If you’re looking for cheap renters insurance in North Carolina, consider looking at quotes from Kemper, North Carolina Farm Bureau and Heritage Insurance. In our evaluation, these companies offer the cheapest renters insurance in North Carolina for a typical coverage amount of $15,000, among the companies we analyzed.

Here are average North Carolina renters insurance costs for three levels of coverage.

Average North Carolina Renters Insurance Costs

Company Average annual cost for $15,000 in personal property coverage Average annual cost for $30,000 in personal property coverage Average annual cost for $50,000 in personal property coverage
Kemper
$50
$51
$58
North Carolina Farm Bureau
$51
$67
$106
Heritage Insurance
$60
$109
$173
$65
$129
$206
United P&C
$66
$137
$218
$68
$135
$213
Lititz Mutual
$69
$141
$225
$85
$153
$244
Universal Insurance Co. of N. America
$106
$174
$256
$119
$155
$202
$174
$351
$559
State average
$83
$146
$224

Source: Quadrant Information Services. Rates include $100,000 in liability insurance.
*USAA auto insurance is available only to members of the military, veterans and their families

More: Best renters insurance

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

Before choosing your insurance provider, you may want to know why Renters Insurance is worth it. Renters insurance covers your personal belongings if they are stolen or damaged due to a problem covered by your policy, such as a fire. A renters insurance policy also covers property damage or injuries you accidentally cause to others.

Here are the main types of coverage within a renters insurance policy:

  • Personal property. This covers your personal belongings that are damaged, destroyed or stolen. This includes items such as furniture, clothing, jewelry, artwork and electronics.
  • Liability insurance. This covers injuries and property damage you accidentally cause to others. For example, if your family dog bit a neighbor, liability insurance would cover their medical bills. It covers court judgments against you, settlements and your legal defense costs.
  • Additional living expenses (ALE) coverage. If you cannot live in your home because of a problem covered by your policy (like a fire), additional living expenses coverage pays for costs like hotel bills, restaurant meals and other necessary services.

If you have savings and assets that are greater than your liability insurance limits, you may want to consider an umbrella insurance policy.

Related: What does renters insurance cover?

When Can You Be Evicted in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, a landlord can evict you from your rental property if you:

  • Breach your lease
  • Don’t pay the rent
  • Refuse to vacate at the end of your lease
  • Engage in illegal activity

If you have not paid rent, a landlord must wait 10 days and then make a written demand for rent. If you do not pay the rent due, your landlord can file for an eviction with the court. If you can pay your past due rent, try to pay your landlord before the hearing. If your landlord has filed eviction papers, you’ll also have to pay court costs. You can also offer the court magistrate the full rent (plus court costs) at the hearing and ask for the case to be dismissed.

If you breach your lease, a landlord does not need to give eviction notice as long as they have a “forfeiture clause” in the lease. Examples of a breach of lease are destroying the property, disturbing your neighbors and illegal activity.

Your landlord cannot evict you as retaliation, such as:

  • Complaining about poor conditions
  • Requesting repairs
  • Complaining to a government agency about violation of health or safety laws
  • Trying to get your rights under your lease
  • Joining a tenant’s organization

Rules on Security Deposits in North Carolina

Within 30 days of receiving a security deposit a landlord must provide you with written notification of the name of the North Carolina financial institution where the money will be kept and the physical address. There are legal limitations on the amount of a security deposit that a landlord may request.

Limitations of North Carolina security deposits are:

  • Maximum of two weeks if you pay by the week
  • Maximum of one and half months if you pay by the month
  • Maximum of two months if you pay rent for a period longer than one month at a time

North Carolina landlords must return your security deposit within 30 days of vacancy. Your landlord can withhold all or part of the deposit for the following reasons:

  • Any rent owed
  • Damage to the unit beyond normal wear and tear
  • The costs of finding a new tenant if you vacate before the end of the lease
  • Court costs if you have been evicted

If your landlord withholds all or a portion of your security deposit, they must give you an explanation of why the money was withheld. If you dispute the amount withheld, it’s a good idea to speak with your landlord or write a letter (date the letter and keep a copy). If the dispute is not resolved, you can file a small claims action against the landlord.

Rules on Rent Increases in North Carolina

There is no specific law in North Carolina that states how much notice must be given before a rent increase for a month-to-month rental agreement. Typically, a landlord should follow the law for a change of tenancy, which is seven days notice.

If you have a long-term lease (such as a one-year lease), a landlord cannot raise your rent until the lease ends and a new tenancy begins.

There is no limitation on how much rent can be increased. Your landlord cannot raise rent for discriminatory reasons (such as race or gender) or for retaliatory reasons (such as making a complaint about safety violations).

When Can a Landlord Enter Your Apartment?

In North Carolina, there are no laws that prohibit a landlord from entering a tenant’s rental unit. A landlord is not required to provide you with notice and can enter your unit for reasons such as:

  • Emergencies
  • Non-emergency maintenance and repairs
  • Showing the unit to prospective renters

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