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Renters can now purchase renters insurance on Zillow through a partnership with Homesite, according to an announcement on Thursday. The policies can be purchased at any point throughout the rental process on Zillow’s desktop site and mobile app, and are available to renters in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
“Renters insurance is important for both tenants and landlords and now renters can conveniently get a quote and purchase a plan through Zillow, making their move that much easier,” Zillow Rentals VP Michael Sherman said in a prepared statement.
Michael Sherman
To get a quote, renters must provide their basic information including their name, birthday, phone number, email address and home address. From there, Zillow Insurance Services crafts a policy with coverage for personal possessions, personal liability, mold liability, medical payments, temporary housing expenses and a standard deductible.
Renters also have the option of adding coverage for water backup and sump overflow, equipment breakdown, mold protection, computers, refrigerated property, animal liability and identity theft. Renters can lower or increase the coverage limit for each category based on their needs and can pay for their policy on a monthly or annual basis.
The policies go into effect one month after accepting the quote, and renters can reach out to Zillow’s insurance partner, Homesite, for assistance.
A recent Zillow survey said only 50 percent of renters have insurance, with 25 percent noting they didn’t know enough about the process to know if it was necessary. Landlords have their own insurance; however, most of those policies don’t cover renters or their personal belongings.
“Zillow aims to simplify the moving process and make life easier for renters,” Sherman added. “We understand the importance of crossing off those essential to-do list items, and now we’re excited to offer a seamless solution to protecting renters’ belongings.”
