Renter's Insurance

I just got renter’s insurance. Long over-due, but finally motivated by a dog recently coming into our lives. (Renter’s insurance covers dog-bite liability.)

I was just glancing at the policy, and here are some interesting observations. I don’t know if these are standard to renter’s insurance or because the company I use insures a lot of military personnel.

The policy covers damage caused by aircraft including “self-propelled missiles and spacecraft”. SPACECRAFT! Somehow that seems so cool. “Yeah, the alien ship landed on my house, but it’s cool. I’m covered.”

Damage from “riot and civil commotion” is covered. “The mood was tense today as a civil commotion broke out in Berkeley.”

But damage from “war, undeclared war, civil war, insurrection, rebellion, or revolution” is not covered. I wonder what the line is between “civil commotion” and “civil war”.

Oh and “discharge of a nuclear weapon will be deemed a warlike act, even if accidental”. So if the Bay Area gets nuked, and I happen to be out of town, I’m SOL on my stuff. Somehow I don’t think filing a claim to replace my Wii will be the first thing on my mind in that situation.

I’m covered in case Mount Tam decides to become volcanically active again, but the “Volcanic Eruption” coverage “does not include loss caused by earthquake, land shock waves, or tremors.

But fear not, the “Earthquake” coverage does “include land shock waves or tremors before, during, or after a volcanic eruption.” I just need to file the claim under the right section of my policy if Mt Tam blows its top. I guess the “Volcanic Eruption” section just covers lava, ash, shock waves, and lahars.

(Ok, Mt. Tam isn’t actually a volcano, but it sounds better than Round Top at Sibley Volcanic Preserve in Oakland.)