By Mauldin Insurance Group  |  Lexington, South Carolina  |  2026

If you rent your home or apartment in Lexington or anywhere in the SC Midlands, there's a good chance you're unprotected right now — and you may not even know it.

Your landlord's insurance covers the building. It does not cover your belongings, your liability, or the cost of finding somewhere else to stay if your unit becomes uninhabitable. That's where renters insurance comes in.

At Mauldin Insurance Group in Lexington, SC, we help renters understand exactly what they're risking without coverage — and how affordable it is to fix that.

 

What Does Renters Insurance Actually Cover?

A standard renters insurance policy in South Carolina has three core components:

1. Personal Property Coverage

This protects your belongings — furniture, electronics, clothing, jewelry, kitchen items — against covered events like fire, smoke, theft, vandalism, and certain water damage. If your apartment catches fire and you lose everything, your renters policy pays to replace it (up to your coverage limit).

Most renters significantly underestimate the value of their possessions. Walk through your apartment and add up the replacement cost of your TV, laptop, furniture, clothing, and kitchen appliances. For most people that number is $15,000 to $40,000 — far more than they realized.

2. Liability Coverage

If someone is injured in your home and decides to sue you, your renters policy covers your legal defense and any judgment against you — up to your liability limit (typically $100,000 to $300,000). This also covers situations where you accidentally damage someone else's property.

Example: Your dog bites a visitor. Your guest slips on your wet floor. You accidentally leave water running and it floods the unit below yours. All covered under your liability protection.

3. Loss of Use / Additional Living Expenses

If a covered event makes your unit uninhabitable — a fire, severe storm damage, a burst pipe — your renters policy pays for a hotel, temporary housing, and increased living expenses while your home is being repaired. Without this coverage, those costs come entirely out of your pocket.

Common Misconception Many renters believe their landlord's insurance will protect them if something goes wrong. It won't. The landlord's policy covers the building structure only. Your belongings, your liability, and your temporary housing are your responsibility — unless you have renters insurance.

 

 

What Renters Insurance Does NOT Cover

Knowing the exclusions is just as important as knowing what's covered:

• Flooding — flood damage requires a separate flood insurance policy through the NFIP or a private carrier
• Earthquakes — separate coverage required
• Your roommate's belongings — each renter typically needs their own policy
• Business equipment used for work — may need a business rider or separate policy
• High-value items above sub-limits — jewelry, fine art, and collectibles often have per-item caps and may need a scheduled endorsement

If flooding is a concern in your area — and parts of Lexington County do see significant flood risk — ask us about a separate flood policy. The two work together to give you complete protection.

 

How Much Does Renters Insurance Cost in Lexington, SC?

This is where most renters are pleasantly surprised. Renters insurance in South Carolina is one of the most affordable insurance products available.

• Basic coverage ($20,000 personal property / $100,000 liability): approximately $12 to $18 per month
• Standard coverage ($30,000 personal property / $100,000 liability): approximately $16 to $24 per month
• Higher coverage ($50,000 personal property / $300,000 liability): approximately $22 to $35 per month

That's less than most people spend on a single streaming subscription — for protection covering tens of thousands of dollars in belongings and hundreds of thousands in liability.

Bundling your renters insurance with an auto policy from the same carrier typically saves an additional 5 to 15 percent on both policies.

 

Actual vs. Cash Value — An Important Choice

When you purchase renters insurance, you'll choose between two ways your claims are paid:

Replacement Cost Value (RCV)

Pays what it costs to replace your item with a new one of similar kind and quality today. Your 3-year-old laptop gets replaced with a comparable new laptop. This is the better option and worth the small additional premium.

Actual Cash Value (ACV)

Pays the depreciated value of your item — what it was worth at the time of the loss, not what it costs to replace. That 3-year-old laptop may only get you $200 even though replacing it costs $800. ACV policies are cheaper but leave you with a gap after a claim.

💡 Our Recommendation Always choose Replacement Cost Value if it's available. The difference in premium is usually just a few dollars per month, and the difference in claim payout can be thousands of dollars.

 

 

5 Reasons Lexington Renters Should Have Coverage Today

• Lexington County sees significant thunderstorm, hail, and tornado activity — fire and wind damage claims are common
• Apartment and rental home theft rates make personal property coverage especially important
• Many Lexington landlords are now requiring proof of renters insurance as a condition of the lease
• If you have roommates, their guests in your home create liability exposure for you
• The cost is genuinely negligible — most policies cost less per day than a cup of coffee

 

How to Get Renters Insurance in Lexington

Getting covered takes about 10 minutes. When you contact Mauldin Insurance Group, we'll ask you a few simple questions:

• Your address and rental unit type
• An estimate of the total value of your personal belongings
• Whether you want actual cash value or replacement cost coverage
• Your preferred liability limit

We shop multiple carriers to find you the best combination of coverage and price — and we can often bundle it with your auto insurance for additional savings on both.

 

Get Your Free Renters Insurance Quote Takes about 10 minutes. No pressure. Just honest help from your neighbors in Lexington, SC.   📞 Call or Text: 803-920-8827 🌐 MauldinInsuranceGroup.com 📍 Serving Lexington, Columbia, Irmo, Chapin, Lake Murray & all of SC