Unless you paid for and installed them yourself, the carpets are the property of the landlord. Your landlord’s home insurance should cover the cost of repairs. However, if you have caused damage to your landlord’s carpet, your renter’s insurance should cover it. The personal property and liability coverage provided by renters insurance will not protect you from all risks.
However, if your dog damages someone else’s property (for example, if he urinates on a friend’s expensive carpet or tears up your sofa), the liability part of your renters insurance may step in to cover the damage. One caveat is that insurance companies often include in their policies that they will only cover the costs of an attorney of your choice. So, if your cat breaks your leather sofa or your dog swallows your engagement ring, your insurance company probably won’t pay. When taking out a renters insurance policy, you should be sure to select limits that cover you in the event of a total loss.
Some insurance companies have “excluded breeds of dogs”, which means that these breeds are not eligible for liability coverage. To be covered, they must be listed on the policy, in which case you could split the cost of renter’s insurance. Finally, like property damage coverage, your renters insurance liability coverage will not extend to your roommate unless he or she is a family member. Most standard renters policies do not cover earthquake or flood damage, although some companies may offer coverage as an add-on if you pay extra.
If you do not declare a dog because it is an excluded breed and your insurance company later discovers this, it has the right to deny your claims or discontinue coverage altogether. Along with other pests, such as rodents, they are considered a maintenance problem, and are not covered by your standard renters’ policy. Your renters (or homeowners) insurance will normally cover you under the liability portion of your coverage if your dog damages someone else’s property or injures a third party. If your home becomes uninhabitable, your renters’ insurance will help pay for the increased costs of living away from home by covering additional living expenses (ALE).
In the case of renters insurance, the policyholder can claim for damage to or theft of their belongings, liability cover or additional living expenses. Renters’ insurance policies may also offer additional coverage for more unique risks, such as a sinkhole endorsement that would protect your belongings against such a peril.