There are no monthly maintenance fees, which helps keep things affordable.

Progressive: Best for Discounts

Progressive is one of the industry's most well-known and prominent insurance companies. They offer deep discount offerings in a multitude of ways. Definitely research your progressive discounts, as some of the policies can be expensive on their own.

Pros include a large library of discounts, while the major con is that some of Progressive’s policies can be expensive without a discount.

Read a full Progressive renters insurance review.

Farmers Renters Insurance: Best Experience

Farmers renters insurance is available in 39 other states besides Pennsylvania and is a well-known and trusted company. With over 90 years of experience, Farmers is known for its low deductibles and original discounts.

The basic insurance policy includes the main four basic types of coverage: cover for the cost of living somewhere else while your home is undergoing construction following a covered claim.

With over 90 years in the industry, Farmers brings plenty of knowledge and experience to its customers. The cons lie in the coverage options, where you can only add one additional option.

Is Renters Insurance Mandatory to Rent an Apartment in Pennsylvania?

Renters insurance is not mandatory to rent an apartment in Pennsylvania, although your landlord may require it.

While it is not required by law, purchasing renters insurance is a smart decision in protecting yourself.

Why Do You Need Renters Insurance?

As mentioned above, renters insurance is not mandated by law, but can provide monetary compensation for your possessions in the case of damage, destruction, or theft.

This is especially important if you have high-cost valuables.

For example, if your belongings or furniture sustain water damage because rain or water seeped into your unit, the landlord is not liable to compensate you.

It also protects you when you are liable for damages or injury to someone else.

If your rental is not habitable because of damage, construction, or other reasons, your renters insurance policy can pay for housing accommodations.

The main reason you need renters insurance is that no one else, including your landlord will be compensating you for your losses.

What is the Average Cost of Renters Insurance in Pennsylvania?

Renters insurance is very affordable compared to the amount of coverage it provides.

On average, tenants in Pennsylvania can expect to pay $207.72 annually for a basic renters insurance policy. And this amount can vary depending on the coverage selected.

The amount you pay can also depend on factors such as where you live, your prior claims experience, your credit score, and the specifics of the space you rent.

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

As previously cited, renters insurance will primarily cover your personal belongings, which is the main reason why it gets purchased.

Compensation For Your Personal Property

Perils like fire, theft, water damage, or lightning are all events that could occur and cause you to lose a majority of your belongings at once.

Luckily, these are all events that are covered under a renters policy. Renters policies will also provide coverage for vandalism, wind, hail, or smoke.

It includes furniture, electronics, dishes, silverware, bedding, knick-knacks, home decor, and other furnishings.

Most renters policies usually offer tiered amounts for personal property coverage you would like to carry on your policy.

Funds For Alternate Housing

A renters policy will also provide loss of use coverage.

Loss of use coverage pays for any additional living expenses you may incur due to a covered loss.

For example, if your apartment has a fire and you need to stay in a hotel for a few weeks until your place is habitable, this coverage will pay you to do so.

Protection Against Liability

Personal liability is another essential coverage provided by a renters policy.

Liability will cover any bodily injury or property damage for which you are legally responsible.

A great example of this type of liability is if someone gets injured after slipping and falling in your unit. You could be sued for damages or asked to pay for medical bills. Your renters policy would cover this.

Since lawsuits can be financially devastating, the liability coverage provided by a renters policy is worth every penny.

How Much Damage and Liability Will Renters Insurance Cover?

Renters insurance offers options when it comes to how much coverage for loss/damage of personal belongings.

An excellent place to start is usually with about $10,000 worth of coverage and either increasing or decreasing from there.

Just be aware that some companies may require a minimum personal property coverage limit.

It is also important to note that most renters policies have special limits for certain types of personal property.

These special limits mean that the insurance company limits how much they will pay for particular items.

For example, theft of jewelry and watches is typically limited to $1,500. So if you own a piece of jewelry worth more than that and it gets stolen, the most you would get would be $1,500.

Luckily, most companies allow you to schedule some of your personal property. Scheduling means that you list these items separately on your policy and insure them for their actual value.

The benefit to scheduling certain items is that you are also insuring them on an “all-risk basis,” which means that you are covered for anything that could happen to them, as long as it is not explicitly excluded.

There are also limits when it comes to liability and medical.

Most renters insurance companies offer liability limits starting at $100,000, and some may offer up to $1,000,000 worth of coverage.

What Will Renters Insurance Not Cover?

As much as a renters policy will cover, there are some exclusions or perils it will not cover.

For starters, a renters policy is meant for a tenant, not a homeowner. Therefore, the building itself will not be covered under a renters policy.

A renters policy will also not cover things like built-in appliances, such as water heaters or furnaces, since those are typically the homeowner’s responsibility.

There are also certain events that a renters policy will not cover.

These events include flooding, earthquakes, intentional damage, and normal wear and tear.

However, flood insurance is a separate policy you can purchase to protect yourself from floods.

You'll also find that some renters policies exclude dogs or certain breeds for liability coverage.

Lastly, a renters policy will not cover any roommates. If you live with other people, they will need to get their own policy or you purchase a policy together.

Can You Lower Rental Insurance Premiums?

You can do a few things to save money on a renters insurance policy.

The first is to combine any other insurance policy with the same company. An auto policy, for example, could be added to your renters insurance policy.

Many companies offer multi-policy discounts, which can help lower the price of each policy you have with them.

Secondly, you can look at carrying a higher deductible. A deductible is your out-of-pocket expense for any insurance loss.

If you have a $100 deductible, for example, and you had to file a claim, you would pay the first $100, and your insurance company would pay the rest.

The higher the deductible you choose, the lower the price your policy will be. A standard deductible is about $500 but can be increased up to $2,500.

Another way to potentially save money on your renters policy is to improve your credit score.

Learn How to Check Your Credit Score Rating.

Many insurance companies will use a credit-based insurance score to rate your policy. The better your score, the less risky companies perceive you to be, so your price will be lower.

Do You Need an Inspection for Renters Insurance?

Generally, renters insurance requires no inspections before buying the policy.

The main information you'll need to provide for renters insurance is the value of your belongings and the overall coverage for them provided by the renters policy.

If you are unsure about what value to give for any of your items, consider looking up their prices online or in stores.

How Do You File a Renters Insurance Claim?

To file a renters insurance claim, you will need to collect the necessary documentation, such as pictures of the damaged items and receipts of the damaged items.

Additionally, if the authorities were contacted and involved regarding the incident that caused damages, you'll need to provide those documents as well.

After collecting all these documents, contact your renters insurance company for an active claim number and provide it with all the gathered information.

From there, your renters insurance company will review and assess your claim; if approved, you'll get reimbursed as per their coverage laws and policies.

Depending on the company, you can file it online or through an app, but some may require you to speak to an agent.

Our Methodology

We thoroughly researched 13 of the state's top renters’ insurance companies and narrowed the list down to those that operated in Pennsylvania. We rated them on criteria that included ease of use, ratings, financial strength, customer, and affordability. Read our full in-depth renters insurance methodology.

How We Picked the Best Renters Insurance Companies in Pennsylvania

Finding the right renters insurance company depends on your interests and needs. Some customers may search for a basic cut-and-dry policy, while others may require a most customizable approach.

We were looking for three important factors: cost, policy coverage, and customer service.

Policy Cost

Renters insurance is supposed to give you security, not weigh you down with fear of your next bill. Insurance providers with low premiums or plenty of options to lower your premium ranked higher on the list than others.

If the insurance cost is too hard for you to keep up with, you may want to invest in a safe or safety deposit box until you can afford to keep your belongings safe.

Policy coverage

The company needed a wide range of policy coverages to help accommodate your needs. Everyone is different in Pennsylvania, and that includes insurance companies.

We looked at standard coverage options and add-ons to ensure that you can feel your safest, no matter your preference.

Customer service

You can have a great insurance company, but it becomes almost useless if the customer service is horrible. It was critical that the companies had convenient and accessible service, with bonus points for those who had mobile apps and round-the-clock service.

Location

We've researched and compared the renters insurance quotes and averages in cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, and more.