USAA Renters Insurance Review
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Coverage options
Discounts
NAIC complaints
USAA
Coverage options
Discounts
NAIC complaints
About USAA renters insurance
USAA renters insurance earned 5 out of 5 stars for overall performance and is among NerdWallet’s Best Renters Insurance Companies. USAA serves veterans and active members of the military, offering renters policies that are more comprehensive than most. Nearly every insurer will cover things like theft and fire damage, but USAA also covers your stuff if it’s destroyed by flooding or earthquakes. (Insurance for these disasters typically costs extra from other companies.)
Even with this additional coverage, USAA renters insurance is less expensive than the national average, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis.
To buy renters insurance from USAA, you must be a USAA member. The following people are eligible for membership:
Active members of the U.S. military, including the National Guard and reserves.
Military veterans who were honorably discharged.
Precommissioned officers.
Children of USAA members.
Spouses of active military or veterans.
Widowed spouses of USAA members, or divorced spouses who haven’t remarried.
Where USAA stands out
Generous coverage. It’s tough to find a renters insurance policy that will cover flood and earthquake damage, but USAA’s does. Add replacement coverage for your personal belongings, and USAA has some of the most complete coverage available for renters.
Customer satisfaction. USAA draws very few consumer complaints to state regulators, and its renters insurance scored highly for consumer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2024 Home Insurance Study.
Where USAA falls short
Availability. Only active military, veterans and their families can buy USAA renters insurance.
State availability
USAA renters insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. It may also be available if you're stationed outside the U.S. Contact USAA directly for specifics.
» MORE: The cheapest renters insurance
USAA 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?
USAA also includes the following types of coverage, which often cost extra from other companies:
Flood insurance. USAA works with the National Flood Insurance Program to cover your items in case of flood damage.
Earthquake coverage. USAA will also pay for damage due to earthquakes.
Replacement cost coverage. Some renters policies cover your items on an "actual cash value" basis. That means if a fire damages your 5-year-old leather recliner, the insurance company would pay out only what the chair is worth at the time of the accident (likely far less than what you originally paid for it). With replacement cost coverage, USAA will pay you enough to buy a new recliner.
USAA doesn’t charge a deductible if your military uniform or equipment is damaged in a covered claim. The company may also cover your belongings if you’re deployed overseas or living outside the U.S.
You can pay extra to add the following types of coverage to a USAA renters policy:
Electronics. Adding USAA’s tech package gives your gadgets additional coverage beyond what’s offered in a standard renters policy. Say you spill coffee on your laptop keyboard or lose your phone on the subway — USAA will cover your device, minus a $250 deductible.
Valuable personal property. Got expensive jewelry, musical instruments or guns? Because renters policies often have limited coverage for these items, you may want to buy extra insurance to be sure they’re fully covered. Unlike your renters policy, the valuable personal property coverage has no deductible. An appraisal may be required.
USAA renters insurance rates
The average annual cost of USAA renters insurance is $142 a year, or about $12 a month, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s cheaper than the national average of $148 per year. Here’s how USAA’s rates stack up against some of its competitors.
Company | Average annual cost |
|---|---|
$115. | |
$168. | |
$188. | |
$203. | |
USAA* | $142. |
*USAA renters insurance is available only to active-duty military members, veterans and their families. | |
Our sample rates were calculated for 30-year-old renters with a $500 deductible, $30,000 of personal property coverage and $100,000 in liability coverage.
Discounts
Depending on where you live, you may be able to save on your renters policy by:
Bundling it with a USAA auto policy.
Not filing any claims.
Adding a home security system, automatic sprinklers or monitored fire alarm.
Living on a base or in a service academy.
Attending a senior military college as a cadet.
Consumer complaints
USAA received far fewer home insurance complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (NAIC home insurance complaints also cover other home policy types, including mobile home, renters and condo insurance.)
» MORE: USAA life insurance review
Consumer experience
Website: You can use the USAA website to get a quote, pay your bill, view policy documents and file claims. The website offers general insurance information plus advice on topics such as preparing for natural disasters and life in the military.
App: The company’s highly rated mobile app lets you access your insurance policies and other USAA products, such as bank accounts and credit cards. You can use the app to pay bills, report claims and see policy information.
Claims: You can submit a renters insurance claim online or through the app. Once filed, you can log into your account to track the status of your claim. If you have trouble, you can call USAA’s main number at 800-531-8722.
Customer service: You can get answers to quick questions from USAA’s “virtual agent" or call 800-531-8722.
Other renters insurance companies to consider
Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other renters insurance companies:
» MORE: USAA homeowners insurance review
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 . . .
