A renters insurance plan helps you save money by protecting you from paying out-of-pocket costs for belongings damaged due to an unexpected event, like a fire, theft, or windstorm. To help you find the best renters insurance in South Carolina, the This Old House Reviews Team did a deep dive into the top providers in the Palmetto State.
For free quotes from renters insurance companies in your area, complete this quick form.
Best Renters Insurance Companies in South Carolina
To decide the best renters insurance providers in the state, our team looked at each company’s prices, coverage options, customer service, discounts, and more.
1. USAA
USAA has almost 100 years of industry experience, providing affordable insurance policies to former and current military members and their family. USAA gives the option of forgoing personal liability or personal property coverage, allowing you to save money by only choosing the coverage you need.
The company offers some of the most extensive protection in the industry, covering the following events:
- Fire and lightning
- Flood and water
- Windstorm or hail
- Collapse of a building
- Volcanic eruption
- Earthquake
- Smoke
- Freezing
- Falling objects
- Explosion
- Theft
- Aircraft
- Vehicles
- Vandalism and malicious mischief
- Riot and civil commotion
- Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging
- Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current
2. Liberty Mutual
With over 105 years of insurance experience, Liberty Mutual is an experienced renters insurance provider that offers customers five ways to save and up to three optional coverage add-ons. Plans start at just $5 per month and offer personal property, loss of use, medical payments to others, and liability coverage.
To help you save money on your policy, Liberty Mutual offers the following five discounts:
- Claims-free—If you haven’t filed a claim in at least five years, you may qualify for this discount.
- Early shopper—You may qualify for the early shopper discount if you purchase a new Liberty Mutual policy before your current policy’s expiration.
- Multi-policy—When you bundle your renters insurance and auto or life insurance policies with Liberty, you’ll receive a discount.
- Preferred payment—If you sign up for automatic payments online, you’ll save money through this discount.
- Online purchase—If you purchase your policy online, you could qualify for this discount.
3. Nationwide
Nationwide offers its policyholders coverage in the four common areas, including personal property, liability, medical payments to others, and loss of use coverage. In addition to this coverage, Nationwide tacks on ordinance or law, building additions and alterations, and credit card coverage for no extra charge.
For more comprehensive coverage, Nationwide lets you further customize your renters insurance policy with the following additional coverage options:
- Personal injury
- Limited water backup
- Increased building additions and alterations
- Refrigerated property
- Earthquake
- Scheduled personal property
- Flood insurance
- Personal liability umbrella coverage
- Additional insureds
South Carolina Renters Insurance Coverage
If you buy a renters insurance policy in South Carolina, you’ll receive the following coverage:
- Personal property—Personal property coverage pays for your belongings that are damaged due to a covered event. To understand how much personal property coverage you’ll need, add up the value of items inside your home before signing up for a policy.
- Liability—This coverage protects you from paying expenses associated with damaging another person or their property.
- Medical payments to others—If a visitor inside your home gets injured, this coverage will help pay for their medical bills.
- Loss of use—Loss of use coverage pays for expenses like the cost of a hotel room or food when your home is uninhabitable.
- Endorsements—Endorsements are optional coverages you can add onto your plan. Typical endorsements include earthquake and jewelry insurance.
How Much Does a Renters Insurance Policy Cost in South Carolina?
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a resource that educates people on the financial value of insurance, a South Carolina renters insurance plan cost an average of $188 per year in 2017. When ranked in order from most expensive to least expensive for the cost of renters insurance, South Carolina ranked 18 out of 51.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Renters Insurance
Before purchasing a renters insurance plan, consider the following factors:
- Safety features—Some providers discount your policy if your rental unit contains certain safety features like a burglar alarm or sprinkler system. Take inventory of the safety features in your home to see if you qualify for a discount.
- Coverage limits—Because policies have caps on the dollar amount each coverage provides, make sure the policy you select provides enough personal property and liability coverage. Typically, a landlord requires tenants to have $100,000 worth of liability coverage.
- Deductibles—Deductibles impact your monthly premium, with higher deductibles decreasing your renters insurance rate and lower deductibles increasing it.
Compare Renters Insurance Coverage Options
If you’re not sure which renters insurance policy is best for you, compare the providers below.
Compare Renters Insurance Companies
| Companies | USAA | Liberty Mutual | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types of coverage | Personal property, liability, medical payments to others | Personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments to others | Personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments to others, ordinance or law, building additions and alterations, credit card |
| Personal property coverage limits | $25,000–$750,000 | $15,000, $20,000, or $25,000 | No limit |
| Liability coverage limits | $100,000, $300,000, $400,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000 | $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000 | $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, or $500,000 |
| ACV or RCV | ACV or RCV | ACV or RCV | ACV or RCV |
| Monthly price | As low as $10 | As low as $5 | About $20 |
| Discounts available | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Unique add-ons | Computer, tablet, valuable personal property | Earthquake, identity fraud | Limited water backup, additional insureds |
| Customer service | Hours vary by department | Hours vary by department | 24/7 for claims; limited for sales and service |
| BBB rating | B+ | A+ | A+ |
Our Conclusion
If you live in South Carolina, we recommend USAA, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide as your renters insurance providers because of their customizable and comprehensive coverage. Before you select a plan, we recommend getting free quotes from all three companies to compare coverage and pricing:
Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Renters Insurance
What do I need to do to get a renters insurance quote today?
Have the following information ready when requesting a quote online:
- Name and birthdate
- Address and zipcode
- Desired start date for coverage
- Number of people living in apartment
- Value of personal property
What’s the difference between renters insurance and homeowners insurance?
Renters insurance covers the cost associated with repairing or replacing your damaged belongings due to a covered event. Covered losses under a homeowners insurance policy include property damage, which isn’t covered in a renters insurance plan.
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