Are your belongings covered if they are stolen from your car?
By Allstate
Last updated: January 1
Homeowners insurance generally helps cover your belongings if they are stolen from your home, your car or even when they are away from your home.
For instance, suppose you return to your car and find a broken window, and an empty space where your golf clubs used to be. As you call the police, it occurs to you — is this covered by your insurance policy?
Someone broke into your car to commit the theft, so you may think the stolen item is covered by your auto insurance policy —but that's a common misconception. While an auto insurance policy that contains comprehensive coverage typically helps protect you in case your car is stolen or may help pay for repair costs if your car is damaged when someone breaks into it, a car insurance policy usually doesn't pay to replace personal property stolen from your car.
The belongings stolen from your car may still be covered, though, a by your renters or homeowners insurance policy.
Does homeowners insurance or renters insurance cover theft from your car?
The personal property coverage in a homeowners or renters insurance policy may help cover theft from your car.
Personal property coverage helps protect the items you typically keep in your home —such as furniture, clothing, electronics, or other personal items —against certain causes of loss, known as perils. Theft is usually one of these covered perils.
What you may not know is that personal property coverage usually protects these personal items even if the theft happens away from your home. So, if your personal property —a golf bag full of clubs, for instance —is stolen from your car, and the personal property coverage in your homeowners or renters policy protects against theft, your insurer may help pay for its replacement. Keep in mind that items kept away from your home may have a lower coverage limit. Read your policy to learn now much off-premises coverage it provides for personal property.
A couple of things to know about personal property coverage: This type of coverage is typically subject to certain limits, or the maximum amount your insurer will pay to repair or replace the items after a covered loss. It also usually has a deductible, meaning that you have to pay a certain amount of money toward the covered item's repair or replacement before your insurer will begin helping to pay, up to the limits.
Additional coverage
What if your stolen belongings are worth more money than the limits on your personal property coverage? In that case, you may want to talk to your insurance provider about buying additional coverage.
Scheduled personal property. For example, some big-ticket items, such as jewelry or expensive art, may cost more than the limits on your policy, so if you want to protect them, you may have to buy additional coverage. Your insurance provider can help you decide whether scheduled personal property coverage makes sense for you.
Sound system coverage. Also, you may be wondering: What about items that you purchase and have installed in your car, like stereo equipment? To help protect a sound system you have installed in the car — not the stereo installed by the manufacturer — you may need to talk to your insurance provider about adding extra coverage to your auto insurance policy, in case that equipment is damaged or stolen.
To make sure your important possessions are covered, whether they are at your home or in your car, it's a good idea to understand your personal property coverage.