Suggestions to Protect their Valuables
One more thing to worry about, is their stuff safe? When they were at home, you knew the valuables were safe, but now? Right up there with the call from my college daughter that she lost her phone, keys, student ID, (fill in the blank), is the call you get when they tell you someone took their cell phone, designer bag, or whatever valuable item your child has stolen.
And it has been through tears and yelling about an item of hers being taken, that I find myself, once again, asking if she had kept their dorm door open and her valuables exposed. Freshman year, my daughter shared a room with a very nice girl; I would beg her to still put her valuables away, as her roommate often had friends over.
At times the door was open for all who entered. She was warned many times to never leave her door open when she was not in the room. I have consistently witnessed her forgetting to lock her bedroom doors. Usually, when I make a mere mention of that fact, I get a sassy response along the lines of “Mom, no one would ever take my stuff.” It is exactly this naiveté that has taught her a painful lesson; not everyone is kind and good and honest. And in my daughter’s particular situation, it was not taken by a roommate, but a visitor to her living space. It is why I have always purchased renter’s insurance for her and a dorm vault.
Put the Stuff In The Vault
Dorm Vault takes up very little space and can be attached either with a security cable or a bolt. It is designed specifically to comply with residence hall and apartment lease regulations which do not allow it to be mounted to the wall or bedposts. Readers of our blog get a 10% discount. Just use the code HUH10OFF.
Equally as important is having renter’s insurance. If you read your student’s Residence Hall and Furnished Apartments Housing Contract, item # 44, the University does not assume responsibility for any loss or personal property. It is recommended that you maintain public liability insurance coverage as well as renters insurance for your personal property.
For dorms, your homeowner’s policy will most likely cover 10% of the total personal property coverage or up to $1,000, which means an item costing over $1,000 will not be fully covered. For off-campus apartments, renter’s insurance may even be required, especially in the newer luxury apartments. What I like about having renter’s insurance is that it covers personal property and not just the liability insurance that may be required.
You can check with your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covers your student or if they offer it but I did shop around, as well as check with some of my friends, and the renter’s insurance companies that many students are using were the following:
- National Student Services, Inc. 800-256-6774
- Nationwide 877-669-6877
- Progressive 855-347-3939
- State Farm 800-732-5246
- Geico 800-207-7847
- GradGuard
- Stillwater Insurance 855-712-4092
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