A white man reaches into a woman's brown purse and steals her phone.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Theft?

Updated July 5, 2020 . AmFam Team

Renters insurance has coverage for stolen items such as bikes, electronics, and more. Learn about renters insurance theft coverage from American Family.

Your renters insurance is designed to help protect against many unexpected events. But does it cover theft? In most cases, yes, your renters insurance will cover the theft of your belongings from your rental unit.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Theft Outside of the Home?

Absolutely. Some renters insurance policies will help to cover theft that happens while you’re out traveling or on vacation domestically or abroad, including American Family’s renters insurance. It’s coverage that follows you wherever you go!*


Let’s take a closer look at how your renters insurance protects you from theft.

What Stolen Items Are Covered by Renters Insurance?

Your renters insurance policy covers your personal property if it is stolen. This includes your:

  • Furniture
  • Clothing
  • Jewelry
  • Electronics
  • Wallet

To learn if a specific stolen item of yours is covered by renters insurance, reach out to your American Family Insurance agent (Opens in a new tab).

In the event your things are stolen, you’ll want to know their value so you can accurately report it when filing a claim, which you can do either online or by calling your insurance agent.

Keep in mind, before your insurance company will pay out for your stolen belongings, you’ll have to pay your deductible. Typical renters insurance deductibles range are $500 or $1,000. So, if the items that were stolen are worth less than your deductible cost, you won’t want to file a claim because your insurance company won’t cover that expense. To help with unexpected events like stolen items, American Family offers a diminishing deductible that can lower your deductible to help you better prepare for the out-of-pocket costs when you have a claim.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Bicycle Theft?

Yes. Your bicycle or pedal-assist e-bike is covered by your renters insurance if it is stolen.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Stolen Packages?

A stolen package may be covered by renters insurance, subject to policy limits. Remember, make a claim if the value of your stolen package is more than your deductible. To reduce your deductible amount, consider diminishing deductible coverage.

How Much Does Renters Insurance Cover For Theft?

The amount of money that renters insurance covers for theft depends on the amount you choose for your renters insurance to cover. You can estimate this amount by adding up the value of your personal property. Be sure to have enough to cover the costs of replacing your belongings if they are stolen.

What Types of Theft Does Renters Insurance Cover?

Most types of theft are covered by renters insurance, so you can depend on your coverage to help you with the costs of replacing your belongings. Here are a few theft situations where you can depend on your renters coverage to protect you from the unexpected:

In-home burglary

If your apartment is broken into and your things are stolen, your renters insurance can help pay to replace those items.

Travel theft

Say you’re at the coffee shop with your laptop and you leave it behind for just a moment to go to the bathroom. When you come back out, your laptop has been stolen. Renters insurance can help cover the expense of replacing items like this that are stolen while you’re away from home.*

Vacation theft

If you’re on vacation and are pickpocketed or your hotel room is broken into, your renters insurance can help, even when you’re away from home.*

Pro tip: take photos of your personal property before traveling to easily reference the items you want to claim in the event they are stolen.

Additional Coverage for Renters Insurance

Renters insurance can cover more than just your physical belongings. There are a few optional coverages you can add to your renters policy to give you even more comprehensive protection against the unexpected:

Identity theft restoration

If your identity is stolen, like someone using your personal information to open credit card accounts, our Identity Fraud Expense Coverage means you’ll have someone assigned to you to work through the mess and help you get your life back to normal.

Credit monitoring

We’ve teamed up with CyberScout to provide you with a credit monitoring service that can help you protect your finances from the expense of identity theft. They’ll keep an eye on your credit score and help detect any fraudulent activity using your identity.

Pet insurance

Pet coverage can help pay for certain veterinary costs and final expenses up to $1,000 if your pet is hurt in a covered loss.

Home-based business coverage

If your small-scale business is run out of your rental, you may be eligible to add extra liability and business property protection coverage and extended liability coverage to your renters policy to help protect the things you work so hard for.

Diminishing deductible coverage

A deductible isn’t always the easiest thing to pay after an unexpected event like theft. Diminishing deductible coverage can help ease that burden by offering a way to reduce your deductible amount.

Electrical appliance coverage

Get additional protection for your expensive electronics like TVs or home theater equipment and appliances with this coverage.

Protect Against the Unexpected

Dealing with the unexpected like having your things stolen can be a difficult experience. That’s why it’s important to have renters insurance – to help protect your belongings and help cover costs if you need to replace them.

If you’ve experienced theft in your apartment or while out and about, file a claim online or with your American Family Insurance agent right away and stay protected with our apartment safety tips. Start protecting what matters and get a quote.

Have a question about renters insurance? Check out our renters insurance FAQs.

*Regular coverage limits do not apply when traveling outside of the country. Coverage is limited to 10 percent of your personal property coverage limits.

Tools & Resources

Explore our tools and smart tips.