- I had been debating whether to renew my renters insurance policy; after the fire in LA, I’m glad I did.
- While I was evacuating, I took the time to document my belongings so that I could make a claim.
- My insurance company put a moratorium on new policies for now, but I’m considering a rider for food in the future.
After the 2020 Bobcat Fire, which occurred in the San Gabriel Mountains near where I live, I had a hard time getting renters insurance. No insurance company would cover my tiny cabin as I was considered a high risk.
Fast-forward to last year. While I had reinstated my AAA renters insurance, I was considering whether I needed it or not. Thankfully, I decided to renew my policy. In January, when the Eaton Fire in Altadena ignited, destroying thousands of homes and displacing thousands of families, I had to evacuate.
I’m glad I did, as the coverage helped pay for some of my living expenses while I was away and also covered cleaning my place of the ash and debris from the fire.
I checked the details of my policy
After my zone received a mandatory evacuation order, I double-checked the details of my what my renters insurance policy covers. As renter’s insurance is essentially contents insurance and doesn’t cover the structure of the property, repair, restoration, and replacement of my belongings were included in my policy. I am covered for up to $33,000 per occurrence for the unscheduled personal property.
Loss of use was also included in my renters insurance policy. This means that if my home was uninhabitable for any reason — including evacuations and displacement — certain expenses could be covered. I am covered up to $6,600 for loss of use per occurrence.
This typically includes meals and food expenses that exceed your regular spending, accommodations such as staying in an Airbnb or hotel, and other living costs that I incurred because I couldn’t live at my place.
I spoke with an insurance adjuster
I answered a short series of questions on the AAA app to file my claim. A few days later, I received a notification that I was assigned a claim number, an insurance adjuster, and their contact information. I gave them a ring.
After talking to them, they arranged for a vendor that specializes in restoration for a home visit. They would give me an estimate on how much it would cost to clean my textiles (everything from clothing to couch cushions) and clean my place of the ash and soot.
I documented as much as I could
The night I had to evacuate, the canyon area where I lived was experiencing strong gusts of wind as fast as 90 miles per hour. When I heard a fire broke out in the neighboring city of Altadena, I was optimistic I would return the following day. That changed quickly as the fire spread rapidly toward the mountains above me.
As a precautionary measure, I took photos and videos of my belongings, including my furniture, artwork, clothing, kitchenware, and sticker collection. I also took screenshots of notifications of the city-mandated evacuation order, and when the order was lifted.
I also kept receipts and took screenshots of my receipts for purchases that could be covered: food and supplies for my cat, grocery receipts and restaurant bills, and other potentially covered living expenses.
My claim payout will arrive in installments
While I was still submitting my loss of use expenses, I received a partial payout for the remediation and cleanup coverage, which is technically under the unscheduled personal property part of my claim.
I received an email from AAA asking for my direct deposit information. Once I provided it, the funds were deposited into my linked bank account the same day. My $250 deductible was taken from that amount.
I considered boosting my policy amounts
While increasing my policy limits would likely be much more expensive, I have considered whether it’s worth it to see if I can add a rider that would cover spoiled food. I reached out to AAA and talked to an insurance rep. As expected, there was an insurance moratorium for my ZIP code. In other words, the insurance company had put a stop on issuing new policies or expanding coverage on new ones.
I realized how expensive it would be to repair or replace everything and how I likely underestimated how much insurance I needed. Last year, I paid $253 for my premium, or $22 a month (plus a $250 deductible). In case there are more covered natural disasters this year, I want to make sure I have sufficient coverage.
