Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Items In Storage Units? (2024)

Your belongings kept in storage units are covered by standard insurance policies through personal property coverage. Personal property coverage offers protection for most of your things when they are stolen or damaged due to specific perils.

Furniture, appliances, electronics and more are typically covered by this insurance. Some high-value items, like firearms and jewelry, have limited coverage. Perils that are commonly covered include lightning, fire, hail, theft and smoke damage.

The amount of coverage you need will depend on how many things you own and how much their value is. It can also be wise to get scheduled personal property coverage to increase your limits.

Your belongings in storage units are covered by personal property coverage when they are damaged or lost because of theft, fire and other specified perils. These items can also be insured through scheduled personal property coverage.

Personal property coverage specifies the kinds of items and events that it can cover. This depends on the limit of your policy and the value of the item. For example, if a piece of artwork worth $2,000 has been stolen from the storage unit and the limit for high-value items is only $1,500, your insurance will not be able to fully cover the artwork’s value. However, adding scheduled personal property coverage can increase your limits.

Since home insurance policies provide a specific list of items and perils insured by personal property coverage, anything outside of this list may not be covered. Here are common instances where damage or loss of your things in storage units can’t be insured by your homeowners insurance policy:

• If your things have been damaged by a flood or other uncovered event on the storage unit’s premises
• If the cause of the item’s loss is your actions

Although you have an extra level of protection with your homeowners insurance, avoiding any unwanted incidents is always better. Thinking ahead and ensuring your things are safe can keep your items in storage units intact. Below are tips you can use to protect your stored items from damage or theft.

Most insurance companies, like State Farm and Hippo, offer homeowners insurance that includes personal property coverage. You can also compare insurance companies to get the best rates.

Homeowners insurance costs $175 per month on average. The price of your policy depends on how much personal property you own. MoneyGeek’s personal property calculator below can give you an estimate of the amount of coverage you might need.