Your Landlord’s Policy Covers the Building. It Covers Nothing of Yours.
Renters insurance — an HO-4 policy — protects your belongings, covers your liability if someone is injured in your rental or you damage the property, and pays your living expenses if a fire or other covered loss forces you out. In Washington, it’s one of the cheapest policies you can buy: NAIC data puts the average Washington renters premium around $158 per year — roughly $13 a month — below the national average.
Boyd Insurance Brokerage has served Spokane renters since 1996, and with about 4 in 10 Spokane homes renter-occupied per U.S. Census Bureau estimates, that’s a lot of households whose belongings aren’t covered by anyone’s policy until they buy their own. As independent agents, we quote 150+ carriers and almost always pair renters coverage with your auto policy — the bundle discount frequently offsets most of the renters premium.
Quotes from 150+ Carriers
What Renters Insurance Covers
Personal Property — Furniture, clothing, electronics, kitchenware, bikes, tools — everything you’d move out in boxes. Most renters who inventory their belongings land between $20,000 and $40,000 in replacement value, far more than they’d guess. Coverage typically follows your property away from home too: items stolen from your car or a storage unit are generally covered under your renters policy, subject to limits.
Personal Liability — If a guest is injured in your apartment, your dog bites someone at the park, or a kitchen fire spreads to neighboring units, liability coverage pays damages and legal defense. Renters with dogs should read our pet liability insurance page — a single dog-related claim now averages over $65,000 nationally per the Insurance Information Institute, and renters are sued for them just like homeowners.
Additional Living Expenses — If a covered loss makes your rental unlivable, this pays for a hotel, temporary rental, and increased costs while you’re displaced. In a tight rental market, this coverage is worth more than most renters realize.
Medical Payments — Small no-fault medical coverage for guests injured in your unit, which often resolves minor incidents before they become liability claims.
Bundle and Save
By combining policies to save time and money.
Fast Friendly Service
Contact us for phone or email support.
Protection You Can Trust
We work closely with only top rate carriers.
What It Doesn’t Cover — and How We Fix That
- High-value items like engagement rings, watches, firearms, and instruments carry sub-limits on a standard policy. Scheduled jewelry coverage or a personal articles floater covers them at full value.
- Home business property and liability. Standard policies cap business property at roughly $2,500 and exclude business liability entirely — if you run a side business from your rental, read our guide on insurance for home-based businesses in Washington.
- Your roommate’s belongings. Unless a roommate is named on the policy, their property isn’t covered. Each renter generally needs their own policy — we can quote them in the same call.
- Floods and earthquakes. Like homeowners policies, these require separate coverage. Ask us if your rental sits in a mapped flood zone near the river.
Local & Family Owned
We are a medium-sized insurance brokerage that was established in 1996. As Independent Agents, we represent you, the CLIENT. Although we write all types of insurance, we specialize in auto and home insurance in the Northwest.
• Integrity • Excellent Service • Quality
Why Spokane Landlords Require It — and Why You’d Want It Anyway
Washington law doesn’t mandate renters insurance, but landlords can and increasingly do require it as a lease condition, typically with $100,000 in liability and proof of coverage naming the property manager. There’s a reason: a renter-caused kitchen fire or overflowing tub can damage multiple units, and without insurance, the renter is personally responsible. The same policy that satisfies your lease protects you from that exact scenario — plus theft, which follows renters at higher rates than homeowners in any city, Spokane included.
For the cost — often less than a single streaming subscription — there’s no cheaper financial protection sold. And if you’re building assets while renting, a personal umbrella policy can stack additional liability protection over your renters policy.
Who Needs Renters Insurance in Spokane
- Apartment, house, duplex, and condo renters — the policy type is the same
- College students renting off-campus near Gonzaga, EWU, or Whitworth (students living in dorms are often partially covered under a parent’s homeowners policy — ask us which applies)
- Renters with dogs, guests, or anything worth stealing
- Anyone whose lease requires proof of coverage — we can issue same-day
- Renters running a side business from home — with the right endorsements added
Local & Family Owned
We are a medium-sized insurance brokerage established in 1996. As Independent Agents, we represent you, the CLIENT. A renters quote takes minutes, and we’ll send proof of coverage to your landlord the same day. Call (509) 340-2693 or contact us — our office is at 103 E Sprague Ave Ste 102 in downtown Spokane.
A few questions away from saving up to 40% on your insurance.
FAQ
Is renters insurance required in Washington? Not by state law, but your landlord can require it in your lease, and most professional property managers in Spokane now do. Either way, the landlord’s policy never covers your belongings or your personal liability — only a renters policy does.
How much renters insurance do I need? Enough personal property coverage to replace everything you own at today’s prices — most renters need $20,000–$40,000 — plus at least $100,000 in liability, and we usually recommend $300,000 since the price difference is small. We’ll walk through it in one call.
Does renters insurance cover my roommate? No, unless they’re named on the policy. Roommates generally each carry their own policy so each person’s belongings and liability are fully covered.
Does renters insurance cover my dog? Liability from dog bites is generally covered, though some carriers restrict certain breeds or prior-bite histories. As a brokerage, we can place coverage with carriers that fit your dog rather than making you fit the carrier — see our pet liability page for details.
Are my things covered if they’re stolen from my car or a storage unit? Generally yes — personal property coverage follows your belongings off-premises, subject to policy limits (often 10% of your personal property limit for storage). High-value items should be scheduled separately.
Can I get proof of insurance for my landlord today? Yes. Most renters policies can be quoted, bound, and documented in the same day, with your landlord or property manager listed as an interested party at no extra cost.