Does My Home Insurance Cover Damage To My Personal Things?

Q: Are my personal belongings covered under my home insurance policy?

I’m an amateur photographer and I have a lot of expensive equipment that I’ve collected over the years. I tend to take a lot of it with me when I’m traveling, and I was wondering whether or not my home insurance would cover it and my other personal belongings if it were lost or damaged while I’m away from home.

A: Fortunately, most homeowners insurance policies do include coverage for owned property when it is off-premises. The amount of coverage available is based both on the contents coverage amounts you purchased with your policy and on the guidelines set forth by the insurance provider you are working with. 

Be aware, however, that if your policy does include this coverage, it will most likely have limits for different categories such as jewelry, musical instruments, and money and securities. Because you have a lot of photography equipment, in order for it to be fully covered, you will most likely need to purchase a special rider, unless you already have one as part of your policy. 

An agent in our network can help you review the homeowners insurance policy you already have so that you can find out how much coverage you are entitled to when you have your belongings away from home. If there are deficiencies in your coverage, such as for your photography equipment, your agent can help you eliminate them by recommending a better policy or by finding you supplemental coverage.