What is 'Property Insurance'

Property insurance is a policy that provides financial reimbursement to the owner or renter of a structure and its contents, in the event of damage or theft. Property insurance can include homeowners insurance, renters insurance, flood insurance and earthquake insurance. Personal property is generally covered by a homeowners or renters policy, unless it is of particularly high value, in which case it can usually be covered by purchasing an addition to the policy called a "rider". If a claim is filed, the property insurance policy will either reimburse the policyholder for the actual value of the damage, or the replacement cost to remedy the damage.