Apartment rental insurance also covers you if …

* Your apartment is damaged and you need to temporarily live somewhere else for a while.

* Your property is stolen someplace else, such as if your laptop computer is stolen while you’re at the library.

* You damage the landlord’s property and have to pay for repairs.

Decide How Much Coverage You Need

Your first step to get cheap apartment rental insurance is to decide how much coverage you need. Make a list of all your personal possessions and estimate how much it would cost to replace them. This will give you an idea of how much coverage you need.

You also need to decide how much of a deductible you can afford to pay. The deductible is the amount you pay on a claim before the insurance company pays. The higher your deductible, the lower your insurance premium. Just make sure you can pay the deductible if you ever need to make a claim.

Check with Your Car Insurance Company

To find cheap apartment rental insurance, first check with the company that insures your car. You may be able to get a discount for having both policies with the same company.

Other discounts you might be able to get include:

* Non-smoker’s discount if no one in your residence smokes.

* Security discounts if your apartment has deadbolts, smoke detectors, or other safety features.

* Senior’s discount if you’re a retired senior.

Look on the Internet

Search online for companies that offer cheap apartment rental insurance. You can go to insurance websites, fill out a single form, and get fast quotes from several insurance companies (see link below).

Make sure you use the same coverage limits, deductibles, and discounts for each company so you can compare them fairly.