Guides
HO-4 renters insurance explained: coverage, limits and common gaps
What the HO-4 renters form covers, why the landlord's policy does not protect you, how to set a contents limit, and the roommate, flood and liability gaps.
The HO-4 (ISO HO 00 04, the "Contents Broad Form") is the standard renters policy. It insures your belongings against 16 named perils, pays added living costs if a covered loss makes your rental unlivable, and covers your liability to other people plus their medical bills after an accident on your premises. It does not insure the building, which is the landlord's responsibility. The NAIC's report on 2023 data, published in July 2026, puts the average HO-4 premium at $173 (NAIC).
The form details below come from the May 2011 edition, which the Maine Bureau of Insurance hosts publicly. Your insurer's form and your state's endorsements control.
What the HO-4 covers
The HO-4 has no Coverage A or B, because a tenant owns neither the dwelling nor other structures. Its coverages are lettered C through F to match the rest of the HO family.
| Coverage | What it insures |
|---|---|
| C, Personal property | Belongings you own or use, anywhere in the world; at your request, property of others on the part of the premises you occupy, and of guests and residence employees in any residence you occupy |
| D, Loss of use | Added living expenses, and lost rent if you sublet part of the unit, while the unit is unfit to live in |
| E, Personal liability | Damages you owe others for injury or property damage, plus a defense even if the suit is groundless |
| F, Medical payments | Medical costs for guests hurt on the premises, regardless of fault, incurred within three years |
| Building additions and alterations | Improvements you paid for in the part you occupy exclusively, up to 10% of the Coverage C limit |
| Loss assessment | $1,000 for your share of an association assessment after a covered loss |
The 16 named perils are the same ones used for belongings on the HO-3: fire or lightning, windstorm or hail, theft, vandalism, falling objects, accidental discharge of water, freezing and the rest. Accidental breakage and some power surge damage are not on the list. named perils vs open perils coverage explains where the conditions bite, and Personal property coverage (Coverage C) explained covers the coverage in depth.
Coverage D has no fixed month limit in the form; payment is for the shortest time needed to repair or for you to settle elsewhere, up to the limit on your declarations page. A civil authority closure after damage next door is covered for no more than two weeks. See loss of use and additional living expenses.
Why the landlord's policy does not protect you
The landlord's policy insures the building, not your furniture, and it does not pay your hotel bill if a fire displaces you. According to the Triple-I, "your landlord's policy won't replace your personal possessions" (Triple-I). Its liability coverage protects the landlord, and after a loss the landlord's insurer may seek recovery from a tenant whose negligence caused it.
Your HO-4 liability coverage is what answers that. On the ISO form, the liability section excludes property damage to property you rent or occupy, except damage caused by fire, smoke or explosion. A kitchen fire you start is covered. Water damage to the rented unit itself, from an overflowing tub for instance, falls under the exclusion on the ISO wording, so ask whether your insurer adds "tenant legal liability" for other causes. Damage to a neighbor's unit below you is a separate matter, covered when you are legally liable.
Who is insured
The form defines "insured" as you, residents of your household who are your relatives, and other residents under 21 in your care or a relative's care. A full-time student who lived with you before leaving for school is covered if under 24 and your relative, or under 21 and in your care. An unrelated roommate is not an insured, and the form excludes property of roomers and tenants who are not related to you. Each roommate needs a policy, or must be named under an insurer that offers joint coverage. The Triple-I adds that a domestic partner is usually not insured automatically. See unmarried couples and co-owners on one policy and does homeowners insurance cover a college student's belongings?.
Setting your contents limit
The limit is yours to choose, so the first job is an honest inventory. A room-by-room tally works better than a guess. Say a one-bedroom apartment holds the following at replacement cost (hypothetical):
| Category | Replacement cost |
|---|---|
| Living room furniture and décor | $5,500 |
| Bedroom furniture and bedding | $4,800 |
| Kitchen goods and small appliances | $3,000 |
| Clothing and shoes | $6,000 |
| Computers, phone, television and gaming | $4,500 |
| Everything else | $2,200 |
| Total | $26,000 |
A limit near $26,000, with a margin for purchases since the inventory, would be a reasonable ask. The home inventory builder builds this list, how to make a home inventory for insurance explains how to document it, and how much personal property coverage do you need? covers sizing in more detail.
Actual cash value or replacement cost
The ISO HO-4 settles covered losses at actual cash value, which is replacement cost less depreciation, not the cost of a new item. Replacement cost is optional (ISO's endorsement is HO 04 90). Say a six-year-old sofa would cost $1,800 to replace, and the insurer's depreciation puts its value at $900 (hypothetical; schedules vary). On actual cash value the check is $900 less the deductible. The replacement cost vs actual cash value: why it matters guide shows the difference over a whole household.
ISO's March 2022 revision added a new renters form, the HO 00 14 "Contents Comprehensive Form." Rough Notes describes it as an open-perils form with replacement cost valuation, the only ISO homeowners form that settles personal property at replacement cost, with Coverage C sub-limits set at 10% of the Coverage C limit instead of fixed dollar amounts (Rough Notes, February 2022). FC&S notes that it leaves out building additions and alterations coverage and ordinance or law coverage, which the HO-4 includes (FC&S). Many insurers still write the HO-4 or their own form, so ask which one is quoted.
Special limits that catch renters
Even a generous contents limit has dollar caps on certain categories. The 2011 form limits money to $200, securities and records to $1,500, jewelry and watches to $1,500 for theft, firearms to $2,500 for theft, and silverware to $2,500 for theft. Property used primarily for business is limited to $2,500 on the premises and $1,500 away from it, which affects anyone working from home with employer equipment. Later ISO editions raised many of these limits. If your jewelry, camera gear or instruments exceed them, see special limits on jewelry, firearms, cash and collectibles and business property at home: what a homeowners policy pays.
What the HO-4 does not cover
- Flood. The HO-4 excludes it. FEMA's flood manual (October 2025 edition) lets a renter buy contents-only coverage up to $100,000 through the NFIP, normally effective after a 30-day wait (FEMA). See NFIP flood insurance explained.
- Sewer backup and sump overflow. Excluded unless you add an endorsement; see water backup and sewer backup coverage.
- A roommate's belongings, animals, motor vehicles, and loss caused by the cancellation of a lease.
- Earthquake and other ground movement.
Who carries renters insurance
The Triple-I's 2020 consumer poll, an online survey of 1,004 adults in July 2020, found that 57% of renters said they had renters insurance, up from 42% in 2018, though the survey method changed in 2018 (Triple-I). Some landlords require proof of coverage in the lease, sometimes asking to be listed as an additional interest. Ask what the lease demands before you buy.
Buying an HO-4: a checklist
- Inventory your belongings and total the replacement cost.
- Choose actual cash value or replacement cost, and ask about the HO-14-style form.
- Pick a liability limit that fits your assets rather than the lease minimum.
- Check special limits against your valuables, and schedule items above them.
- Ask about water backup, and price NFIP or private flood if the building is in a flood zone.
- Settle roommate coverage in writing.
- Send the landlord the declarations page if the lease calls for it.
Key takeaways
- The HO-4 insures your belongings against 16 named perils, plus loss of use, liability and medical payments; it does not insure the building.
- The landlord's insurance covers the building, so your belongings, living costs and liability need their own policy.
- Set the contents limit from an inventory, and check whether the policy pays actual cash value or replacement cost.
- Unrelated roommates are not insured under your policy, and flood and sewer backup need separate coverage.
- Special limits for jewelry, cash, firearms and business property can be far below your contents limit, so schedule valuables.