College campuses can often be a prime target for thieves. College students often leave their rooms unlocked and valuables out in the open. Recent statistics have shown that property theft is the most often reported crime on American college campuses today. Electronics, bicycles, and cash top the list of the most popular items being stolen from college dorm rooms. Another shocking statistic is that identity theft on college campuses is on the rise as well. Students are finding that documents with their social security number, credit cards, or identification cards are being stolen from their dorm rooms to be used in identity theft.

Renters insurance is usually meant for your home or apartment that you rent, but you can also purchase renters insurance for your college student. Many college students are leaving home without the proper insurance on their personal possessions. In fact, insurance giant Allstate estimates that approximately two thirds of all college students do not have renters insurance coverage when they head off to school. If you owned your own home, a portion of your homeowners insurance policy would cover your out of town college student and his or her possessions. But, if you rent, the same may not be true for you. Your renters insurance most likely will not cover your children at their new college dorm room especially if they are over the age of eighteen. You could and should purchase them their own renters insurance policy.

You may wonder why you should purchase renters insurance for a college dorm room. There is not much in the way of possessions that many college students own, but you may be surprised if you actually added up all of the things a college kid can cram into a dorm room. Many parents send their children off to college with expensive computers, television sets, video games, and other electronics. In addition, students may take a lot of clothes with them. Parents will want to look at the limits of the renters insurance to ensure that their children have adequate coverage. Many of these types of items, such as computers, have a very low coverage limit. Many insurance policies only cover $2,500 worth of computer equipment. If your child has a more valuable item, you may need to purchase additional renters insurance. The cost in the additional coverage would be just a few dollars per year, but the peace of mind of being totally insured can be well worth the additional cost.

Be sure to tell your insurance company that you are purchasing renters insurance for a dorm room. You should check with your insurance company to see if they have a separate rate specifically for college students and their rooms. Parents may find that their insurance agent recommends purchasing the insurance policy for their children instead of purchasing a separate renters insurance for the dorm room. Another option for parents is to purchase a rider for the college dorm room on their own policy or purchasing a small separate insurance policy to cover their children while they are away at school. College students and their parents should seriously consider renters insurance in order to protect their children’s possessions from theft, damage, or loss.