Pro tip: Check your landlord's insurance before signing any lease in Chicago

I moved into a place in Logan Square last September and didn't ask about the building's insurance. A pipe burst in the unit above mine 3 weeks in and ruined my couch and mattress. The landlord tried to say I needed my own renter's insurance for coverage, but his policy actually covered building damage only. I ended up paying $1,200 out of pocket for a new mattress because I waited too long to get renter's insurance. Now I always ask to see the policy documents before I sign anything. Has anyone else gotten stuck with a repair bill here that you thought the landlord would cover?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella229d ago

And don't forget to check if their policy covers "loss of use" too, because if the place is uninhabitable for a month you're still on the hook for rent somewhere else while they figure it out.

the_sean9d ago

Wait, you got stuck with the bill even after you had the policy? That's wild. I thought renter's insurance was supposed to cover stuff like that once you signed up, not just shrug it off.

pat_murray539d ago

Did your renter's insurance actually cover the mattress after you got it, or did they call it a pre-existing issue since you already had the damage? That's the sort of fine print that gets people, too - they think they're covered but the policy excludes certain stuff like that.