Renters insurance moving expenses are covered in exactly one case: when a covered loss makes the unit unlivable and loss of use pays the extra cost of living elsewhere while it is repaired, including the hotel, the short lease and the meals above your normal spend. A planned move to a new apartment is not a loss, and its costs are yours; your belongings in the moving truck are a separate question with a short answer. The Insurance Information Institute's NAIC-based figure puts the average US homeowners premium at $1,411 for 2021, and the average renters premium at $170; both are national averages that no single household pays, and the rate pages on this site show what carriers actually file where you live.
Loss of use after a covered loss
When fire, a burst pipe or another covered peril puts you out, loss of use pays the additional living expenses above what you normally spend, for the time reasonably needed to repair or to settle elsewhere, up to the coverage's limit. It is the part of the policy that covers moving in the emergency sense.
A planned move
The truck, the movers, the deposit and the overlapping rent are not insured events. Your belongings are covered against the policy's perils while in transit in most policies, at actual cash value or replacement cost, but breakage from handling is usually excluded; the mover's own valuation coverage answers that.
Coverage at two addresses
Most policies cover belongings at the new address for a stated period during a move; tell the carrier the move date and the new address so the policy follows you. The III reports that 5.5 percent of insured homes had a claim in 2022, so most policy years end with nothing paid out and the price is paid for the year something is.
Questions people ask about renters insurance moving expenses
Does renters insurance cover moving expenses?
Only as loss of use after a covered loss; a planned move is not insured.
Are my things covered in the moving truck?
Against the policy's perils, usually yes; breakage from handling is the mover's valuation coverage, not yours.
Do I need to tell my insurer I am moving?
Yes, with the date and the new address, so coverage follows you and the premium is re-rated.