Tell me where and what
Address, unit type, roughly what your belongings would cost to replace, and whether your landlord needs to be listed. A text or WhatsApp message is enough.
Renters insurance
Your landlord's policy covers the building. Not your stuff.
An HO-4 renters policy covers what you own, protects you if someone gets hurt in your apartment, and pays for a place to stay if a fire or a burst pipe forces you out. I shop it across every company I work with, and it usually pairs well with your auto policy.
- Quotes by text or WhatsApp, in English or Spanish
- Proof of insurance sent to your landlord or management office the same day in most cases
- Basement and accessory apartments, roommates and students welcome
- Pair it with your car insurance and I shop both together
What I'll ask you
- Tell me where and what
- I shop every company I work with
- We size it together
- I send proof, usually the same day
Who this is for
Who this page is for
Renters insurance is the policy people skip because they think they own nothing worth insuring. Then they add up the laptop, the TV, the tools in the closet and the whole family's clothes.
Your lease requires it
More and more landlords and management companies on Long Island require renters insurance before handing over keys, and some ask to be listed as an additional interest. I write the policy and send the certificate the same day in most cases.
Apartments in Brentwood, Central Islip and Bay Shore
A unit in a two-family, a garden apartment off Suffolk Avenue, a converted second floor. Your landlord's policy pays to rebuild the structure. It pays nothing for your furniture, your clothes or your kids' things.
Basement and accessory apartments
If you rent a basement or accessory apartment, renters insurance covers your belongings the same way it does upstairs. Water is the common claim below grade, so we talk about sewer and drain backup coverage up front.
Roommates
A standard policy covers the named insured and family members in the household, not an unrelated roommate. Each roommate usually needs their own policy, or in some cases can be added. Ask me before you assume you are covered under theirs.
Students at Stony Brook, Hofstra, Adelphi and Suffolk CC
In a dorm, a parent's homeowners policy often extends limited coverage. In an off-campus apartment it usually does not. A renters policy in the student's name closes that gap for the laptop, the bike and the liability.
Valuables
Jewelry, a camera kit, musical instruments, a gaming PC, work tools. Standard policies cap certain categories. I schedule the items that matter so they are covered for their full value, including loss and theft away from home.
Pairing it with your auto policy
Most companies I work with discount both policies when you place them together. If you already have car insurance with me, adding renters is a short conversation.
Coverage I shop
What an HO-4 policy actually covers
Renters insurance in New York is written on the HO-4 form. Four pieces do most of the work, and I size each one to how you actually live.
Personal property
Your furniture, electronics, clothes, kitchen, tools and everything else you would carry out in a move. Covered against fire, theft, smoke, vandalism, certain water damage and more, at home and in many cases away from home, including in your car.
Personal liability
If a guest slips in your kitchen, your dog bites a neighbor, or a cooking fire spreads to the unit next door, liability pays for the injury or damage and your legal defense. This is the piece that protects your paycheck.
Loss of use (additional living expenses)
If a covered loss makes your apartment unlivable, this pays for a hotel, a short-term rental and the extra cost of eating out until you can go home. At Long Island rents, this line matters more than people think.
Medical payments to others
Pays small medical bills for a guest hurt in your apartment, regardless of fault, so a minor accident does not turn into a lawsuit.
Replacement cost versus actual cash value
Actual cash value pays what your five-year-old couch is worth today. Replacement cost pays for a new one. I quote replacement cost whenever it is available and show you the difference in price.
Scheduled valuables
Jewelry, watches, instruments, cameras and collectibles above the standard limits are added by schedule, often with no deductible and broader coverage.
Water backup and other endorsements
Sewer and drain backup, identity theft, earthquake and higher limits for business property kept at home are available as add-ons. Basement renters should ask about backup coverage first.
What I check
Gaps I see in renters policies
A photo of your current declarations page tells me most of what I need. These are the issues I find most.
No policy at all
The most common gap. People assume the landlord covers them, or that their things are not worth it. One stolen laptop or one kitchen fire changes that math fast.
Property limit set too low
People pick the smallest number on the quote screen. Walk through each room with your phone camera and add it up. I will help you land on a limit that actually rebuilds your life.
Actual cash value on contents
Depreciation cuts a claim check hard on electronics and furniture. Replacement cost is the fix, and I quote it by default where it is offered.
Flood is not covered
A standard HO-4 does not cover rising water from outside. If you rent near the Great South Bay, in a low spot in Bay Shore or in a basement, ask me about a separate contents-only flood policy.
Roommates assuming they share one policy
Unrelated roommates are not automatically covered under each other's policy. Each person usually needs their own.
Liability limits that don't match your life
If you have savings, a car and a steady income, a bare-minimum liability limit leaves you exposed. Higher limits and a personal umbrella are both options I can price.
How it works
How a renters quote works with me
I shop every company I work with
Renters and auto together when it makes sense, so you see the combined price and the discount for pairing them.
We size it together
I explain replacement cost, liability limits and any schedules for valuables in plain words, in English or Spanish.
I send proof, usually the same day
You get the policy and a certificate for the landlord or management office, usually the same day you bind, so your move-in stays on schedule.
Long Island
Renters insurance across Long Island and Queens
Long Island rents in a lot of shapes: a garden apartment complex near the Ronkonkoma LIRR station, the second floor of a cape in Central Islip, a basement apartment in Brentwood with its own entrance, a converted two-family in Bay Shore a short walk from the Fire Island ferries. The HO-4 form fits all of them, but the details change: what the building is made of, which floor you are on, how far the nearest hydrant is.
Closer to the city, in Hempstead and in Queens neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, Corona and Flushing, you are more often in a larger building or a two-family with other tenants. Fire and water damage coming from a neighbor's unit are the common claims, and your landlord's policy will not replace what you lose. Renters insurance is the policy that gets skipped most, and the one tenants are most relieved to have when a neighbor's pipe bursts.
Students and young professionals renting off campus near Stony Brook, in Hempstead and Garden City near Hofstra and Adelphi, or near Suffolk CC in Brentwood and Selden usually need their own policy once they move out of the dorm. I quote these by text and send proof to whoever needs it.
My office is on Ocean Avenue in Ronkonkoma. Wherever you rent in New York State, I can write the policy and service it by phone, text and WhatsApp, in English or Spanish.
- Office
- 1951 Ocean Ave, Suite 4, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
- Where I work
- Suffolk County · Nassau County · Queens · Brooklyn
Related lines
Where to read next
Questions
Questions people text me
Not by state law. But your lease can require it, and many Long Island landlords and management companies now do. Even when it is optional, the liability piece alone is a good reason to carry it.
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Next step
Renting on Long Island? Let's get your things covered.
Text me your address and a rough idea of what you own. I shop every company I work with, pair it with your auto policy if you have one, and send proof to your landlord the same day in most cases.
or text a photo of your current policy to (631) 823-7630
Quotes depend on your details and each company's underwriting. No obligation.
Hours: Mon to Fri 9am to 7pm · Saturday 10am to 2pm