Archives for renters insurance

Apartment Fire$83,000 in damages from a June 2011 apartment fire is now the subject of a Texas Supreme Court case.

Carmen White rented an apartment in San Antonio. When she did, she signed the standard Texas Apartment Association lease used by landlords statewide on millions of apartments. In that lease Provision 12 of the 11-page agreement requires the renter to pay for damage not caused by the landlord’s negligence.

But she didn’t have insurance to cover that liability. So when her dryer caught fire, and she couldn’t put out the fire with her fire extinguisher, the property owner’s insurance company sued her to recover the damages.

So now she’s spent the last four years fighting a set of court cases that could have been easily avoided.

iMGA Renters policies include your choice of $100,000 – $300,000 liability coverage. As importantly, the policy also provides legal defense cost coverage. All that is in addition to whatever contents coverage limit she could have selected, up to $50,000.

So if Ms. White had paid the less than $15 per month that an average iMGA Renters policy costs, that policy could have covered the full $83,000 in liability to the landlord, all related legal defense costs, and the cost of damages to her own property.

Don’t let your clients face this completely avoidable situation. More and more landlords are requiring Renters insurance from their tenants. Even when they don’t, though, we should make sure this doesn’t happen.

Quote your clients an iMGA Renters policy today. It’s peace of mind worth many times the cost.

 

If you’re a Texas independent insurance agent who doesn’t already represent iMGA and you’d like to be able to provide this affordable protection to your clients, start the process here.

CorpusChristiTXApartmentsAtNightTexas is vast – and so is the Texas coastline. Stretching over 350 miles from Louisiana to Mexico, the counties along and near the Texas gulf coast make up a huge area that houses half the population of the state.

And now, for all the Renters in all that area, iMGA has an option you can offer your customers- a low cost policy that covers liability only. This option lets your clients satisfy the liability requirement their apartment complex may have at the lowest possible cost and without any geographical restrictions.

iMGA’s Renters program is now available all over the state.

Unlike Homeowners, Dwelling, Vacant and MobileHome, there are no counties in which you cannot sell iMGA Renters policies. If it’s a coastal county where contents coverage cannot be offered, the system will automatically let you know. If not, you’ll be able to offer the full range of Renters coverage options, including Replacement Cost and theft coverage.

We’re pleased to be able to offer you this new option and really appreciate the input we receive from our agents.

If you’re a Texas independent insurance agent who would like to work with a Homeowners, Dwelling Fire, MobileHome, Renters and Vacant home insurance market that really listens, let us know.

Apartment ComplexAccording to a national survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 56% of young adult renters do not have renters insurance.

The same survey found that 75% of those without insurance did not realize that they could buy renters insurance for about the same amount each month as one cup of Starbucks a week, or two movie tickets a month.

The online survey of over 1,000 23-35 year old renters, commissioned by Nationwide Insurance, also found that:

  • The two biggest fears among renters are fire and theft.
  • Forty percent didn’t know that renters insurance can cover stolen property.
  • Seventy percent have rented for three years or more and 46 percent have rented for five years or longer.

A Good Agent is Critical

The results of this survey show yet again why a good insurance agent is such an important part of making sure clients are covered properly.

Your clients need you to inform them of the coverages available and appropriate for their situation. As an industry professional you can bring information and a perspective that they simply do not have.

So help your clients who are renting – talk to them today about an iMGA Renters policy and help them avoid being part of the 56% without insurance. They’ll thank you, and they’ll sleep better at night knowing they have the coverage they need at a reasonable price.

 

If you’re a Texas independent agent looking to offer a Renters product to your clients, contact us today.

Independent insurance agents that represent iMGA are professionals that really understand their clients’ needs.

At iMGA we’ve worked hard to provide all the personal property solutions for those needs:

Homeowners Insurance

Texas House With Metal Roof

  • Small farms and ranches (up to 300 acres)
  • Older homes – even with replacement cost coverage (provided needed updates have been made)
  • Home based businesses
  • All protection classes
  • With or without credit scoring
  • Properties with pools, slides, diving boards, trampolines and pets (subject to certain restrictions of course)
  • Multi-policy discount if they have another policy with your agency
  • Discounts for new roofs, dwelling updates, hail resistive roofs, and much more

Rental Dwelling Insurance

Texas Style House With Metal Roof

  • With or without replacement cost coverage
  • With or without liability coverage
  • Discounts for new roofs, dwelling updates, hail resistive roofs, and much more

Owner-Occupied Dwelling Insurance

  • With optional theft coverage
  • With or without replacement cost coverage
  • Discounts for new roofs, dwelling updates, hail resistive roofs, and much more

Mobile Home With Golf Cart

MobileHome Insurance

  • With or without replacement cost coverage
  • All protection classes
  • Owner or tenant occupied
  • With or without liability coverage
  • Discounts for metal roofs

Apartment Building With Green Tile Roof

Renters Insurance

  • Homes or Apartments
  • Contents up to $50,000
  • Optional theft and replacement cost coverage

House With For Sale Sign

Vacant Dwelling Insurance

  • All protection classes
  • With or without liability coverage
  • With or without renovation coverage

All iMGA policies include

  • convenient direct bill payment plans (with up to 9 installments, depending on the product and term),
  • check, automatic recurring check and credit card payment options, and
  • instant policy issuance.

To learn more, log in. If you’re not already an iMGA agent, contact us.

Apartments with a poolGraduation is here! That means it’s time for students to move – and lots of new renters will be entering the market.

But while their graduation shows they’ve learned a lot, a recent survey proves most people know very little about Renters insurance.

For example, six of 10 U.S. adults who rent a house or apartment don’t have renter’s insurance, and of those uninsured:

  • 57% think they don’t need it because their apartment has decent security,
  • 48% believe their landlord’s insurance will cover their belongings, and
  • 21% assumed it would cost $1,000 or more each year.

Agents can make the difference here. Educate your clients on the availability, need and affordability of Renters insurance. With policies averaging under $200 per year and coverage options like:

  • Replacement Cost on Contents,
  • Contents Coverage Limits up to $50,000,
  • Liability Coverage Limits up to $300,000,
  • Medical Payments Limits up to $2,000, and
  • Theft Coverage

There really is no reason for your clients to be caught unprotected.

 

(The telephone survey of 1,004 adults was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from Feb. 7-10, 2013.)

South Padre Vacation Rental Home

Vacation rental house photo courtesy of longhorndave

It’s time to start making plans for spring break and summer vacation.

There are lots of great options out there, and a short-term home or condo rental is one that many people choose.

Property owners have to be more careful than ever, though, so many will require renters to have insurance coverage for the rental.

Fortunately iMGA’s Longhorn Rental program offers terms from 1 to 12 months. You can quickly and easily provide them with $100,000 liability coverage and up to $50,000 contents coverage.

It only takes a few minutes to quote and issue a Longhorn Renters policy, so don’t hesitate to meet their short-term rental coverage needs and be their vacation hero!

Of course short-term renter policies work well for students who only need 9 months of coverage, and a whole lot of other specialty scenarios, too, so don’t just think of them for vacation rentals.

If you’re an agent who is not already working with us and would like a Texas Personal Property program that includes cutting-edge Renters, Dwelling, Vacant, MobileHome HOA/HOA+/HOB and Umbrella products, just tell us a little about yourself.

If you’re already one of our great agents, thank you!

Thanks to great input from our agents we are happy to announce iMGA’s new Longhorn Renters program, designed to meet the needs of Texas renters.

Just some of the highlights of the program include:

  • Apartments, homes and mobile homes eligible
  • Up to $50,000 contents coverage
  • Theft coverage included
  • A low $500 deductible for most perils
  • $0 deductible for covered fire and lightning losses!
  • $100,000 liability/$1,000 medical payments limits
  • Liability only policies available
  • No credit check
  • Entire state eligible
  • Policy term from 1-12 months
  • Up to 8 payments
  • Optional additional insured coverage available
  • Discounts for seniors, fire and burglar alarms, and claims free history
  • From start to bound policy in just minutes

Log in today to review the Renters Program Summary or begin a quote.

If you’re not already an iMGA agent and need an excellent Renters, Homeowners, Dwelling, Vacant and MobileHome program to offer your clients, contact us today.

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