Things You'll Need:
- Itemized list of your belongings and their approximate total value
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Step 1
Examine your community, and determine whether you live close to a lake, river, creek, levee, dam or path where melting snow may flow and damage your property.
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Step 2
Determine whether your rental property is in the 100-year flood plain, the 100-year sheet flow flooding area or the 100-year stream flood area, as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
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Step 3
Contact your city government, and obtain a map of the 100-year flood plain in your area. Ask for the FEMA flood-risk level for the area in which you rent property.
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Step 4
Estimate the cost of any items that are regularly stored in a basement. You need to deduct these costs from the total value of your belongings, as these items will not be covered by flood insurance.
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Step 1
Determine the dollar amount you want for renters flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance Program will only cover contents up to $100,000.
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Step 2
Contact a reputable insurance company through FloodSmart.gov, or ask your regular insurance agent for a flood insurance quote (see Resources below). Flood insurance rates are set by the government and are not negotiable. However, you may get a discount on your other insurance if you have multiple policies with one company.
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Step 3
Arrange the terms of your policy and payment. Realize that unless you live in a high-risk flood area, you will have a 30-day period before your coverage begins. This means you will not be able to file a claim until 30 days after you get a policy.
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Step 1
Take your itemized list of belongings, and document each major item with a photograph or video and a receipt of purchase (if available).
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Step 2
Place your documented list in a flood-safe file or store it electronically.
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Step 3
Update your flood-safe file at least once a year in order to ensure that your list stays current.
