Question: I want to know if a landlord can bear some responsibility to a renter if the renter’s car was stolen from the driveway.
A friend told me that her ex-husband was renting a home and his auto was stolen. His landlord’s insurance covered for his loss. I’d like to ask my landlord’s insurer to do the same thing.
I’m on disability and don’t have insurance myself since I rarely drive at all. This is a big setback for me.
Answer: I am sorry to hear about your car. I have had my car stolen, and I know it’s a very bad feeling even if you recover the car. If you don’t have insurance and you don’t get the car back, it’s a tragedy.
A landlord is not legally responsible for any personal property owned by a tenant that is stolen from a rental property. I’d be very surprised if your friend’s ex-husband was actually able to collect on a landlord’s insurance policy.
Your friend is probably mistaken, or there may be more to the story that you don’t know about.
Most landlords encourage tenants to buy their own renter’s insurance to cover their personal property inside the rental unit. A renter’s policy would cover loss from fire or theft, but it would only apply to the personal belongings inside the rental; it would not cover their car parked on or near the rental property.
The only way the theft of a car would be covered is if the owner of the car has purchased comprehensive auto insurance, which covers theft and damage as well as liability. If you carry only the minimum liability required by law, it protects other people if you damage their car or injure them, but it does not cover damage or theft.
I know this is not the answer you were hoping to hear, but I hope your sad situation serves as a warning to other renters who are without proper insurance.
When I rent out a house or condo, my rental agreement advises my tenants to obtain renter’s insurance to cover belongings, but I can’t require them to buy it. Often, I find that the tenants just “take their chances” and never bother to spend the couple hundred dollars per year that it would cost to buy a renters policy.
I know that the economy is rough and money is tight these days, but can you afford to replace all of your stuff in the event of a theft or serious fire? For most people, the answer is “No.”
And remember that even if you have a renter’s insurance policy, you must still obtain an auto insurance policy that covers theft if you want to replace a car that has been stolen.
Insurance is one of those bills that nobody likes to pay. It seems like a waste of money until you need it.
Email Steve Tytler at features@heraldnet.com.
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