Over the last decade that GradGuard has worked to protect college students and their families, we’ve tracked the guidance that state insurance commissioners provide regarding the value of renters insurance.

Starting in 2013, 28 insurance commissioners suggested college students consider renters insurance. In 2019, 42 insurance commissioners made such a recommendation.
The 150% growth in recommendations is likely a result of the real financial losses students experience while living both on and off-campus. In fact, an analysis of campus safety and crime data provided by more than 6,000 schools Clery Act reports, reveals an average of more than 37,000 campus crime and safety incidents. Furthermore, on average 1,726 fires are reported in on-campus student housing.
States | Recommended Renters Insurance |
Alabama – AL | Yes |
Alaska – AK | Yes |
Arizona – AZ | Yes |
Arkansas – AR | Yes |
California – CA | Yes |
Colorado – CO | Yes |
Connecticut – CT | Yes |
Delaware – DE | Yes |
Florida – FL | No |
Georgia – GA | Yes |
Hawaii – HI | No |
Idaho – ID | Yes |
Illinois – IL | Yes |
Indiana – IN | Yes |
Iowa – IA | Yes |
Kansas – KS | Yes |
Kentucky – KY | No |
Louisiana – LA | Yes |
Maine – ME | Yes |
Maryland – MD | Yes |
Massachusetts – MA | Yes |
Michigan – MI | Yes |
Minnesota – MN | Yes |
Mississippi – MS | Yes |
Missouri – MO | Yes |
Montana – MT | Yes |
Nebraska – NE | Yes |
Nevada – NV | No |
New Hampshire – NH | Yes |
New Jersey – NJ | Yes |
New Mexico – NM | Yes |
New York – NY | Yes |
North Carolina – NC | Yes |
North Dakota – ND | Yes |
Ohio – OH | Yes |
Oklahoma – OK | Yes |
Oregon – OR | Yes |
Pennsylvania – PA | Yes |
Rhode Island – RI | Yes |
South Carolina – SC | Yes |
South Dakota – SD | Yes |
Tennessee – TN | Yes |
Texas – TX | No |
Utah – UT | Yes |
Vermont – VT | No |
Virginia – VA | No |
Washington – WA | Yes |
West Virginia – WV | No |
Wisconsin – WI | Yes |
Wyoming – WY | Yes |
The Top 3 Reasons Renters Insurance is a Smart Decision for College Students:
1. If you can’t afford to replace your backpack, bicycle or computer – Renters insurance may be able to replace your stolen or damaged property. Renters insurance can cover those costs and help you get back to classes, without the added stress of a financial loss.
2. If your school does not replace stolen or damaged property – In a 2017 survey of student housing leaders, 98% of schools report that they do not replace stolen or damaged student property. Be sure to check with your school to see what their policy is and how much it would cost for you to replace your property.
3. If you can’t afford to pay for damages you cause – True renter’s insurance includes personal liability protection and can help pay for unintentional damages when a student cannot.
Students can protect their belongings against losses for about 50 cents a day.
“That makes renters insurance a must-have consideration for college families,” John Fees, the co-founder of GradGuard said. “Whether you are living on or off-campus, college students and their families are smart to consider purchasing renters insurance before the start of school.”
This article was updated in July 2020