When I was going to college several years ago, there were a series of burglaries happening in student apartments close to campus. The burglar would sneak in and steal TVs, laptops, iPods, gaming systems, and whatever else he could get his hands on. He was even so bold as to go into occupied apartments at night and steal students’ belongings.
A nickname was coined by the students, and he quickly became known as “The Logan Lurker.” For several weeks we kept hearing stories about a new burglary. One night, The Logan Lurker even hit an apartment in my same complex, just a building over from mine.
Finally, after a few weeks of the community being on edge, the police received a call early one morning about a burglary. The police brought their K-9 companions and were able to track down and finally catch the famed Logan Lurker. The Lurker pleaded guilty and was sentenced for his crimes. Luckily, the stolen items were returned to their rightful owners.
For many students starting a new semester of college, renters insurance isn’t on the top on their shopping list. In fact, it probably isn’t on their list at all. However, this story illustrates that your belongings aren’t always safe. Renters insurance can be a great way to protect your belongings while living away from home.
Twenty years ago, students might have been able to get by without having renters insurance. But students now are heading to school with expensive phones and other valuable items such as laptops, iPads, TVs, gaming systems and more. I look at what my roommates and I owned, and between the computers, guitars, and other belongings, there was a lot of value there. With more valuable items, the need for renters insurance is much greater.
And here’s the good news: renters insurance is cheap! Usually about $125 a year. I’m not sure how many boxes of mac ‘n cheese that equals, but you get the idea. It’s cheap. And students who are still dependents of their parents may already have coverage under their parents’ homeowners policy. Typical homeowners policies provide coverage for up to 10% of the contents limit for an off-premises property, such as a student’s belongings at school. Be sure to check your own policy to see if you might have this coverage.
If the Logan Lurker hadn’t been caught, those victims without renters insurance likely wouldn’t have had the funds to replace their stolen items. For a student working two part-time jobs to pay for tuition, having a laptop stolen could be devastating. However, renters insurance can help protect a student’s belongings at a very affordable price.
For more information about how to protect your belongings with a renters insurance policy, contact Beehive Insurance today.
