With more than 43 million renter-occupied units, the number of renters in the U.S. is near an all-time high, according to the Census Bureau. The Insurance Information Institute offers the bigger picture, showing that only 41 percent of the renters carry renter’s insurance, far from the 95 percent of homeowners who carry homeowners insurance policies.
This translates in bad news for the bulk of renters, who keep themselves at risk throughout the duration of their lease agreement. As a reminder, the insurance policy for renters offers protection from theft, fire, lightning, windstorm, hail, frozen plumbing system and vandalism.
While it’s true that there isn’t much one can do against natural calamities except from purchasing the appropriate type of insurance, staying safe from burglars is another story, there are other steps one can take to ensure their protection. To better understand a burglar’s modus operandi and thus manage to outsmart them, one should try and put themselves in the burglar’s shoes—what would the bad guy do?
Take a look at the inside and outside of your home and imagine, from the point of view of someone who would want to break in, what would be the logical point of entry and exit. This way you’ll assess better how many security cameras you need and where each should be positioned, whether you have hedges or bushes that you need to trim so that your property gets maximum exposure so neighbors and passers-by can see if some suspicious person is lurking around. What would deter someone from breaking and entering? Think about common safeguards like security cameras, alarms, or security company signage. Digital doorbells have now become common, especially to prevent package theft if you are a frequent online shopper.
Once you’ve used your imagination and exhausted all scenarios, turn to your devices (especially your social media accounts) and see whether these are not revealing the world your every step. The first thing you should look at is who can see your posts and if it’s set to public, change it to friends only. Why? Because using hashtags, check-ins and status updates available for everyone to see, the opportunistic and ill-intentioned can easily find out when you’re away from home. And if you’ve also published posts about your life and purchases, they’ll surely take it as an invitation and drop by to see up-close that fancy new TV you’ve recently acquired.
Of course, when anything else fails, having renter’s insurance policy can help you get back your possessions. Don’t be one in the 59 percent without insurance protection.
