Is Homeowners Insurance Required?

Most people who are purchasing a house want to know, “Is homeowners insurance required?” And the answer is – it depends on the situation. Homeowners insurance isn’t generally required by law. However, if you have a mortgage on your home, usually mortgage lenders require you to buy an insurance policy to protect their financial interest in your home.

 

Even though homeowners insurance isn’t typically required by law, it’s still a good idea to get coverage. Home insurance protects you financially if your house and belongings are damaged by a covered loss. Without insurance, you’ll have to pay all repair or replacement costs out of pocket.

 

You should consider purchasing a homeowners insurance policy to help:

 

Standard home insurance policies help protect your home and its contents if they are damaged by a covered loss, like fire, hail or theft.

 

Personal property, like your furniture, clothing and appliances, are protected under your home insurance policy. Homeowners insurance helps cover repair or replacement costs if your belongings are damaged by a covered loss, up to certain limits. For more expensive items, like furs, china and silverware, valuable items blanket coverage increases your insurance limits for extra protection.

 

Homeowners insurance also includes liability coverage. This helps cover costs if someone who isn’t a resident of your household gets injured or you’re found liable for damaging someone else’s property.

 

There are several types of home insurance coverages to help protect you in different situations. These coverages include:

 

Personal liability insurance helps protect you if a guest gets injured and you’re held legally responsible. For example, this coverage can help pay for the person’s medical bills. Personal liability coverage also helps pay for damages you cause to someone else’s property.

 

Dwelling coverage comes standard with your home insurance policy. It helps cover your house and its attached structures, such as porches, if they are damaged by a covered loss like hail, lightning or fire.

 

If you have detached structures on your property, like sheds, gazebos or detached garages, other structures coverage can help protect them after a covered loss occurs. For example, if your shed gets damaged during a storm, this coverage can help pay the costs to repair it.

 

Personal property insurance is the part of your home insurance policy that covers your personal belongings. With this coverage, personal property like your furniture, clothing and appliances are protected against damage from a covered loss.

 

Flood insurance isn’t included in standard homeowners insurance policies. You’ll need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy to be protected in these situations.

 

If you’re a landlord and own a rental unit, rental property insurance can help protect your property. These policies can help pay the costs to repair or rebuild your unit if it’s damaged by a covered weather event. They also can help protect you in liability situations if a tenant gets injured on your rental property and you’re found to be legally responsible.

 

Having the right homeowners insurance is an important part of protecting the investment you’ve made in your home. However, not all home insurance companies are the same. The AARP^® Homeowners Insurance Program from The Hartford¹ is the only home insurance program endorsed by AARP. The Hartford’s specialists are here to help you get the coverage you need at a price you can afford. Call 877-422-2345 or get a quote online today to start protecting your home with The Hartford.

 

 

Last Updated: June 23, 2023

 

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