The Best Cheap Renters Insurance in California
Lemonade has the cheapest renters insurance in California, at $13 per month on average.
Compare Renters Insurance Quotes in California
Best Cheap Renters Insurance in CA
Our editors compared renters insurance companies by looking at cost, customer service, extra coverage options and discounts. ValuePenguin collected hundreds of renters insurance quotes from top companies across 25 of California's largest cities.
Cheapest renters insurance companies in California
Lemonade has the cheapest renters insurance in California.
The company charges $13 per month for $30,000 of personal property coverage. That's one-third cheaper than the California state average.
Compare cheap renters insurance options in California
Progressive has the second cheapest renters insurance in California, with an average rate of $15 per month. The company offers several discounts that can lower your monthly rate even more.
Renters insurance costs $19 per month in California on average.
That's slightly cheaper than neighboring states like Oregon and Nevada, and much cheaper than nearby Arizona, where rates average $28 per month.
Cheapest renters insurance companies in California
Company | Monthly cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | $13 | |
| Progressive | $15 | |
| Allstate | $20 | |
| Assurant | $29 | |
| USAA | N/A | |
Companies that have stopped selling renters insurance in CA
At the moment, several top companies no longer sell renters insurance to new customers in California. State-level rules about how much companies can raise rates combined with increasing wildfires and other natural disasters has made the California market unprofitable for companies like State Farm, Allstate and AIG.
Other companies still sell renters insurance in the Golden State, but only in some areas. If you live in a place with frequent wildfires, consider buying government-backed renters insurance, called the California Fair Plan.
Best renters insurance for most people in California: Lemonade
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Cost$13/moThis analysis used home insurance quotes for the 25 largest cities in California. Read our methodology.
Best renters insurance in CA for extra coverage and discounts: Progressive
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Cost$15/moThis analysis used home insurance quotes for the 25 largest cities in California. Read our methodology.
Best renters insurance in California for military families: USAA
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CostN/ARate data is not available for this company.
California renters insurance: Costs by city
Long Beach, a part of the Los Angeles metro area, has the highest renters insurance quotes in California with an average rate of $31 per month.
Chula Vista, a San Diego suburb, has the cheapest rates among California's major cities, at $16 per month on average.
Where you live has a big influence on your renters insurance rates. Factors like crime, natural disasters and the cost of labor and materials can impact how much you pay for renters insurance.
City | Monthly rate | % from average |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | $18 | -4% |
| Bakersfield | $20 | 4% |
| Chula Vista | $16 | -14% |
| Fontana | $19 | 0% |
| Fremont | $20 | 3% |
How to get cheap renters insurance in California
Pay less for renters insurance in California by comparing rates, taking advantage of discounts and bundling your renters and auto insurance.
Comparing rates can lower your annual renters insurance by hundreds of dollars per year. Lemonade has the cheapest renters insurance quotes in California at $13 per month for $30,000 of personal property coverage . That's less than half the cost of Assurant which charges $29 per month for the same level of coverage.
Take advantage of discounts to lower your monthly rate. Most renters insurance companies let you qualify for multiple discounts.
Common discounts include auto-renters bundling , claims free and using online bill pay.
Make sure you're buying the right amount of coverage. The level of coverage you buy is one of the most important factors that determines your monthly rate.
It's a good idea to add up the cost of everything you own in your home. The sum will give you an idea of how much personal property coverage to buy.
Common natural disasters in California
Depending on where you live in California, you may need protection against wildfires, floods and earthquakes.
Wildfires
Wildfires have become increasingly common in California over the past few decades. Most renters insurance policies cover fire damage. However, some insurance companies have stopped selling renters insurance policies in parts of California at high risk for wildfires.
Fortunately, the state government sells insurance to renters everywhere in California regardless of wildfire risk through a program called the California Fair Plan. You can buy fire insurance from the California FAIR Plan Association if no private insurance companies offer coverage in your area.
Keep in mind that FAIR Plan policies can be expensive.
If there's an active wildfire in your area, you may not be able to buy a new renters insurance policy.
Many companies won't sell new policies in areas as natural disasters, like wildfires or hurricanes, are happening. Others may have a 30- or 60-day waiting period before your coverage begins.
- If you already have renters insurance, your policy usually includes wildfire coverage. You should check your policy or call an agent to make sure you're covered.
- If you don't have renters insurance, you can't get regular coverage that will protect you from damage caused by the current wildfires in L.A. The California FAIR program may still sell policies in the your area, but it may take longer to get coverage during a disaster.
Floods
A normal renters insurance policy won't cover flood damage. You'll have to buy a separate flood insurance plan to protect yourself. Consider a flood policy if you live in a high-risk flood area.
You can find your home or apartment's risk level by using the flood map tool on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website.
Earthquakes
Renters insurance does not cover damage caused by earthquakes. It's a good idea to buy separate earthquake coverage that you can add to your renters policy. The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) sells coverage for as little as $35 per year.
California has the most earthquakes that cause damage to buildings of any state nationwide.
Every year, California usually gets two to three earthquakes large enough to cause at least moderate amounts of damage to buildings. These earthquakes can impact some of California's largest cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
In California, your standard renters insurance will pay for fire damage caused by an earthquake. It might also cover explosions, stolen property and broken glass caused by an earthquake, though you should check with your agent to be sure.
California renters insurance trends
Renters insurance prices have gone up 10.2% in California over the last six years.
Some of the largest California renters insurance companies raised rates between 0.8% and 48.5% over the last six years. However, several companies also saw a decrease in rates, making the overall increase just 10.2%.
Renters insurance prices, on average, saw a 0.9% decrease in 2022, but then had a slight uptick of 7.3% across 2023 and 2024.
Among the major CA insurers, the biggest increases were at Farmers (48.5%), AAA (44.9%) and USAA (18.2%).
Renters insurance rate change data was compiled using RateWatch from S&P Global, which uses information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best cheap renters insurance quotes in California?
Lemonade has the best cheap renters insurance quotes in California. It charges $13 per month on average for $30,000 of personal property coverage. That's 33% below the California state average.
How much is renters insurance in California?
The average cost of renters insurance in California is $19 per month for $30,000 of personal property coverage. What you pay for renters insurance depends mainly on where you live, the level of coverage you choose and your insurance company.
Is it illegal to not have renters insurance in California?
No, there is no legal requirement to have renters insurance in California. However, many landlords will require that you buy a renters policy as a condition of your lease.
Methodology
Information related to California's Fair Plan program came from the California Fair Plan website. The flood insurance risk zone definition came from the FEMA website. Natural disaster trend data was taken from the California Department of Conservation, the United States Geological Survey and Climate Central, a nonprofit organization.
ValuePenguin collected hundreds of quotes from across the 25 largest cities in California for an unmarried 30-year-old woman with no claims history. Coverage limits include:
- $30,000 of personal property coverage
- $9,000 for loss of use
- $500 deductible
- $100,000 of personal liability
- $1,000 of medical payments to guests
Customer service ratings were created using cost data, information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index scores and J.D. Power's 2023 renters insurance customer satisfaction study rankings.
These rates should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes may differ.
About the Author
Senior Writer
Talon Abernathy is a ValuePenguin Senior Writer who specializes in health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. He's also contributed to other insurance verticals including home, renters, auto, motorcycle and flood insurance.
Talon came to ValuePenguin in 2023. Since his arrival, he's helped to expand the site's health insurance-related content offerings. He enjoys helping readers understand the ins and outs of America's all too complicated health insurance landscape.
Before coming to ValuePenguin, Talon worked as a freelance writer. His prior work has touched on a broad range of personal finance-related topics including credit-building strategies, small business incorporation tactics and creative ways to save for retirement.
Insurance tip
In many parts of the country, you can qualify for a free Silver health insurance plan if you meet certain income requirements. Government subsidies in the form of premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions may mean you'll pay nothing for coverage.
Expertise
- Health insurance
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Flood insurance
- Homeowners insurance
- Renters insurance
- Auto and motorcycle insurance
Referenced by
- The Miami Herald
- Money.com
- MSN
- Nasdaq
- The Sacramento Bee
- Yahoo! Finance
Education
- BA, University of Washington
- Certificate in Copyediting, UC San Diego
Credentials
- Licensed Life & Disability Insurance Agent
- Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.
