Best and Cheapest Renters Insurance in Pennsylvania for 2024

The need for renters insurance is not as obvious as the need for car or homeowners insurance. It's important to understand that your landlord likely has insurance that covers the structure of the building you're living in, but it doesn't cover your personal belongings (i.e. anything you bring into the apartment). That's where renters insurance comes in. It covers your items from perils in your apartment and also provides liability coverage in case an accident occurs in your apartment.

So if you want to ensure you're properly covered while renting in PA, it's important to find one of the best Pennsylvania renters insurance companies. But where do you start? In the table above, you can sort through all the renter's insurance companies ranked on Clearsurance. The rating next to each company the insurer's Clearsurance score is based exclusively on the thousands of ratings provided by customers.

Note: Only those companies with at least 25 renters insurance reviews are eligible to appear in the best Pennsylvania renters insurance rankings.

It is important to know as much as you can about your renter's insurance company before taking out a policy with them. Talking to a local, experienced insurance agent can help answer any questions you may have. Some questions to consider asking include, "What is the average cost for your renter's insurance coverage?" "Does my policy cover things such as water damage and bodily injury?" and, "What are my coverage options and my coverage limit?"

Additional living expenses can take a toll on any renter, but personal property coverage should be considered a necessity.

Interested in learning more about one of the companies on the list of the best renters insurance companies in Pennsylvania? You can visit the company's profile page to find more information about the company and read reviews to learn from the experiences of other policyholders.

If you would like the option to be able to review various quotes, we offer a tool that can help you.

On this page:

• Pennsylvania renters insurance rates
• Average cost of renting in Philadelphia
• Average cost of renting in Pittsburgh
• Renters insurance for Pennsylvania college students
• Pennsylvania property crime statistics

Who offers the best Pennsylvania renters insurance rates?

Out of the most popular renters insurance companies in Pennsylvania, Encompass offers the cheapest Pennsylvania renters insurance rates, on average.

When looking at the cost of renters insurance in Pennsylvania, it's important to know that while rates depend on factors specific to you and your apartment, they also depend on which company you choose. Some companies may offer renters insurance in Pennsylvania for a cheaper rate than others. On average, Pennsylvania renters insurance costs about $122 per year. In the table below, you can see average annual Pennsylvania renters insurance rates from some of the largest companies in the state.

These average renters insurance rates are based on a policy with $30,000 in personal property coverage (with a $500 deductible), $100,000 in personal liability and $1,000 in medical payments to others. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Pennsylvania will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.

How much does rent cost in Philadelphia?

In Philadelphia, rent costs an average of $1,523 per month. Philadelphia rent can vary based on your apartment's location and size.

Philadelphia is the most populous city in Pennsylvania with a population of more than 1.5 million. Philly is an important city to American history and is home of the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence. While the average monthly cost of rent in Philadelphia is $1,523, rent costs may vary depending on the area in the city. For example, the area of Society Hill is one of the more pricey areas with an average rental cost of $2,472 per month while apartments in West Fairhill cost an average of $769 per month.

The size of Philly apartments also affects the cost of the rent. On average, studio apartments cost $1,158 per month, one-bedroom apartments cost $1,378 per month and three-bedroom apartments cost $2,607 per month. While rent in Philadelphia can be expensive, that doesn't mean you should necessarily go without purchasing a renters policy. Renters insurance can protect your personal items from perils like theft or vandalism.

See the best renters insurance companies and rates in Philadelphia.

How much does rent cost in Pittsburgh?

In Pittsburg, rent costs an average of $1,241 per month. The cost of Pittsburg rent varies on a few factors including your apartment's location and size.

Pittsburgh has three rivers that run through it: the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio River. Pittsburgh is the second most populous city in Pennsylvania, second to Philadelphia. The average cost of rent in Pittsburgh is $1,241 per month. Depending on the neighborhood in Pittsburgh, rent cost may vary. In the neighborhood of Allentown rent is an average of $1,585 per month while rent costs an average of $611 in the neighborhood of Carrick.

The size of the apartment will also vary the cost of the rent. On average, a studio apartment in Pittsburgh costs $970 per month, a one-bedroom apartment costs $1,159 per month and a three-bedroom apartment costs $1,678 per month.

Can college students get affordable renters insurance coverage in Pennsylvania?

You may rent an apartment located off-campus if you're attending a college or university in Pennsylvania. There are a few things for college students renting housing in Pennsylvania to consider in order to protect their personal belongings.

Typically, college students who live in dorms located on the college campus are covered by their parent's homeowners insurance policy. That's usually only the case for students who live on campus, though. Pennsylvania college students who rent apartments off-campus should consider a renters insurance policy because their items won't be covered under their parents' policy, and without a renters insurance policy, they won't have any protection.

College students will most likely have roommates in the apartment they rent. It's not advised that students share renters' insurance policies with roommates. Rather, each student should have their own renter's insurance policy to protect their own belongings.

What are Pennsylvania's property crime statistics?

Theft and vandalism or malicious mischief are among the 16 perils a standard renters insurance policy protects you from. So, how does crime in Pennsylvania compare to other states around the country? The FBI published the following statistics on crime in Pennsylvania for 2016:

• Property crime - 222,795
• Burglary - 35,520
• Larceny theft - 174,228

When compared to the national average rate per 100,000 inhabitants, all three crime statistics for Pennsylvania rank below the national average. It is important to make sure that you are always covered. Ask your local insurance agent if your renter's policy covers additional protection like a burglar alarm. This will not only help keep you safe but also help with peace of mind, knowing that you are protected.

How can you save money on your renter's insurance in Pennsylvania?

While renter's insurance may be more affordable than other types of insurance, no one wants to pay more than they have to. So what are the different ways you can lower your Pennsylvania renters insurance premium and have some extra spending money?

Here are the top 5 ways to save on your renters insurance:

• Raise your deductible
• Ask about potential discounts
• Bundle your policies
• Determine the value of your personal property
• Pay in full by check

Keep in mind that you don't want to do anything that will upend your financial status. If you're not able to pay everything all at once, continue making your monthly payments. Just pay them on time, and inquire about any other discounts that could possibly help you. Talk to your insurance carrier about your credit score, what your policy limit is set at, or any sort of security systems you may have installed. If your credit score is good, and your limit can be lowered in any way because you don't have too many valuable items, you may end up saving some money. Plus, having things such as smoke detectors and burglar alarms not only protects you, but could net you a discount as well.

How does Clearsurance rate and rank the best renters insurance companies in Pennsylvania?

Consistent with its mission towards greater transparency, Clearsurance does not keep its rating and ranking formulas in a black box. Our algorithm analyzes a range of inputs from our independent community of insurance customers, including:

• Price
• Customer Service
• Claim service
• Likelihood to renew

The algorithm also takes into account the percentage of what customers say the company does well vs. the percentage of what customers say the company could do better.

Finally, there is also a confidence factor based upon the number of reviews a company has by insurance product. If the total number of reviews is less than 100, then a confidence deduction is applied to the star rating. The maximum impact of this deduction occurs when there are less than 25 reviews. Companies with 100 or more reviews, aged two years or less, receive 100% weighting (no deduction), while companies with 50 to 99 customer reviews receive a weighting of 95%, 25 to 49 reviews receive a weighting of 90%, and companies with less than 25 reviews a weighting of 85%.

The Clearsurance customer ratings and rankings are derived entirely from customer reviews and ratings.

Do you need a renters insurance guide?

As we mentioned above, there are common misconceptions regarding what is and isn't covered by a renters insurance policy. Before you purchase a policy from one of these best renters insurance companies in Pennsylvania, it's important to understand what your policy covers. For example, did you know that many renters insurance policies include liability protection in the event a non-resident is injured on the property? Plus, if your apartment becomes uninhabitable from an incident, some policies may cover your expenses as you find temporary housing.

It is important to know all that you can before taking out a renters insurance policy. Learn about the insurance company and the protection that their policies offer before making a final decision. Know and understand your policy limits and ask about what additional coverages you can add to your protection. For example, try to figure out if the area you live in sees any natural disasters, and whether or not those are covered under your policy. Earthquakes don't tend to happen often in Pennsylvania, but some people prefer to have that sort of protection just in case.

While we all want the most affordable renters’ insurance, it is important not to sacrifice the quality of your protection just to save some money. On the flip side of the same coin, you don't want to tack on additional coverage you don't end up needing. Talk to a local insurance agent about what insurance company is right for you, and what coverages they offer.

We want to make sure you’re equipped with a proper knowledge of renters insurance, so check out our renters insurance guide. Looking for more educational information about renters insurance? Check out our renters insurance blog for more information and topics related to renters insurance.

Don't forget about our comparison tool, which will help you to compare quotes from the wide range of companies that are out there.