Does apartment insurance cover office equipment if I'm working from home?

If you’re working from home and using equipment that is owned by your employer, your apartment insurance doesn’t cover them, but you’re not totally out of luck if something happens.

Jeff Schneider, president of Gotham Brokerage (a Brick Underground sponsor), says that’s because apartment insurance covers property that you own, but your employer should have coverage for their equipment, which would cover certain damages.

But, if your employer determines that you’re liable for the damage and charges you for the repairs, you might be able to file a liability claim on your renter’s insurance, but it will depend on your insurer, according to Policygenius.

Your renter’s policy covers fire damage, water damage, and theft if you’re using your own equipment to work from home, like your personal laptop, or if your employer gave you a stipend to buy devices that they’re letting you keep. But, there are a couple of things to consider.

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For example, software-related issues are not covered. “If your computer starts to have glitches, then it’s not covered,” Schneider says. 

Also, if you’re using your own devices and have added more gear to your home office, you should look into how much renter’s coverage you have. Your computer and gear would be covered, but your pre-Covid policy might not be enough. 

Your policy might also have a limit on how much it pays for the loss of a laptop, usually around $2,000, which is another reason to extend your coverage, as per Policygenius. 

You should calculate how much your computers, monitors, printers, tablets, and any other devices that you use for work costs. Schneider says if you’re using high-end equipment or sophisticated devices, like large-scale printers, then you want to add at least $5,000 to $10,000.

And, if you’re running an at-home business, rather than working from home for an employer, the equipment would not be covered by your basic policy and you would need to add extra coverage.

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