Will Renters Insurance Cover My Dog?
Pet Insurance
Yes and no. We’ll break it down for you.
It’s important to protect yourself as both a dog owner and a renter. As a dog owner, you may be wondering what coverage your Renters insurance provides. Here’s what you need to know.
Renters insurance does cover:
- Liability. If your dog injures another dog or person, you may be liable for the injured party’s medical bills. Liability coverage is standard on Renters insurance policies and helps pay for medical expenses if a guest sustains injuries in your home, including those inflicted by your dog. Liability limits typically range from $100,000 to $300,000, but your policy may cap pet liability claims. While having a pet in the home might increase the cost of your Renters insurance, liability coverage could prove invaluable.
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The average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite was nearly $65,000 in 2022.2
There is a caveat: if your dog has a history of biting, or in certain states if the breed is deemed “high risk,” additional insurance may be required or liability coverage may be excluded, so it’s important to understand what your policy covers.
Renters insurance may cover:
- Damage your dog causes to your rental property. Some Renters insurance policies will cover the damage your pet leaves behind, but it’s not the norm. It’s important to read your policy so you understand what is covered before your dog causes damage to a rental.
Renters insurance does not cover:
- Damage to your personal property. If your pet damages your personal belongings, for example, your dog chews a hole in your sofa, it’s not covered.
- Injuries to members of your household. While liability coverage reimburses for medical expenses for houseguests, those for injuries sustained by members of your own household (including your roommates) are not covered.
- Your pet’s medical expenses. Renters insurance doesn’t cover a pet’s medical expenses, even if they’re due to an injury sustained within your rental. For that you’ll need Pet insurance. Designed primarily to help with unexpected veterinary bills in the event of an illness or injury, you may also purchase coverage to help with preventative care.
If you’re a renter who is also a pet owner, it’s important to protect yourself with Renters insurance and Pet insurance. Each of these policies is designed to cover different scenarios, but together they can provide protection from costs related to injuries to others and also to your pet.
1”Dog Bite Prevention,” American Veterinary Medical Association, www.avma.org, accessed March 2024.
2 “Dog-Related Injury Claim Payouts Exceeded $1 Billion in 2022,” Insurance Information Institute, www.iii.org, accessed March 2004.
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