Renting Reality : Modern Insurance Solutions

Did you guys know the last house we lived in was a rental? Everyone always seems shocked by this- that we brought three babies home into a rental house that we didn’t own. It isn’t the norm where I grew up but where I live now rental life is the reality of so many families.  We are in the suburbs of Pittsburgh (which I think are somewhat unique to this city) but have so many friends and family members that rent in the city.  I’ve also got brothers and cousins who are just starting out in their first apartments and rental mishaps and incidents are popping up in conversation more and more.

What doesn’t pop up more and more is any discussions about rental insurance.  Who can protect all your stuff and what stuff can they protect?  What do you do when something happens that damages your property or the property of your landlord?

We own the house we are living in now.  But pretend we are renting it. Everything is well and good when we sign on the dotted line, but just 4 months after moving in the entire sewer line backs up.  The grinder pump is broken. The basement is…unspeakably disgusting as are so many belongings we’ve stored down there.

And just months after the sewer incident a massive limb from a 150 year old maple tree drops and destroys your entire deck, your brand new (oh so beautiful) grill, kids water table and ride on toys, electrical hookups, siding on your house AND completely totals your mini van. The wreckage is immense. There is glass literally everywhere. And now a 6 foot drop from your main entrance is all there is between your house and the destruction below.

In a few months the furnace completely quits.  It isn’t fixable and you’re in the middle of a -10 degree week of bitter cold weather with three small children and a dog to keep warm. The furnace can be replaced of course but it’s a holiday week and everything is taking forever to get moving. Your house is basically unlivable.

What do you do?!!

Enter Jetty.  A modern insurance solution for renters and condo dwellers alike – designed with fresh eyes and dedicated people to actually teach you a better way to rent with peace of mind.  If you have Jetty you know that all the belongings in your basement are covered by your insurance. If you have Jetty you know that all of your belongings damaged by the tree falling are covered and replaceable. If you have Jetty you know you have full coverage to stay in a hotel until your furnace is ordered, delivered and properly installed and working again. If you have Jetty – you have peace of mind.

But we didn’t know any of this. If you have a second, go find out everything you never wanted to know about insurance. Pretty neat, huh?

I didn’t know:

…that insurance can cover the food in your fridge.

Maybe you stocked your fridge for a big party. Or you raw feed your dog or cat and have a freezer full of bison, duck and marrowbone. Or you are giving donated breastmilk to your premature babie(s). If the power fails and your food spoils, the loss can easily total hundreds of dollars.

Before you run to the grocery store or local farmers market, check your renters policy. Appliance failures should be covered, which means you get help to recover from losses—such as spoiled food—that result from these failures.

I didn’t know:

…that insurance covers other people’s stuff.

That if you trip and knock your neighbor’s video camera into the pool. You’re covered. You drop your brother’s electric guitar down the steps. Covered. You ride your boyfriend’s new trail bike off the trail, over the boulders, down the hill and into the trees. High-speed and unplanned. Covered.

Even though the damaged property belongs to someone else, remember that the most important part of renters insurance is you—the renter.  And when you’re at fault in accidents like these, you’re covered.

I didn’t know:

…that you can purchase additional coverage for all of the “just in case” moments of life.

That you can buy an Umbrella policy. Accidents happen. So do lawsuits. An umbrella insurance policy can give you $1 million in coverage for about $10 a month. And that is a great deal—whether you rent an apartment or own a house, live alone or with a posse of teen drivers (terrifying, ha!).

It’s actually infuriating to me how much people DO NOT know about insurance simply because it’s not a required life skill/course. It’s not part of a liberal arts education (I think a class on insurance would have done me so much more good than a class on scuba diving or folk poetry, just saying.)

Let Jetty help you reach the living goals you have been reaching for, not by making unrealistic housing options attainable, but by helping you get into housing that IS realistic for your family and covering you appropriately. It’s worth mentioning that Jetty can get you out of paying your security deposit. YES REALLY.  My sweet friend explains all of that here. Also worth mentioning is that Jetty can help you negotiate not having a co-signer (they can act as your guarantor!) and how to work around a requirement you might not meet by working directly with your landlord. This is huge! Basically Jetty becomes the Daddy Warbucks you never had but always totally wanted.

Hopefully I’m presenting a new option to some of you in Pittsburgh who may need and want to take advantage of a better insurance solution for you or your family.

Not in Pittsburgh? Here is what Jetty has to say about where they are headed next!

“Currently, Jetty is available in eight states: Florida, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, DC, and Georgia. Our Jetty Passport products are available in all of those states while, for now, Renters and Condo/Co-op plans are available in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, DC, and Georgia specifically.

Insurance is regulated at a state-by-state level in the United States, so we have to roll out individual states one at a time. We’re working on the other 44 (D.C. is its own state in insurance world!).

Interested in Jetty but don’t live in one of these states? Shoot us an e-mail at help@jetty.com and let us know where you live so we can let you know as soon as we’re available in your area.”

This post is brought to you by Jetty Insurance, who has recently expanded into the Pittsburgh region.