Filing a Renter's Insurance Claim

In order to protect your things against theft, you should obtain a renter's insurance policy. Once you are covered, you should feel secure in the fact that your belongings will be replaced if they are stolen. There are steps that need to be taken to file a claim. Let's take a look at what they are.

The first thing that you need to do once you find out there has been a theft is call the police. Most people make the mistake of waiting too long to call them, and that casts some suspicion on them. Make sure that you do not touch anything, since you want to make sure that the police are able to pick up any prints that may have been left behind. Make sure that you are totally honest with the police about everything, since they may note it if you are acting strangely or give inconsistent answers, which means that your claim may be held up.

After you have dealt with the police, the next thing you should do is contact your renter's insurance company. You need to let them know that there was a theft and you will be filing a claim soon. You do not have to have your itemized list of missing items yet, but you do want to make them aware that there has been an incident and the police have been called.

Walk through your house and take note of anything that is missing. You don't need to file a claim on things that may be trivial, but you do want to make sure to note items that you would like to be reimbursed for. Many people claim items are missing when they are not in an attempt to get extra money in their claim. If you do this you are subject to a fine, jail time or both. Only write down items that are truly missing.

Once you have the list of missing items, make sure that you submit a copy of it to the police and the insurance company. You should include any damaged items as well, since these would be covered by your renter's insurance policy. Make sure that you submit the same list to both, since they will compare notes. Your claim may be denied if there are any inconsistencies.

Your insurance company's adjuster may try to not pay you the full amount of your claim. You may not get the exact dollar value of your items back, but you do want to make sure that you do not let them low-ball you. If they offer you a number that seems too low, you should dispute the amount and ask for something larger. There is nothing wrong with negotiating with your insurance company so that everything is fair.

Filing a renter's insurance claim is a fairly simple process, but getting a settlement can take a good amount of time. If you follow the tips here, it should make everything go a little smoother, which means you will not have to wait so long to receive your compensation check!