How to Keep Track of Items for Renters Insurance

Keeping careful records of all covered items provides evidence.

Renters insurance pays the replacement cost of covered items when a covered event occurs at the property in which you are living. Fires, washing machine floods and burglaries are examples of events covered by a rental policy as long as the premiums are up to date. When filing a claim, the insurance adjuster will request a list of things that were damaged, destroyed or stolen. The more detailed evidence you have for each of the items that you list on a claim, the more smoothly the process will go.

Things You'll Need

• Folders
• Computer
• Camera

Instructions

1. Walk through the house with a notepad. Take time in each room to list every item there. List each book title, number of remote controls and their brand names, number of plates, forks and pans. Take time and include everything. Trying to remember by memory after a house fire or burglary will be too difficult.

2. Input item lists into a computer database. Separate by rooms. For example, the kitchen spreadsheet will include all dishes, glasses, utensils, table, chairs, microwave and other things. Create one spreadsheet for each room, date of entry and approximate replacement value at that date. While this is time-consuming, it will make the claims process very easy if an event occurs.

3. Take photographs. Use a digital camera to snap several photographs of every room. While you won't capture every item, for example, each book and title, it will illustrate that the books did exist. Take photographs of entire rooms from each side of the room. Take close-up photos of electronics, such as televisions, game systems and music systems.

4. Transfer the photos to the computer. Create an online album for your items. Once completed, load the photographs and list database to a thumb drive that will be put in a safe-deposit box, fireproof house safe or other secure location.

5. Update often. Whenever you sell an item, give it away or replace it, take a minute to change the database information, snap a new photograph and update the thumb drive.

Tips & Warnings

• Look online at store websites to get current market value of items.

• Do not claim you owned items you never owned. It is a criminal offense to do so.

References

• Renters Insurance: How To Do A Personal Property Inventory