Abigail Koffler

@abigailcoughler

Renter’s Insurance helps protect your stuff whether you’re at home or on the go. For many transient Brooklyn residents, signing up for a policy falls somewhere between scheduling a dentist appointment and finally organizing your sock drawer: you know you should do it but somehow never get around to it.

I’ve lived in my apartment for nearly a year and a half and still hadn’t taken the plunge, until I found Lemonade. They offer Renters Insurance, which is extremely worth getting to protect everything you own, in the space you don’t. This includes your laptop (which will be covered even if it’s stolen at a coffee shop or on vacation—their policy covers personal property anywhere in the world), your jewelry, your art, your furniture and more.

I put off tasks way more if they involve calling someone but Lemonade’s process is entirely online or in app — and super quick.

To get a quote, you enter your address and answer a brief series of questions. It honestly takes way longer to set up a Hinge Profile or make a restaurant reservation.

Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash.

I inputted my address and answered a few questions: Yes, I have a roommate, no pets, no camera equipment, no fine jewelry (the basic policy covers up to $1,500 in jewelry) and no valuable art (sigh).  My building has a fire alarm but no burglary alarm.

After 30 seconds, I got my quote: $5 a month for all kinds of protections. Specifically, Lemonade will protect up to $10,000 in personal property (including electronics, clothing, furniture). They also cover up to $100,000 in personal liability in case someone gets hurt on your property, plus $3000 in case of loss of use, meaning a situation if your place is unlivable. They even cover up to $1,000 in medical payments to other if a guest or neighbor is injured in your space. You can add extra coverage for valuable items like bikes, musical instruments, and more. You can easily add your spouse to your policy at no extra cost and extend protection to your significant other for $1.67 a month.

Living in Bushwick is full of surprises and Lemonade covers fire and smoke, crime and vandalism, liability, water damage, medical payments to others, and bad weather (excluding floods). There’s no minimum claim so you can get covered for every little thing, and payments come fast.

Aside from the ease of sign up and great coverage, Lemonade operates differently than most insurance companies: According to the FAQ section, “We take a fixed fee out of your monthly payments, pay reinsurance (and some unavoidable expenses), and use the rest for paying out claims. In essence, we treat premiums as if they were still your money and return unclaimed remainders in our annual ‘Giveback’.

Giveback is a unique feature of Lemonade, where each year leftover money is donated to causes our policyholders care about. You’ll choose a cause when you register.

It’s also easy to change addresses (you’ll receive a prorated refund to make sure you don’t have overlapping charges) or switch to Lemonade from another insurance provider. They handle most of those details.

Renters insurance is a great way to keep your property safe in Bushwick. Renter’s insurance is generally less expensive than many people realize. According to the New York State Department of Financial Services, “A basic policy costs around $300 a year for around $50,000 worth of property protection.”

We recommend checking out Lemonade Insurance. Policies start at $5 per month for full coverage and you can literally get yourself set up on their phone app in less than 5 minutes, plus they do cool stuff like donate unused money to charities and charge a flat rate. As Lemonade customers ourselves, we think that they really are the best option.

Use our link to get started with lemonade…or keep learning about renters insurance here.


Disclosure: Lemonade Insurance links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, Bushwick Daily will earn a commission if you click through and get yourself some $5/month renters insurance.

Cover Images Courtesy of  @stellarcourtney Instagram