Students may want to think twice before signing their lease. Paying attention to the intricate details as to whether or not a renter provides insurance for their residents is something that may be of importance.
One FAMU alumnus said he has learned from a past incident not to take any chances without having insurance.
“My apartment caught on fire from leftover grease on top of the oven,” said Marlon Holloway, a 23-year-old political science graduate from Orlando.
Holloway said that after the fire department inspected his place, they discovered that the oven, which was not working properly, caused the fire.
“I had the landlord come to my apartment to look at my oven a week prior to the incident, and he confirmed that the oven was working fine,” Holloway said.
Because he was covered by the property owner’s insurance, Holloway did not have to pay for the damages.
But not all property managers are as sentimental to their residents.
According to Mission Trace Apartment’s leasing agreement, “We shall not be liable for any damage loss or injury to person or property occurring within your apartment or upon the property whether caused by us or someone else.” The statement went on to say, “You are responsible for obtaining your own casualty and liability insurance …”
Which raises a question: If property owners are not responsible and the person renting the property is not responsible for damages inside the apartment, who is?
In situations like these, some urge students to protect themselves.
Scott Kremkau, president of Affiliated Insurance Agencies said that everyone should look into getting general coverage of his or her property. However, Kremkau pointed out one difficulty that students may face, which may make the search a little more complicated.
“When a bunch of students are living in a house and they may or may not know each other, the chances of theft can be great,” Kremkau said, which is why some companies are hesitant to write insurance policies for them (students).
According to Kremkau, depending on how much coverage a person wants, insurance is not very expensive.
“Insurance rates depends, it can start generally around $250 a year,” Kremkau said.
Whatever the cost, Holloway said that he makes sure that he is insured wherever he goes.
“People may think, ‘It won’t happen to me’, but really, it can.”
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