San Antonio has a River Walk, some of the finest in Tex-Mex, and Gregg Popovich. It also has a lot of renters. Almost 37% of the city’s 1.5 million inhabitants are renters^ and just about all of them should be asking: Do I have renters insurance?
There’s no shortage of ways your personal belongings can be damaged or stolen in San Antonio. Thankfully, renters insurance helps alleviate these worries, and is often a smart and affordable option if you find the right company.
Best renters insurance companies in San Antonio
Insurance Company | Monthly Cost - $500 Deductible | Monthly Cost - $1,000 Deductible |
|---|---|---|
State Farm | $18.67 | $17.50 |
Allstate | $35.00 | $33.00 |
Travelers | $19.00 | $17.00 |
Stillwater | $14.00 | $12.33 |
Lemonade | $13.25 | $11.25 |
Methodology: We pulled renters insurance quotes online from five of the most popular insurance companies: State Farm, Lemonade, Allstate, Travelers and Stillwater. Quotes were for policies with $500 and $1,000 deductibles for a 30-year-old male apartment renter. We deferred to the most comparable coverage amounts when identical policies were unavailable.
Coverage type | State Farm | Allstate | Travelers | Stillwater | Lemonade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Property Coverage | $20,000.00 | $20,000 | $30,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
Liability Coverage | $100,000.00 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
Medical payments to others | $1,000.00 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
Understanding renters insurance quotes
Renters insurance is about far more than just protecting your personal property. Here’s a rundown of the components you should look for in a policy when comparing renters insurance rates.
Property coverage: reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged property.
Liability coverage: covers legal expenses in the event someone is injured in your residence and they sue you.
Loss of use: covers temporary living expenses if your residence becomes uninhabitable.
Medical payments to others: covers medical costs in the event someone is injured in your residence and requires medical treatment.
We’ve got a full explainer of what renters insurance covers here.
Is renters insurance legally required in San Antonio?
While renters insurance is not legally required in San Antonio, some landlords or management companies may require renters insurance as a condition for signing the lease. When applying for a residence, always be sure to double-check with the broker or landlord about renters insurance before signing.
It's also worth remembering that -- although renters insurance may not be legally required, it may save you a legal headache at the end of the day. Having liability coverage alone is reason enough for you to think about investing in renters insurance.
Reasons to buy renters insurance in San Antonio
Renters insurance is among the most affordable insurance types to buy, and also provides you with peace of mind by protecting your personal belongings both inside and outside your residence. This is especially true for San Antonio, which experiences high instances armed burglary and violent crime.
There were 77,786 reported offenses of property crime in 2016 alone, which is higher than the national average†. And while instances of arson and burglary have decreased over the last decade, instances of larceny theft haven’t changed all that much and actually remain higher than the national average.
As for weather, San Antonio residents don’t have too much of it, other than the occasional flood, which is not included in your base policy and may require a rider for coverage, and tornado (covered as long as policy includes wind coverage). In the latter event, renters insurance is a nice safeguard to have for your stuff.‡
Helpful Resources
San Antonio residents looking for more renters rights and resources should look into the following:
Fair Housing Program: A HUD-approved program for San Antonio renters to find and maintain housing stability, understand their rights, and file and settle disputes.
Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio: Legal council that conducts preliminary investigations of housing discrimination grievances in areas of rental housing, mortgage lending, and homeowners insurance practices. They also act as a conciliatory body between the disputing parties.
San Antonio Housing Authority: Provides affordable housing that recognizes the makeup and fabric of existing neighborhoods. SAHA serves to help people in time of need as well as get them back on their feet and thriving.
The Housing Authority of Bexar County: Another great housing resource for San Antonio residents that specializes in finding affordable housing that is safe and decent for families.
^ Housing and Urban Development, 2016 Renters Statistics For San Antonio
† FBI CDE
