Quick Tip: Get Renters Insurance for Your Gear in Case of Car Theft

When you visit the Pacific Northwest, you get to experience the immense beauty of tall Douglas Firs, the grandeur of the Cascades and various Idaho mountain ranges, the magnetism of the Pacific Ocean beckoning you towards her.

You will also see a lot of broken windows.

Ahh, just like the one in the photo below. It was a sad day for my poor little 2008 Saturn Astra.

She was so brave :,)

Don't let the broken glass you see deter you from this magical place! Honestly, this isn't just in the PNW. It's everywhere! But I do tend to see glass scattered on city streets here quite often. For example, the city of Eugene, OR experienced 2,556 car break-ins in 2020. A bit further north, Portland averages about 30 car thefts per day.

Don't lose hope, though! Car theft in Portland has declined by 36% between October 2023 and October 2022. Keep in mind that car theft happens everywhere, with the highest rates per 100,000 people in Colorado and Washington D.C. Unfortunately, Washington State and Oregon are next in line, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. After that comes New Mexico, California, and Missouri. The last state kind of baffles me but hey, the Midwest has her moments, too.

Whatever, though! These are car thefts, not necessarily break-ins to steal your stuff (which also happens)! I truly believe the risk is worth the reward when you get to be in the most beautiful place on earth, objectively speaking. If you're worried about getting your stuff stolen, don't stress! That's why I'm here to tell you to get renters insurance (and by tell I mean strongly recommend which does not count as legal or insurance advice lol).

Renters and Homeowners Insurance for Stolen Gear

If you couldn't tell already by this post, all my other posts, and my lifestyle as a whole, I am not a homeowner. Shocker!

You homeowners out there will have homeowners insurance which should cover your gear just as renters insurance does. But this article is not for you. It is for the Millennials and Gen Z-ers who will never ever buy a home and, thus, should get renter's insurance.

Ideally, your renter's insurance policy will cover stolen gear if anyone breaks into your car. I say ideally because it may depend on your policy. Shop around to make sure that your renter's policy will, in fact, cover stolen gear.

How I Learned Why You Should Have Renters Insurance to Cover Stolen Gear

"But Tiff, how did you find out that you should have renter's insurance in case your gear is stolen out of your car?"

Thank you, I'm so glad you asked.

I had to learn this one the hard way, unfortunately. About a year after I moved to Oregon, I was coming back from a trip and had all of my backpacking gear in the back of my car. I parked right outside of town and went about my day. When I came back to my car, the left rear window was shattered and about $1000 worth of gear was gone.

In the thief's defense, all my stuff was just lying in the backseat. It was on me to at least try to cover it up. Would it have made a difference? Who's to say? If you're looking for a bit more advice, don't make your expensive gear completely visible to the outside world.

the spot that used to house my backpacking gear

I was pretty heartbroken but was reminded of a good lesson. All materials are replaceable! Remember that, if you ever get anything stolen. Many thefts happen when you’re away from your vehicle, but not all. Maybe whoever stole it would have gotten me, instead. I was safe and that's what matters. That person also needed that stuff more than I did. So as much as it was an inconvenience, hopefully it helped whoever took it. 

ALSO, I was borrowing gear from a few friends, and get this: only my gear was stolen! I got to return my friend's gear to them! What a relief!

I only had auto insurance at the time and forgot about renter’s insurance altogether. I called my insurance agent who broke the news: auto insurance can cover car theft, but not stolen items out of a car. 

Big ugh. 

my sad broken window :(

She told me that if I were to have renters insurance, it would have covered the stolen gear. You live and you learn. 

Breaking It Down:

• Auto insurance does not cover items stolen from your car

• Comprehensive insurance does not cover stolen items from a car

• Renters insurance or homeowners may cover theft of your items stolen from your car

To be clear, I’m not an insurance agent! Please don't take any of this as legal/insurance advice! :-) Insurance policies vary depending on your coverage and provider. Confirm with your insurance agent that your homeowners/renters insurance covers stolen personal items. Be clear in your language. Car theft is different than items stolen out of your car! 

my sick "new" window I had for a few weeks

I did get to rock a plastic window for a while since Safelite refused to replace it (is that a snub? Decide for yourself). Thankfully, a nice business owner in Portland found a window that fit and replaced it. Support small businesses!!!

So, my quick tip for you: get renters insurance to cover gear theft from a car. Be adamant about your policy details. Confirm with your insurance agent that your policy does cover theft out of a car. To clarify: renters insurance does not cover car theft (someone stole your car), but it can cover the stuff stolen from your car after a break-in. Confirm the details with your agent. 

God forbid you experience a theft. It’s violating and just sucks. But in case you do, it’s best to have your stuff covered because, let’s face it, gear can be expensive! I hope this doesn’t happen to you, ever! But my advice to you is to save yourself the headache and insure your gear!

I hope this helps! Leave a comment or subscribe to my blog for more quick tips and stories about my silly misadventures of moving out west!