Do Townhomes Need Insurance?
Updated September 1, 2019 . AmFam Team
Whether your townhouse is a rental, in a condo association or one that you own, you’ll need insurance for it. While homeowners insurance for a townhouse might seem appropriate, there are a few factors to consider before purchasing insurance. If you’re the owner of the townhome and aren’t part of a condo association, homeowners insurance is right for you — but if you’re part of a condo association, you’ll want to look at condo insurance. And finally, if you rent your townhome, go for renters insurance.
What Is the Difference Between a Condo and Townhouse?
Condos and townhomes may seem similar, but they have a few key differences. A condominium is typically a living space, either a townhome or apartment-style space, that is owned by a condo association and has shared common space among residents that their condo association fees pay for. If a townhome isn’t owned by a condo association, it’s not a condo.
Townhomes are typically multi-story buildings that share at least one wall with another townhouse. They look a bit like row houses without easements between the buildings. They can be owned by a condo association, rented from a landlord or owned by individual homeowners.
What Is Covered Under Townhouse Insurance?
There generally isn’t such a thing as “townhouse insurance,” so to understand what’s covered, you’ll need to consider your living situation. If you’re living in a townhome that isn’t owned by a condo association, you’ll want to look into renters or homeowners insurance.
If you own your townhouse:
If your townhouse is solely yours and not part of a condo association, you’ll need a homeowners insurance policy to help protect your property. Home insurance for townhouses covers the same things that it would for a regular house, including:
- Damage from fire, smoke, wind and other disasters or hazards
- Damage to your home’s structure
- Theft of or damage to your personal belongings
- Liability protection if someone is injured on your property
You can add other coverages to supplement your homeowners policy that can help cover expenses associated with appliance breakdown, flooding or even identity theft. Learn more about what homeowners insurance can help protect.
If you rent your townhouse:
If your townhouse isn’t part of a condo association and you’re renting it, renters insurance can help you protect your personal property in the event of an accident or theft. Renters insurance for a townhouse can help cover things like:
- Damage to your personal property from a fire
- Replacing your personal property after theft
- Liability protection if someone is injured in your townhome
Even when you’re away from home, your renters insurance follows you wherever you go.
If your townhouse property belongs to a condo association:
Condo association policies typically only cover common areas and the exterior of the building you live in, although some will cover the interior — but only in its original state. To be sure your personal property and any updates to the interior you’ve made are protected, like granite countertops to replace the original vinyl, you’ll want to get your own condo insurance policy.
Condo insurance coverage helps protect the things not covered by your condo association’s insurance policy. This includes personal property and personal liability coverage, which can help cover expenses if someone is injured on your property. Even if your condo association insurance policy covers some things that a condo insurance policy might, you should consider condo insurance to take care of any gaps in coverage.
Get the Townhouse Insurance Coverage You Need
If you need help assessing your townhome to understand the right type and amount of protection you need, connect with your American Family Insurance agent (Opens in a new tab). They can help you figure out if you need condo, renters or homeowners insurance and what kind of additional coverages you need to protect what matters most.
Related Articles
- 9 Steps to Create a Home Inventory for Insurance Claims
Your home is more than a roof over your head. It’s where your dreams grow, your family thrives and memories are made. But the possessions you keep inside are important, too.
Whether you’re renting an apartment or own your home, you’ve most likely got an insurance policy designed to protect your dwelling and the things inside. Should the unthinkable happen and you have to use that insurance policy, it’s important to have a plan in place. And a home inventory list is a great way to get started!
We’ll walk you through how to create a home inventory so — in the event of the unexpected — you’ll be more prepared and have a streamlined recovery.
What Is a Home Inventory?
Quite simply, a home inventory is a complete list of all the items, especially valuables, in and around your home. The best home inventories include photos, descriptions and dollar values of each of your belongings. The more detail, the better! It’ll help you provide a comprehensive list to your agent of items lost in the event your home is damaged or destroyed, allowing you to get the most out of your coverage.
When your describing the items in your list, remember that the more information, the better. Here’s a quick reference list of the type of information you should include in your home inventory list:
- An in-depth description of the items. For example, rather than writing down “diamond ring,” be more descriptive, such as: “an emerald cut diamond ring, with white gold shank, accent stones and initials inscribed below the bridge.”
- Make, model, and/or serial number of the items.
- Date of purchase, receipts and photos.
- Estimated replacement cost if you bought it today. Do note that the value of the items might be different today than it was when you first bought them. This is especially true with jewelry, and other valuables.
- Appraisals at time of purchase. Especially if your items were appraised for insurance purposes.
Why Do I Need a Home Inventory?
Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, everyone can benefit from a home inventory!
If you ever have to make a claim, a home inventory is a great asset to have, especially after stressful events like theft, storm damage or a fire (take a look at how one renter used their home inventory after facing an apartment fire).
When you make a claim, you typically submit information on everything that was lost — which can be difficult to do off the top of your head for all your possessions. Remembering to replace your TV or computer are no-brainers, but when it comes to remembering each piece of jewelry in your jewelry box, things tend to get overlooked. Having a personal property inventory will help, along with knowing how to properly insure your jewelry.
When you have your home inventory checklist, you know exactly what needs to be replaced, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your entire household is protected.
- Reasons Why a Roof Leaks
You’re admiring the rain from the comfort of your home when you notice a sound — the unmistakable drip of water dropping onto your floor. The first and hardest step is figuring out why your roof is leaking. And with these tips, you’ll find the culprit in no time!
Here’s Why Your Roof Is Leaking
The list of reasons why your roof is leaking may seem long, but don’t worry — when it comes to finding the leak and fixing it, the finding is the hardest part. And the good thing about these problems? They can all be fixed. Check out the list and see what’s troubling your roof:
Your roof is old
Roofs don’t last forever. Protecting your home and everything inside it from the elements comes with a cost. And with all that rain, snow, ice, wind and even sunlight wearing down your roof, it becomes more susceptible to leaks. Every roof will eventually need to be replaced, so learn more about how long your roof should last based on what it’s made of.
- How to Check Your Roof for Storm Damage
There’s no good time to find out your roof needs repair — but you may be able to mitigate that pain by routinely checking your roof for damage after severe weather. Waiting for a leak or damage to present itself gives the problem time to grow and worsen.
And sometimes, you’ll be faced with expensive roof and interior damage repairs if you’re not diligent. By being proactive and checking your roof for damage after severe weather hits can help your roof — and your savings — stay healthy.
