Auto-Owners Renters Insurance Review
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Auto-Owners
Coverage options
Discounts
NAIC complaints
Auto-Owners
Coverage options
Discounts
NAIC complaints
About Auto-Owners renters insurance
Auto-Owners renters insurance earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for overall performance and is among NerdWallet’s Best Renters Insurance Companies. Based in Michigan, Auto-Owners offers a variety of policy types through independent agents in 25 U.S. states, and its rates are cheaper than the national average. Auto-Owners renters insurance is worth considering for its solid coverage options and variety of discounts.
Where Auto-Owners stands out
Discounts. Auto-Owners offers many ways to reduce the cost of your renters insurance premium.
Consumer complaints. Auto-Owners draws a low volume of complaints to state regulators, suggesting that most of its policyholders are satisfied with their coverage.
Where Auto-Owners falls short
Online services. The Auto-Owners website lacks some of the features that you’ll find on many other insurance companies’ sites, such as online quotes and claims filing.
Availability. Auto-Owners doesn’t sell its policies in all U.S. states, so not all renters will be eligible for coverage.
State availability
Auto-Owners offers insurance in 25 states.
» MORE: The cheapest renters insurance
Auto-Owners renters insurance coverage
Landlords sometimes require tenants to purchase a policy with a minimum amount of renters liability insurance, but otherwise, the coverage you choose is generally up to you. Below are the four types of coverage included in most standard renters policies:
Type of coverage | What it does |
|---|---|
Covers your clothing, furniture, electronics and other belongings. | |
Pays for hotel stays, restaurant meals or other expenses if you have to live elsewhere while your home undergoes covered repairs. | |
Pays out if you're responsible for injuries to other people or damage to their property. | |
Covers injuries to other people in your home, regardless of fault. |
For more details, see What Does Renters Insurance Cover?
In addition to the standard types of coverage above, you can add a Renters Plus package that covers the following:
Refrigerated food that spoils during a power outage.
Water damage due to backed-up drains or sewer lines.
Waterbed liability.
A waived deductible for glass damage.
You can also add replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings. Without it, Auto-Owners would pay for destroyed items on an actual cost value basis, which means you’d get only what the items were worth at the time of the claim. Having replacement cost coverage ensures you’ll be paid out enough to buy brand-new items.
Got a valuable engagement ring or a pricey musical instrument? You may want to buy additional coverage for such items in the form of a property and valuables policy. An appraisal may be required.
Auto-Owners renters insurance rates
Auto-Owners renters insurance costs $136 a year, or $11 a month, on average, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s cheaper than the national average of $148 a year.
Discounts
You may be able to save on your renters insurance premium by:
Bundling multiple policies with Auto-Owners.
Paying your premiums on time for at least three years.
Paying your annual premium in full, upfront.
Signing up for paperless billing and paying online.
Having smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, deadbolt locks or other protective devices in your home.
Getting a quote for your renters policy in advance.
Having no recent renters claims (also called a “favorable loss history”).
Living in a property that’s resistant to wind damage.
Consumer complaints
Auto-Owners had far fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size for home insurance, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (NAIC home insurance complaints cover other home policy types, including mobile home, renters and condo insurance.)
Consumer experience
Website: Although you can’t get a quote on the Auto-Owners website, existing policyholders can log in to pay bills, set up automatic payments, read policy documents and track claims.
App: The app offers similar features to those on the website, including bill pay, claim status and policy documents.
Claims: You must call your independent agent to report your claim. If it's outside of business hours, you can call the company directly at 888-252-4626. An adjuster will be assigned to your case.
Customer service: You can contact Auto-Owners at 800-346-0346 or through an email form. However, Auto-Owners encourages you to reach out to your agent for policy changes, billing and claims information.
Other renters insurance companies to consider
Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other renters insurance companies:
Methodology
Renters insurance star ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s renters insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, coverage options, discounts and online experience. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our full renters insurance rating methodology.
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
Renters insurance rates methodology
To find the average cost of renters insurance in the U.S., NerdWallet calculated the median rate for 30-year-old tenants from multiple insurance companies in every ZIP code across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Sample tenants were nonsmokers with good credit and no recent claims, living in a two-bedroom apartment. They had a $500 deductible and the following coverage limits:
$30,000 in personal property coverage.
$100,000 in liability coverage.
$10,000 in additional living expenses coverage.
$1,000 in medical payments coverage.
We made minor changes to the sample policy in cases where rates for the above coverage limits or deductibles weren’t available.
We then compared the insurer's median rates to the median rates for other companies.
These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
In This Review . . .
