Nationwide Renters Insurance Review
Written by
Nationwide is a trusted insurance company in the industry and has close to 95 years of experience. Nationwide renters insurance offered is just as popular as its other types of insurance policies with coverage for credit cards, building alterations, and ordinances, on top of personal liability, personal property, loss of use, and medical payments to others.
With a variety of renters insurance providers available, the This Old House Reviews Team did the research for you to help you find the right policy for your home and budget. Keep reading to learn if Nationwide offers the best renters insurance for your home.
Pros and Cons of Nationwide Renters Insurance
Nationwide Renters Insurance Coverage
A Nationwide renters insurance policy protects you from the following events:
- Fire
- Lightning
- Windstorm
- Hail
- A frozen plumbing system
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Impact by a vehicle
Nationwide renters insurance policies will not cover the following:
- Valuables
- Home business
- Motorized vehicles
With Nationwide, you get coverage in seven areas of renters insurance:
1. Personal Property
This protects the items that you own inside of your rental. Nationwide allows you to choose between replacement cash value (RCV) and the actual cash value (ACV). RCV is more expensive than ACV, but it covers replacement costs as if your damaged belongings were new. ACV only covers the cost of the items as they are now, which means you’re given less money because of depreciation. Nationwide has an estimation tool in their online quote form to help you determine your property’s value.
In the quote we received from Nationwide, it covered $25,000 for personal property.
2. Loss of Use
This portion covers additional living expenses that are accrued when you have to temporarily leave your home after an event damages the property.
In the quote we received, Nationwide covered $5,000 for loss of use.
3. Liability
If you’re found liable for an incident that harms someone else or their property, your policy will cover the costs. An example of this would be if water reaches the floor below you and damages your neighbor’s belongings.
In our quote, Nationwide covered $100,000 for liability coverage.
4. Medical Payments to Others
If a guest in your home is injured, you can pay for their medical bills through this policy.
In the quote we received, Nationwide covered $1,000 per person for medical payments to others.
5. Ordinance or Law
This coverage pays to bring your home up to code and only comes into play if an event requires repairs to your home, and the repair technician finds a code violation.
Nationwide covered 10% of building additions and alterations for ordinance or law coverage in the quote we received.
6. Building Additions and Alterations
If you make small alterations to your rental, like changing the light fixtures, your policy will cover damage to these changes. A portion of your personal property amount is set aside for this coverage.
Nationwide covered $2,500 for building additions and alterations in the quote we received.
7. Credit Card
This pays for a certain amount of unauthorized charges to your credit card or bank account.
Nationwide covered $500 for credit cards in the quote we received.
Here’s how much you can purchase for each type of coverage based on North Carolina data:
Nationwide Coverage Breakdown
| Area of Coverage | Amount Range |
|---|---|
|
Personal property |
No limit |
|
Loss of use |
20% of personal property |
|
Liability |
$100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, or $500,000 |
|
Medical payments to others |
$1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000 |
|
Ordinance or law |
10%, 25%, or 50% of building additions and alterations |
|
Building additions and alterations |
10% of personal property |
|
Credit card |
$500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000 |
|
Deductible |
$500, $1,000, or $2,500 |
Nationwide Additional Coverage
Nationwide has an extensive list of additional coverage options to customize your renters insurance policy:
- Personal injury
- Limited water backup
- Increased building additions and alterations
- Refrigerated property
- Earthquake
- Scheduled personal property
- Flood insurance
- Personal liability umbrella coverage
- Additional insureds
Nationwide also sells pet insurance policies with a 5% discount for its renters insurance policyholders.
How Much Does Nationwide Cost?
Nationwide renters insurance costs about $20 per month, according to the company’s website. To see how much an actual policy would cost, we used Nationwide’s online tool to get a quote for a single woman living in a one-bedroom apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina:
Nationwide Cost Breakdown
| Area of Coverage | Coverage Amount |
|---|---|
|
Deductible |
$500 |
|
Monthly cost |
$21.50 |
Note: This quote is for an RCV policy.
When requesting a free quote, you’ll have to provide Nationwide with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Marital status
- Gender
- Phone number
- Email address
- Size of building
- Number of pets
State Availability
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Customer Service and Claims Support
The best way to manage your policy and file a claim is by using the customer portal or the mobile app. If you would prefer to talk to a customer representative, you can call 800-421-3535 for the claims center or 877-669-6877 for sales and general customer support.
The sales department operates Monday through Friday, from 8 am–10 pm and on Saturday, from 9 am–7:30 pm. General customer service is only available Monday through Friday, from 8 am–9 pm.
Our Conclusion
The base renters insurance policy from Nationwide offers coverage in more areas than just personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments to others. You’ll receive ordinance or law, building addition and alteration, and credit card protection and the option of nine more additional coverages. However, this higher amount of coverage comes at a cost—Nationwide monthly premiums are more expensive than the national average.
Before deciding if Nationwide is right for you, get quotes from at least three companies so that you can compare their renters insurance coverage options and premiums:
Compare Renters Insurance Companies
Companies | Nationwide | Assurant | Lemonade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Get a free quote |
Not available through This Old House |
Not available through This Old House |
|
|
Known for |
Credit card coverage in the basic policy |
Rent protection add-on |
Giveback program |
|
Monthly price |
About $20 |
About $12 |
As low as $5 |
|
Customer service |
24/7 for claims; limited for sales and service |
24/7 for claims; 8 am–8 pm for everything else |
Online |
|
BBB rating |
A+ |
A+ |
B+ |
Company Overview
- CEO: Kirt Walker
- Years in business: 94
- State availability: 48
- Address: 1 Nationwide Plaza
- City/State: Columbus, OH
- Zipcode: 43215
- AM Best Financial Strength Rating: A+
Ratings listed in this article are accurate as of August 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nationwide
Does Nationwide renters insurance cover dog bites?
Most of the time, Nationwide covers dog bites under liability coverage. However, if you have a certain breed or your dog has a history of violence, you may have to purchase extra coverage to cover your pet.
Does Nationwide renters insurance cover car damage?
No. Your auto insurance will cover damage to your car, while the personal property portion of your renters insurance policy will cover damage to belongings inside your car.
Can you cover firearms with Nationwide renters insurance?
Yes. Firearms and their accessories are considered personal property. If you have an antique firearm that’s worth more money, you may have to purchase extra protection using the scheduled personal property add-on.
Can you get a discount for bundling a Nationwide renters insurance policy with another policy?
Yes. Nationwide gives you a discount for bundling renters insurance with another type of insurance, like auto insurance or life insurance. You can also get discounts for having fire alarms, smoke detectors, and burglar alarms and for being claim-free.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.