Our lease asks you to send proof of an active renters insurance policy within 5 days after you receive keys. The owner’s insurance covers the building; it does not cover your furniture, clothes, electronics or the cost of a hotel if the home becomes unlivable.
We do not sell insurance and we receive nothing for referrals. Buy from any licensed insurer you choose.
What we require
- Proof of an active renters insurance policy within 5 days after key handover.
- Eastern Properties Group named on the policy as an interested party.
- Liability coverage of at least $100,000.
- The policy stays in force for the whole tenancy.
If the policy lapses, we send you written notice and you have 10 days to put a policy back in force. After that it is a lease default. We charge no fee for a lapse.
If your lease says something different from this page, the lease controls.
What renters insurance covers
A standard renters policy, called an HO-4 in the insurance trade, has three parts. The Maryland Insurance Administration describes them this way:
- Your belongings. Loss or damage to household contents and personal possessions such as clothes, electronics and furniture, from named causes including fire, theft, vandalism and windstorm. Many policies also cover your things when they are outside the home, for example stolen from your car.
- Additional living expenses. Hotel and restaurant costs if a covered loss makes the home unlivable while it is repaired.
- Liability. Injuries to other people, or damage to their property, that happen at your home, plus medical payments to guests. If a kitchen fire you start damages the unit next door, this is the part that responds.
What it does not cover
Flood, groundwater, seepage and earth movement are excluded from most renters policies. Flood insurance is a separate policy. Parts of Cumberland sit in the Potomac and Wills Creek flood plains, so if your unit is on a low floor, ask your agent about a separate flood policy for contents.
Your policy also does not cover the building itself or the owner’s appliances. That is the owner’s policy.
What it costs
The Maryland Insurance Administration puts the average renters policy at $15 to $30 a month. The Insurance Information Institute reports the average Maryland premium at $155 a year in 2022, against a national average of $171. Your price depends on the coverage amount, the deductible, your claims history and the address. Bundling with an auto policy usually lowers both.
How to buy it
- Make a quick inventory of what you own and roughly what it would cost to replace. Phone photos of each room are enough to start.
- Choose replacement cost coverage rather than actual cash value if the price difference is small. Replacement cost pays what a new item costs; actual cash value deducts for age.
- Pick a deductible you could actually pay the week something happens.
- Ask for the policy to start on or before your key date.
How to show us proof
Email the declarations page to [email protected]. That is the one or two page summary the insurer emails you when the policy starts. It shows the insured name, the property address, the policy dates, the coverage amounts including liability, and Eastern Properties Group as interested party. A screenshot of the insurer’s app is fine as long as it shows those details.
We note the policy dates on your tenant record and send you a reminder 30 days before the policy expires. Send the new declarations page to the same address when you renew.
Why we ask
Three practical reasons:
- When a pipe bursts or a fire starts, your things are covered and you have somewhere to stay. The owner’s policy will not pay for either.
- If a guest is hurt at your home, your liability coverage handles it instead of your savings.
- If damage you caused reaches other units or the building, your policy responds first, which keeps the matter out of small claims court.
Common questions
Is renters insurance required by Maryland law?
No. It is a lease requirement, not a state law. No Maryland statute stops a lease from requiring a policy, setting a liability minimum or naming the landlord as an interested party. Two limits do apply: a landlord may not sell you the policy, and a lease cannot make you answer for the landlord’s own negligence (Real Property 8-105). Our lease requires the policy for the whole tenancy and gives you 5 days after keys to send proof.
Does the owner’s insurance cover my belongings?
No. The owner’s policy covers the structure and the owner’s liability. Your belongings and your liability are yours to insure.
How much coverage do I need?
The lease sets a minimum of $100,000 in liability coverage. For your belongings, add up what it would cost to replace everything you own. Most people are surprised by the number.
Can I use a policy I already have?
Yes, if you update the address with your insurer and send us the new declarations page.
What if I have a voucher?
The same lease requirement applies. Some housing authorities and nonprofits help with the first premium; ask your caseworker.
What happens if I let it lapse?
We send you written notice. You have 10 days to put a policy back in force and send proof. If you do not, the lapse is a lease default. There is no fee.
Will you remind me before it expires?
Yes. We send a reminder 30 days before the expiry date on the declarations page we hold.
Sources
- Maryland Insurance Administration, Renters Insurance: https://insurance.maryland.gov/Consumer/Pages/rentersinsurance.aspx
- Insurance Information Institute, Facts and Statistics: Renters Insurance (average premiums, 2022): https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-renters-insurance
- Maryland Real Property 8-105 (lease may not shift the landlord’s negligence to the tenant): https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-105&enactments=false
- EPG, Renter resources (before you move in): https://eastern.properties/renter-resources/
- EPG knowledge base: Leasing Model, move-in step 12; Policy Book 03 section 4.5; proof mailbox, reminder and lapse terms confirmed by EPG management, 7 October 2026