If I rent an apartment, do I need insurance protection?

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

The answer to that question is an emphatic yes! Unfortunately, many renters find out the hard way that if their rented space is damaged or destroyed their personal property is not covered unless they have purchased their own renter’s policy to cover their personal property.

Many people are under the false assumption that their landlord’s policy on the building would provide protection for the tenants in the event of a loss. If you rent a house or an apartment, your landlord’s insurance will cover the landlord’s costs associated with repairing or rebuilding in the event of a fire or other disaster, but it would provide no protection for the tenants. 

Renter’s insurance is well worth the small investment, as it would protect you and your belongings in the unfortunate event of a covered loss.

Types of property losses that are normally covered under a well written renter’s insurance policy include: theft, vandalism, fire or smoke, lightning, explosion, windstorm along with specific types of water damage other than ground water seepage - renter’s insurance will not cover any form of ground water seepage or flooding, as this would require a separate flood insurance policy.

A renter’s or tenant’s policy of insurance offers three types of coverage:

• Liability Protection
• Personal Possession Protection
• Additional Living Expenses

The purpose of liability insurance is to protect your assets in the event someone sues you for bodily injury or property damage caused by an insured. Typical limits for this protection that may be purchased range from $100,000 to $500,000. 

Renter’s policies also provide for medical payment coverage in the event someone is injured in your home. Coverage limit options exist for this coverage as well.

When deciding how much coverage you need for your personal possessions, be sure to have an accurate record of your items and their replacement value. It is a good idea to maintain a home inventory of your personal property including but not limited to appliances you may own, furniture, jewelry, electronics, clothing, etc. 

This list should also include purchase values, and remember to keep receipts whenever possible. You should keep this important information at a secure location outside of the apartment so you will not lose it in the event of a total loss to the building. This will make the claims filing process much quicker and easier.

Coverage of additional living expenses is essential if your property becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss. If you need to relocate for some time, this coverage may help to pay for hotel bills, meals and other expenses. 

There is typically a cap on the amount of time this will be covered so make certain you are aware of policy limits and review them with your agent.

We at Blais Insurance would be happy to explain renter’s insurance in greater detail, and show you exactly how inexpensive this investment can be. Call us today at 725.0070 for more information.

Insuring Your Valuable Items

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

Your homeowners’ insurance is a critical component to owning a home and making sure its value is protected from anything that might happen. But it doesn’t cover everything, especially certain valuable possessions you may have. Valuable Item coverage will provide you the protection you need for your most valuable possessions in the event of loss through theft, accident or natural disaster.

The unendorsed homeowner insurance policy covers your personal property but has limits on how much it will pay for certain items, such as furs, jewelry, collectibles, and fine art. It is best to adhere to the often-quoted proposition that special things require special coverage. Here’s a list of some of the things (this list is not exhaustive however), you may own that you should consider reviewing to make sure you have the correct coverage under your policy:

• cameras (video or still) and related equipment 
• china and crystal 
• coins (rare and current) 
• firearms 
• furs 
• golfer's equipment 
• jewelry 
• musical instruments 
• personal computers 
• stamps (rare and current) 
• silverware 
• works of fine art, including paintings, etchings, pictures and other bona fide works of art (such as oriental rugs, statuary, rare books, manuscripts and bric-a-brac) of rarity, historical value or artistic merit. 

Here are some quick suggestions for procedure if you’re thinking about getting your valuables covered by valuable item coverage:

• Share with your agent any particular items you’d like insured to make sure they’ll be covered. 
• Keep documentation of your valuables’ worth in a separate location in order to ensure that their value will be returned to you. 
• Make sure you understand the limits and exclusions of your policy or rider. 
• Consider hiring an appraiser for particularly valuable items like collections or antiques whose value can be questioned. 

If you have any questions regarding types of items covered by this type of insurance, or about how to get your own policy, don’t hesitate to contact us at 401-725-0070.

Safety During the Holidays

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

As the holiday season comes upon us, you’ll start to see more and more holiday decorations spring up around your neighborhood. The lights, the trees, and the candles, while festive and beautiful, should be handled and put up with careful attention to safety concerns. Below are a few tips for celebrating injury-free holidays.

Christmas Trees 

• For those looking for a more authentic holiday experience, live trees may be the way to go. However, be sure to check on the freshness of a tree. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles. Also be sure to keep the tree stand filled with water to avoid it drying out. 
• For those looking for artificial trees, make sure it is labeled as “fire resistant.” This does not mean the tree cannot catch fire, but is more resistant to fires than other artificial trees. 
• Regardless of your type of tree, place it away from heat sources such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. 

Lights

• Only use lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ITSNA. 
• Make sure extension chords and lights have been rated for their intended uses, especially if they are certified for outdoor use. 
• Check sets of lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Do not use electric lights on a metallic tree. 

Candles

• If you use candles, burn them only within eyesight. Be sure to extinguish all candles before going to bed, leaving the room, or leaving the house. 
• Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, like decorations, curtains, furniture, and (especially) Christmas trees. 

For additional questions regarding safety around the holidays or to review your homeowner’s policy, please contact Blais Insurance at 401-725-0070.

Happy Thanksgiving from Blais Insurance

As we all anxiously await another Thanksgiving feast, it is important to reflect on what is most important during the holiday season.

Whether staying home or traveling abroad, it is imperative to make certain the appropriate levels of protection are in place to ensure the safety and security of your loved ones.

For over 100 years, Blais Insurance has insured the homes and businesses of Northern Rhode Island and we take tremendous pride in that responsibility.

We would be happy to provide a complimentary review of your current insurance policies to make certain they are still meeting your needs. Please contact our offices today at 725.0070 to schedule an appointment.

On behalf of the entire staff of Blais Insurance, we wish you and your loved ones a bountiful and joyous Thanksgiving.

Ways to Winterize Your Home

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

A quality homeowner’s insurance policy is key to making sure your home assets are protected should the worst happen. But there are a number of ways you can care for your home that will not only protect it, but will help you save real money on heating energy and expenses.

Winterizing your home can help you start saving today. Here are a few simple ways you can feel warmer this winter without turning up the heat (and the costs):

• Install storm doors and windows, which can increase energy efficiency by 45% by sealing drafts and reducing air flow. Making sure these are installed and securely shut can help save you a great deal of energy and money.

• On the same track, window insulation kits are available for just a few dollars at your local hardware store, and add a buffer against draft and extra still air space.

• Invest in a programmable thermostat that operates on a timer, so that you aren’t paying for heat when you aren’t in your home.

• Wearing warmer clothes like sweaters while in your home may seem like an insignificant step, but doing so can warm you up by four degrees, allowing you to lower that thermostat and save more energy and costs.

A number of winterization methods can also help pay for themselves with certain federal tax credits that make saving on energy tax deductible. Investing in a tankless water heater, or going solar, for instance, can be used with a federal tax credit that pays 30% of the cost for solar water heaters, or up to $1,500 for conventional systems.

Many of these simple steps can help you save money and energy for your home. Start making these changes before the temperature drops!

If you have any additional questions regarding winterization for your home, please contact Blais Insurance at 401-725-0070.

Halloween Safety for Drivers and Children

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here at Blais Insurance. And while we enjoy the excuse to dress up and eat more candy than we can handle, we also know that safety is an important issue on Halloween.

In this week’s post, check out a few important tips to keep in mind on October 31st.

Driving on Halloween 

• Trick-or-treaters tend to come out between the hours of 4:00PM and 9:00PM, so be especially careful when it becomes dark out. 
• Be sure to drive slowly, and do not pass stopped vehicles, which may be dropping off children. 
• Even if you’re vigilant, children can dart out into the street at spots other than intersections; so keep an eye out at all times and avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to use your mobile phone. 
• Children often won’t stop or see your vehicle approaching, so always yield to young pedestrians on a night when so many will be out and about. Practice this caution with other drivers, too, by always signaling, communicating, or putting on your hazard lights when pulling over to drop off or pick up kids. 

Keeping your own trick-or-treaters safe 

If you’re a parent, you want your kids to have as much fun as possible on this exciting holiday. But keeping your own trick-or-treaters safe is paramount to making sure they have a worry-free evening.

• Teach your children how to safely cross streets; they should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks. 
• Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. 
• Brighten up their costumes, or give them flashlights and glow sticks so drivers can see them. 

Halloween is a great day for kids to have fun and use their imaginations. We at Blais Insurance think being as safe as possible ensure that your children have the most fun.

If you have any additional questions regarding safe driving, please contact Blais Insurance at 401- 725 -0070.

School Bus Safety

By: Edward L. Blais, JD, CIC

Like you, we at Blais Insurance value our children’s safety more than anything else. Over 23 million of our children ride to school every day in a school bus. And while these buses are still considered one of the safest modes of transport, it’s important to understand the real risks involved in getting on and off a bus, as well as walking to bus stops.

Here, we offer some safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help students, parents, and motorists stay safe around buses.

When waiting at the bus stop, parents should encourage their children to stand at least 6 feet away from the curb, and to wait still until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver indicates that it’s okay to step onto the bus.

If your children must cross the street in front of the bus, be sure that they walk at least 10 feet ahead of the bus before they cross, so that they and the bus driver can see each other.

Finally, children should never walk behind the bus, as the driver may not be able to see them.

Even if your children do not take the school bus, it’s important to keep watch for others if you are a driver. Watch for children when backing out of your driveway and check both sides of the sidewalk.

Be sure to be alert and aware on the road, to drive slowly, and to be aware of children playing or waiting around bus stops. Additionally, it is important to know the school bus laws in your state, what different school bus lights indicate, and when it is safe to stop or continue when driving behind a school bus.

If you have additional questions about safe driving and how it relates to your auto insurance policy, please call Blais Insurance at 401-725-0070.