I was surprised to be told that extermination costs were not covered by their renter’s insurance. All pests, whether rodents, cockroaches or bedbugs, are treated equally in renters’ insurance policies. However, neither renters’ insurance policies nor the coverage offered by homeowners’ insurance policies cover bedbugs. Even if you do not consider it a living expense, most renters’ insurance policies will also not pay to replace an infested mattress that cannot be saved, nor will they cover additional living expenses if you have to move to another location during extermination.
As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, he has seen a lot and enjoys helping others navigate the complexities and opacity of insurance. In some states, Assurant includes coverage for extermination and other bedbug-related expenses in its rental policies. Any information on the Site does not alter, supplement or modify in any way the terms, conditions, limitations or exclusions of the applicable insurance policy and is intended only as a brief summary of that insurance product. Preventing rats, cockroaches and other vermin from damaging a rental property also falls under standard household maintenance and is therefore considered by renters’ insurance companies to be the responsibility of the tenant of the property.
This is because renters’ insurance is designed to cover sudden and unexpected disasters, such as a fire or hurricane. For example, if you temporarily rent your flat to a guest through Airbnb and they are bitten by bedbugs or have their personal property destroyed, neither your renters insurance nor Airbnb’s host protection insurance will cover expenses related to the event. This is because renters insurance is designed to cover sudden and unexpected losses, such as fire or tornado damage. In contrast, renters’ insurance is primarily intended to cover losses resulting from sudden and unexpected events.
The insurance provider does not care whether you or your landlord does the maintenance, but will almost certainly not cover the cost. It is important to remember that although pests are not covered by renters’ insurance, it is important to have a good policy for other covered losses. Renters’ insurance protects the personal property of tenants who use home-sharing services such as Airbnb. Although major insurers, such as Allstate and State Farm, do not cover bedbug damage, some lesser-known insurers may offer some coverage.