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Founded in 1864, Travelers is one of the oldest insurance companies in the nation. The company offers many insurance products, including renters insurance, which is available in most states. Travelers renters insurance is reasonably priced, in line with national averages, and offers solid standard and additional coverage options.
Travelers Renters Insurance Overview
In business since
1864
J.D. Power J.D. Power scores are based on surveys for customer satisfaction and product quality.
807/1,000
A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
A++
States Served
47, plus Washington, D.C.
Travelers isn’t the best-known company in the U.S. — YouGov.com ranks it at 20th place for popularity, well behind companies like State Farm and Geico. It also ranks relatively low in the J.D. Power customer satisfaction study for renters insurance carriers. But the company does have public recognition. It’s been around for 160+ years and is the number one writer of worker’s compensation and surety insurance in the U.S.
Travelers’ financial strength is excellent, with the highest rating possible from AM Best. This means that even in the event of a regional disaster, Travelers would have the financial resources to pay out on claims.
Travelers is widely available throughout most of the U.S., and with roughly 13,500 independent agents and brokers, you should be able to find someone to work with you on a renters policy with no problem.
PROS
Valuables ProtectionAdditional coverages include Valuable Items Plus for jewelry, fine art, musical instruments and electronics.
Replacement CostContents Replacement Cost coverage will pay replacement costs without considering depreciation.
Many DiscountsDiscounts include multi-policy, loss-free and protective devices, such as smoke detectors and burglar alarms.
Financially StrongA+ BBB rating and A++ AM Best financial strength rating.
CONS
Customer DissatisfactionJ.D. Power ranks Travelers as one of the lowest in the industry for customer satisfaction.
Could Be “Greener”No “green” discounts.
High CostSlightly more expensive than average
Travelers Highlights
Pricing
Coverage
Customer Experience
Deals, discounts and add-ons
Travelers renters insurance policies cost an average of $17 per month, protecting you against fire, theft, vandalism and personal liability. This rate is just slightly higher than the national average of $15 (as of 2017). Prices can vary depending on a few factors like location, amount of coverage you choose and your deductible. In a region with a greater likelihood of inclement weather or a higher crime rate, your rates may be higher. Prices also increase as you add more coverage to your policy.
Basic renters insurance with Travelers covers:
Personal property coverage: Protection for your belongings, from furniture to the clothes in your closet, even if they’re not in your apartment. This coverage protects against disasters like fire, smoke, wind and other weather events, as well as theft or vandalism.
Personal liability protection: If someone falls down the stairs in your apartment, your dog bites them or they are otherwise injured, liability coverage protects you from a lawsuit. Your liability insurance may also pay for medical costs in case of injury.
Additional living expenses: If your apartment is so badly damaged that you can’t stay there while it’s being repaired, this coverage will pay for a hotel, meals, laundry and other needs you might have.
Improvements: A Travelers rental policy allows you to apply up to 10% of your personal property coverage to repair or replace any improvements that you’ve made or purchased for the apartment.
Travelers renters insurance reviews are uneven. Highly-respected J.D. Power gave the company only two out of five Power Circles in 2019, which indicates that some customers aren’t happy with their interactions with the company.
But the Better Business Bureau gives Travelers an A+, and the company earned a fewer-than-average-complaints ranking from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. In all likelihood, your own experiences will be positive, especially if you find a good, professional agent with whom you’re comfortable working.
Getting an online quote from Travelers is simple; taking about five minutes. The website is well-organized, with a comprehensive claim center that lets you file a claim, manage the experience and find service providers if necessary.
You’ll get your best deal if you add on your car, boat, personal articles floater insurance or umbrella coverage to your renters policy — Travelers says this will save you up to 5%. The company also offers a discount if you haven’t made a claim in a while, and one if you have a protective device such as a sprinkler system, smoke detector, home security system or security guard at your building.
Travelers offers two types of add-on coverage that you can choose to include with your policy for a cost. These types of coverage are called amendments or riders.
Contents replacement cost: Your basic policy will take depreciation into account when it pays your personal property claim. If your couch is ten years old and looking a bit shabby, you won’t get much for it. But with this optional coverage, you’ll be given enough money on your claim to purchase new items of similar value, without regard to depreciation.
Valuable items plus: If you have belongings that are of particular value, they may be worth more than your basic policy provides for. Jewelry, antiques and home electronics are examples of this. For an additional cost, you can get extended coverage of these items, without the need for an appraisal.
Methodology
For the Travelers renters insurance review, we evaluated the company based on its customer rating and experience, financial stability, and coverage. To compare renters insurance companies across the board, we calculated a Reviews.com score based on the following:
Customer Ratings– Customer ratings are an indication of satisfaction with the process of filing a claim. We measured this using J.D. Power Homeowners Satisfaction ratings.
Coverage– As there isn’t one company to fit everyone’s needs, we evaluated companies by the amount of coverage options available and add-ons available.
Confidence– It is extremely important for insurance companies to fulfill customers’ claims. Companies with sound financial strength will not have issues paying out claims, regardless of the amount. However, companies with weak financial strength might not be able to pay out claims. We measured this using AM Best.
Customer Experience– The amount of complaints a company receives is an indicator of the overall customer experience as it expresses dissatisfaction. We have based this measure on the NAIC National Complaint Index.
Though Geico wasn’t rated in the J.D. Power home insurance study, the two companies rank similarly in other customer service measurements. Both companies have an A+ with the Better Business Bureau and fewer than average complaints. Geico is more popular than Travelers, ranking fifth in the nation. You can also probably get a Geico policy for a bit cheaper. Geico states that its plans start at $12 per month, while Travelers costs about $17 per month.
Travelers vs. State Farm
State Farm is the third most popular insurance company in the nation, making it significantly more popular than Travelers, which comes in 20th place. Neither state ranks particularly well in customer satisfaction — both fall below the industry average. Both also have fewer complaints than average compared to their competitors. Travelers has an edge over State Farm in terms of rates — it charges roughly $12 per month, while State Farm states its average premium is $15 per month.
The Bottom Line
Travelers is a solid contender in the world of renters insurance. For a reasonable price, you can get an easily-customizable policy that will protect you from disasters, both large and small.
The only area where Travelers doesn’t excel is in the area of customer service, and even there, the results were mixed. It’s likely that you won’t have to deal with this unless you make a claim, and in that case, the odds are in your favor that it will be a positive interaction.
Travelers is a good option no matter what kind of apartment or dormitory situation you find yourself in, but we would particularly recommend it for those who live in gated communities or buildings that have 24-hour security, since there are discounts available for those who do — making your rate even more competitive.
In addition to its renters insurance, Travelers also policies to cover your car, home, condo, boat and yacht. You can get a discount when you bundle two or more of these policies.
It’s recommended that you purchase enough renters insurance coverage to replace all of your belongings in the case of a total loss like a fire. You may need additional coverage if you own valuables such as jewelry or collectibles.
Travelers renters insurance coverage is available in 47 states and Washington D.C. The company does not currently write policies in Alaska, Hawaii or Louisiana.
Travelers renters insurance includes a few basic coverages. First, personal property coverage protects your belongings. Liability protection covers you in case someone sues you. Medical payments protect you in case someone gets hurt on your property. Finally, additional living expense coverage means that if you’re forced out of your apartment due to a covered loss, Travelers will pay for you to temporarily stay somewhere else.
Mary Van Keuren has been covering auto and home insurance for Reviews.com for nearly five years, and has published numerous reviews of state-specific insurance trends and how to find the best insurance deals for your money. She earned B.S. and M.A. degrees from Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. and has been writing professionally, both in print and online, for 30+ years.
