By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor
In Durham, renting usually means renting near UNH. Census estimates put the town’s median age at about 20, and nearly three in four renters moved into their current home in 2018 or later, compared with about two in five statewide (Census Bureau ACS). Every August brings a wave of new leases on Main Street apartments, Madbury Road houses and the newer complexes, and every one of those tenants has belongings their landlord’s policy does not cover.
Our agency, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, is family-owned, independent and based on Islington Street in Portsmouth, and since 2005 we have written policies for Seacoast tenants and their families. Because we work with 40+ carriers, a student, a graduate assistant or a young professional can get limits that fit. Questions? insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com or (603) 431-4020.
Key takeaways
- Your landlord’s policy does not cover your belongings or your liability.
- A parent’s homeowners policy may cover a student away at school only in part, and often not in an off-campus apartment.
- Unrelated roommates generally each need their own renters policy.
- Durham rentals must hold a town Certificate of Housing Code Compliance, and you can ask to see it.
- Flood is not covered by renters insurance; a separate contents-only flood policy is available.
Renting in Durham by the numbers
From the 2020–2024 American Community Survey. Students in UNH residence halls are not counted among occupied homes, and all figures carry margins of error.
| Durham | New Hampshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Renters living in buildings of 50 or more units | about 1 in 6 | about 1 in 11 |
| Tenants in their current home since 2018 or later | nearly 3 in 4 | about 2 in 5 |
| Workers who walk to work | about 1 in 4 | about 1 in 44 |
| Median age of residents | 20 | 43 |
A walking town is good news for car costs but means more of your valuables travel with you: laptops in a backpack, bikes at racks, phones at the library (ACS commuting data). Renters coverage for personal property generally goes with you off the premises.
Students: what a parent’s policy may and may not do
Families often assume the family homeowners policy covers a child at UNH. The answer depends on the wording:
- Dorm versus apartment. Some policies extend coverage to a student’s belongings in school housing but not in an off-campus apartment or house.
- Reduced limit. Extended coverage is often a fraction of the parents’ personal property limit and may not include the parents’ full theft coverage.
- Who qualifies. The student usually must be a full-time student and still legally living at the parents’ home. A graduate student who has set up their own home may not qualify.
- Liability. Coverage for the student’s personal liability depends on residency and the policy.
- Claims on the parents’ record. A theft claim on the family policy goes on the parents’ loss history.
A separate renters policy in the student’s name avoids most of these questions. Families with a car on the policy can sometimes combine the two with one carrier; see our New Hampshire auto insurance page.
Roommates and shared houses
Off-campus Durham houses are often shared by three unrelated people, which is the town’s occupancy cap in most residential districts (Durham code official letter). A renters policy normally covers the named insured and resident relatives, so three roommates usually means three policies. Sharing one policy can leave a roommate’s belongings uncovered and makes claims messy when someone moves out. List your own high-value items, such as a gaming computer, a camera or an instrument, rather than assuming a general limit covers them.
Check the certificate and the escape routes
Under Chapter 72 of the Durham Code, residential rentals are inspected by the Fire Department, and owners must keep the town’s Certificate of Housing Code Compliance on the property and show it to tenants and prospective tenants on request (Durham Code, Chapter 72). Ask to see it before you sign a lease. While you are touring, test the smoke and CO alarms and make sure each bedroom has another exit besides the door; the State Fire Marshal’s bulletin explains what counts as an egress window (NH State Fire Marshal Bulletin 2019-01).
None of that changes your renters policy, but a safe apartment is less likely to produce the fire or smoke claim that sends you to a hotel. Loss of use, also called additional living expense, pays reasonable extra costs if a covered loss forces you out mid-semester.
Liability, guests and town citations
Personal liability on a renters policy can pay for an injured guest’s claim or accidental damage you cause to the building, such as an overflowing tub. It does not pay town fines. Durham’s code official issues citations for trash and parking problems, and the town limits regular parking to three vehicles per parcel in its letter to landlords (Town of Durham), so ask your landlord about parking before bringing a car.
Your security deposit
State law lets a landlord collect no more than one month’s rent or $100, whichever is more, as a deposit, and you get a 5-day window after move-in to send a written list of repairs the unit needs (RSA 540-A:6). Once you leave, the deposit is due back within 30 days, along with a written breakdown of anything kept (RSA 540-A:7). Take dated photos at move-in and move-out. Renters insurance does not cover damage you cause through wear and tear, and it is not a substitute for your deposit.
Flood is separate
Durham has relatively few flood policies, but its 2024 hazard plan identifies floodplain along several creeks, brooks and the Oyster River (Durham Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024). A renters policy excludes flood. If you rent a ground-floor or basement unit near water, a contents-only flood policy is available through the NFIP via Selective or from private flood carriers.
More for Durham renters
Visit our Durham insurance agency page, renters insurance in New Hampshire, renters insurance and New Hampshire umbrella insurance.
Get a Durham renters quote
Tell us where you are renting and what you own, and we will compare 40+ carriers for the right personal property and liability limits. About 90% of our quotes go out within 24 hours. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. We don’t charge additional fees.
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Frequently asked questions
Does my parents’ homeowners policy cover me in a Durham apartment?
Sometimes, partly. Many homeowners policies extend some personal property coverage to a full-time student whose permanent home is still with the parents and who is living away at school, often with a reduced limit and sometimes only in a dorm. Off-campus apartments, older students and students who have moved out for good often fall outside it. Have the parents check their policy wording before relying on it.
Does my landlord’s insurance cover my things?
No. A landlord policy covers the building and the landlord’s own liability. Your laptop, bike, clothes and furniture are covered only by your own renters policy, or by a parent’s policy if it extends to you.
My roommates and I share a house. Can one policy cover all of us?
Usually not. A renters policy normally covers the named insured and resident relatives, not unrelated roommates. In a shared Durham house, each roommate should carry a policy, and the lease may require it.
Is my bike covered if it is stolen on campus?
Personal property coverage on a renters policy generally follows your belongings away from home, so a bike stolen from a campus rack is typically covered after your deductible, subject to the policy’s theft terms. Electric bikes and scooters can be treated differently, so list them when you apply.
Does renters insurance cover a party that gets out of hand?
Personal liability can respond if a guest is injured or you accidentally damage someone else’s property. It does not cover intentional acts, fines or citations from the town, and many policies limit coverage tied to liquor served to minors. Read the exclusions before hosting.
What do you need to quote a Durham renters policy?
The address and unit, the names of the people to be insured, a rough value of your belongings, any high-value items such as cameras or instruments, and whether you have a dog. Fill in the form here or ring (603) 431-4020.
Sources
- Census ACS 5-year 2020–2024, Durham town, renters by building size (B25032)
- Census ACS, Durham town, when renters moved in (B25038)
- Census ACS, Durham town, how workers get to work (B08301)
- Census ACS, Durham town, median age (B01002)
- Census ACS, New Hampshire, renters by building size (B25032)
- Census ACS, New Hampshire, how workers get to work (B08301)
- Durham Town Code ch. 72 (housing standards and rental certificates)
- Durham Code Enforcement letter on occupancy, vehicles and trash
- State Fire Marshal informational bulletin 2019-01 (egress windows)
- Durham hazard mitigation plan, 2024 update
- RSA 540-A:6 (deposit limits and move-in notice)
- RSA 540-A:7 (deposit return)
General information for Durham tenants and families. Coverage depends on the actual policy wording and the carrier, and town rules change. Call (603) 431-4020 with a specific question.