Allstate Renters Insurance Review
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When I first moved off campus in college, I didn’t pay much mind to the insurance company I used for my renters insurance policy. In fact, when it came to my renters insurance coverage, I was more concerned with how my personal belongings were protected — not whether or not the type of coverage I’d selected handled bigger threats to me and my friend’s rental home, such as water damage.
After graduating college and moving to a city, I was more cognizant of property damage and the importance of personal property coverage. Even so, to me at that age, the best renters insurance coverage was pretty much synonymous with the policy that offered the best renters insurance cost. Since I wasn’t making a lot of money upon graduating, bundling renters insurance with my auto policy was an ideal way for me to save.
While cost is certainly important to consider when evaluating your coverage options, it shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all. Considering your deductible, coverage limits, out of pocket expenses, and even what constitutes a covered loss are just as important. If you’re trying to get more perspective on renters insurance, reading reviews is a great way to get started. Here’s the skinny in our Allstate renters insurance review.
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What is Allstate Renters Insurance?
Allstate is an insurance company that has been around since the early 1930s. Initially it was founded by Sears, Roebuck and Co. While there are only thirteen Sears stores left in the United States, Allstate insurance is still going quite strong. They have an AM Best rating of A+ and a JD Power rating of 835 out of 1,000. Allstate offers a wide range of discounts for its policyholders, and getting in touch with an Allstate agent can help you get even more out of your policy.
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How does Allstate Renters Insurance work?
To get started protecting your belongings with Allstate renters insurance, you have two options. If you’d like to get a quote by phone, you can call Allstate at 888-521-3105. However, most people will choose to get their quote using Allstate’s website, which is fast and free. It all starts by entering your zip code and clicking on the “Get a Quote” button.
Right off the bat, Allstate is ready to help you save by offering you bundling options. In addition to getting a quote on standard renters insurance policy, you can also select to bundle auto insurance, home insurance, condo, motorcycle, off-road, or term life insurance with your renters insurance policy. Obviously, this can really help you rack up the savings, although the odds aren’t particularly high that most people would need renters insurance and home or condo insurance simultaneously.
Once you’ve decided what you want to bundle, you’ll be directed to a simple form that asks for your name, date of birth, and address. From there, you’ll be asked to double-check that everything matches the way your driver’s license displays your personal information. Then, you’ll be able to get your quote.
After answering those few questions, you can explore quotes and your coverage. Allstate will start by offering you three different tiers of insurance to select from and compare coverage. You’ll also be able to add additional coverage if you need it, such as building improvements coverage. Allstate defines this type of optional coverage as offering you reimbursement when “you, the renter, made building upgrades at your place and they are damaged by a covered incident.”
How much does Allstate Renters Insurance cost?
Allstate advertises quotes starting at as low as $4 a month on their website. However, how much you wind up paying for your policy depends on a variety of factors, including where you live, whether or not you’re taking advantage of a multi-policy discount with your car insurance, and whether or not you’re choosing to get additional coverage beyond personal property and liability coverage for things like identity theft protection.
The basic coverage I was able to find for a property on the Northside of Chicago ranged from $10 a month to $18 a month. Allstate’s budget-savvy option came with a $1,000 property deductible, while their balanced and enhanced options came with a $500 deductible. In addition to offering oodles of bundling discounts, Allstate lets you save between $8 and $13 a year by paying for your coverage annually instead of monthly.
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- Starting From $5/mo
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- Covered in as little as 90 seconds
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Allstate Renters Insurance features
So, what makes Allstate renters insurance tick? Here are some of the best perks and features of their renters insurance policies.
Solid standard protections
Allstate’s quotes break down their standard coverage quite well. Their renters insurance policies cover your stuff (through personal property protection and personal property reimbursement) and also cover you and other (with family liability protection, guest medical protection for medical bills up to $1,000 per person), and additional living expenses up to 40% of your property protection.
Tons of discounts
Allstate offers a bevy of discounts, allowing its policyholders to really rake in the savings. Some of the ways you can save money on your renters insurance policy with Allstate include paying for your coverage annually instead of monthly, or bundling it with your auto, homeowners, off-road, term life, or motorcycle insurance. You can also save money on your insurance coverage by signing up for auto-pay, being retired, having no recent renters insurance claims filed, and by having safety features in your home like smoke detectors.
Additional optional coverage
If you’re not fully satisfied with the standard offerings from Allstate’s liability and personal umbrella policy, they do offer some additional coverage that might be worth exploring. Some of the optional add-ons you can add to your policy include things like:
- Identity theft coverage
- Replacement cost coverage for the actual cash value of personal property
- Scheduled personal property for higher-end belongings
- Building improvements coverage
Who is Allstate Renters Insurance best for?
When you need a low-cost renters insurance option, Allstate is definitely a strong competitor. In terms of value, they offer a solid amount of standard coverage and offer oodles of discounts that can help you save money on your annual insurance costs. Especially considering that Allstate is available in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, this makes Allstate an appealing option for most people living in the United States.
Who shouldn’t use Allstate Renters Insurance?
Allstate doesn’t offer as much customization as other insurers. This can make it a less ideal option for first-time policyholders or anyone who needs to really pick and choose the features of their policy in order to get the best coverage that fits them and their personal situation.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Simple quote process. Thanks to the fact that Allstate’s quote form is just a few pages, you can get your free renters insurance quote in just a few clicks. Especially if you have your web browser already set up to autofill your name and address, the process truly takes about a minute or two. Once you’re looking at your quote, everything is clearly spelled out for you as you compare options.
- Available in every state. Allstate offers rental insurance coverage in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. This is great for peace of mind if you move frequently or are concerned about getting consistent coverage if you do move.
- Easy-to-use app. If you ever do need to file a claim, you can do so online, over the phone, or by using Allstate’s intuitive mobile app. Available on Android and iOS, the Allstate app also allows you to review your policy and coverage, as well as securely pay your bill.
- Lots of discounts. As has already been referenced elsewhere in this review, Allstate offers a ton of different ways to save on your renters insurance. While some insurers only offer deals on things like having safety or security features in your home, Allstate gives discounts for retirees as well as folks on auto-pay. This makes it much easier to lower your premium.
Cons
- Some consumer complaints. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Allstate does have an above average number of complaints from policyholders over the course of the past few years. Even so, it’s worth noting that the NAIC includes both condo insurance and renters insurance complaints in that figure, so they aren’t solely for Allstate’s renters policies.
- JD Power score leaves a little to be desired. In terms of coverage, Allstate really does offer a lot. However, similar to how they fared with the NAIC, JD Power has also scored them in the 800-range out of 1,000, which is a bit lower than some of their competitors.
- Less customization than other insurers. While Allstate does offer a fair amount of customization, you can’t pick-and-choose your policy features as much with this insurer compared to some of the other more tech-y options. For example, if you’re using Lemonade or another online-first newcomer, you’ll have a lot more flexibility in how you customize your policy and coverage.
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- Starting From $5/mo
- Most loved renters insurance in America
- Covered in as little as 90 seconds
- Claims paid at record speed
Allstate Renters Insurance vs. competitors
Here’s how Allstate compares to three other major insurance providers: Geico, State Farm, and Lemonade. Each insurance company was evaluated on add-on coverage, availability, and whether or not they offered discounts to their policyholders for a variety of criteria.
Insurance provider | Available in all 50 states? | Discounts available? | Add-ons |
Allstate | Yes | Yes | Identity theft, scheduled property, building improvement cost reimbursement, replacement cost coverage |
GEICO | Yes | Yes | Earthquakes, flooding |
State Farm | Yes | Yes | Identity theft and pet damage |
Lemonade | No | Yes | Flood insurance, Equipment Breakdown Coverage (EBC) |
GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a major American insurance company, known for offering a wide range of insurance products primarily to individual policyholders. While it initially started by targeting government employees, GEICO has grown to become the second-largest private auto insurer in the United States, serving a broad and diverse customer base.
GEICO isn’t as broad in its add-on coverage as Allstate, but it does offer a few types of additional coverage. Otherwise, both Geico and Allstate are very similar in terms of their regional availability and whether they offer discounts to policyholders.
State Farm
State Farm is one of the largest renters insurance companies in the United States, so it’s unsurprising that they go toe-to-toe with Allstate. State Farm offers a good amount of add-on coverage, just like Allstate, and is also available in all fifty states. State Farm also offers discounts, although not as many discounts as Allstate offers its policyholders.
Lemonade
As a digital-first insurer, Lemonade definitely scores points in the world of user interface, design, ease-of-use, and customization. As such, it’s not a surprise to see that they also offer good discounts and add-on coverage. Where Lemonad falls short is in its geographic availability, as it isn’t available in twenty-one of the fifty states.
However, if you live in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, or Wisconsin, where Lemonade is available, you may be willing to give it a shot.
FAQs
Is Allstate available for renters insurance in all 50 states?
Yes. You can get renters insurance from Allstate in all fifty states as well as Washington, D.C.
Will your renters insurance policy with Allstate renew automatically?
Yes. The only way to not have your insurance policy renew automatically is to go into your user account on Allstate’s website and disable auto renewal.
Does Allstate renters insurance cover damage from fires?
Yes. As fire is listed as a standard hazard in Allstate’s policies, your personal belongings will be able to be replaced as a result of having personal property coverage through Allstate on your renters insurance policy.
Lemonade renters insurance protects your stuff from the unexpected. Get covered with America's best-loved renters insurance in seconds. Starting from $5/month.
- Starting From $5/mo
- Most loved renters insurance in America
- Covered in as little as 90 seconds
- Claims paid at record speed
The bottom line
If you’re looking to stack up discounts with your renters insurance, then Allstate is a solid option for you. They have a strong amount of coverage as part of their standard coverage and also offer additional coverage that can help you get the most out of your policy without paying an arm and a leg for your premium. Allstate also has an easy-to-use website and mobile app which can be useful for exploring more information about your policy, paying your bill, and filing a claim.
Some regulating bodies have dinged Allstate in recent months, but it’s important to remember that some of those criticisms are at the state-level and for more than just Allstate’s renters insurance options. Of course, that isn’t to say that you should ignore these warnings. However, it’s important to do a little extra research if you’re concerned by things like a lower-than-average JD Power rating to get the full picture on where Allstate falls short and whether or not that’s something that bothers you or not.
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Writer
Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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