General Insurance

Camera Equipment Rental Insurance: What you need to know

Dustin Lemick

Author

Dustin Lemick

So you don’t need a camera (video or otherwise) often enough to own photography or videography equipment? In that case, you might choose to work with a rental house to rent your equipment as needed. However, as you tally up the cost of your rentals for an upcoming project, personal or professional, don’t forget the cost of camera equipment rental insurance

Camera insurance protects your rented photography equipment, production equipment, editing equipment and more, so you’re not left high, dry and paying for extra expenses out of pocket when the worst happens. 

Keep Reading to Find Out..

 

What You Will Learn

What is Camera Equipment Rental Insurance?

Camera equipment rental insurance is designed to cover camera equipment specifically when you rent your equipment — not when you own it. 

If you work with rented equipment in sometimes questionable or risky situations — think shooting when traveling or in poor weather conditions — then you may encounter more equipment issues than most and, if you’re renting your equipment, issues like damage or loss can lead to hefty fines and fees from the rental house. Camera equipment rental insurance helps cover those fines and fees.

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What Does Rented Equipment Coverage Cover?

If you invest in rented equipment coverage, what can you expect it to cover? Often, this type of insurance policy will cover your rented gear in the event of fines incurred from…

  • Theft or vandalism
  • Accidental damage 
  • Natural disaster or nature-related damage (think power surges or weather)

Will My Existing Insurance Cover Rented Equipment?

If you run a business, you may have another insurance policy that you’re hoping might cover your rented equipment. Similarly, if you don’t have an official business and you just rent equipment on occasion for side projects, then you might hope that your homeowners or renters insurance might keep you covered. 

Here’s what you need to know.

Existing homeowners and renters insurance for rented equipment 

For hobbyists who rent equipment and are currently relying on homeowners coverage or renters insurance for their gear, if you do end up filing a claim with your insurance company, you could very well find yourself out of luck. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance, while necessary, has its limitations

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Typically, homeowners or renters insurance will only cover owned equipment and, even then, the homeowners or renters insurance won’t provide robust coverage for electronics unless you add on some additional coverage to your policy. 

For owned equipment, homeowners or renters insurance typically covers…

  • Theft or vandalism 
  • Natural disaster or nature-related damage

You’ll notice that there’s one big thing missing from that list, that was included in our list of what rented equipment coverage covers above: accidental damage. In other words, if you drop your pricey camera in the pool, you’re not going to get any help from your insurance company, unless you thought ahead and purchased additional coverage specifically for your electronics. 

 

Existing business insurance for rented equipment

However, what if you’re a business owner who rents equipment of all types for your regular work. Will your existing business insurance cover the rented equipment? 

If you’ve purchased general liability insurance for your business, then, unfortunately, it will not cover photography or videography equipment of any kind, whether that’s rented or owned equipment. General liability is just intended to cover you in the event a third party makes a claim against you, claiming damage related to your business operations.

Is Equipment Insurance Worth it?

All of the above said, equipment and camera insurance is generally a good idea for those who rent equipment frequently and who use that equipment in settings or for jobs that might pose a risk. 

For example, if you’re a freelance multimedia journalist who hasn’t invested in their own production equipment or videography equipment yet, but you’re getting more and more jobs that require you to turn in multimedia content with video and photos, and you cover events or topics that take you and your rented equipment outside of the home, you may want to make this investment. 

If, however, you’re a hobbyist who rents the occasional piece of equipment, maybe once or twice a year, to film an event for a friend or family member, you might not find the additional coverage to be worth it. 

Camera set up for photo shoot

Shopping for a Renters Insurance Policy for your Camera Gear

You’ll have two primary options for buying a renters insurance policy for your gear. You can either purchase a policy from the rental house that you work with, or you can purchase a separate insurance policy from an independent provider or insurance company. If you go with the latter option, just be sure that you choose an insurance company that your preferred rental house will accept/honor. 

What should I look for as I shop for a renters insurance policy?

As you begin shopping for your policy, ask yourself a few questions. Based on your answers, you’ll be able to narrow down your policy choices, to pick the best policy for your needs. 

  • How much coverage do I need?
  • Do I need worldwide coverage?
  • Which pieces of photography equipment, production equipment, or editing equipment do I use most often?
  • Will this insurance policy cover all of my equipment, or just some of it?

 

Camera Equipment Rental Insurance FAQs

Here’s the basic, need-to-know info on camera equipment rental insurance.

  • Who needs camera equipment rental insurance

Anyone who is frequently renting camera equipment (or related equipment) from a rental house and who wants to avoid the potential fees that could be incurred from equipment damage or loss. 

 

  • What does camera equipment rental insurance cover?

While policies will differ, camera equipment rental insurance typically covers loss, theft, vandalism and accidental damage to rented equipment. 

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  • How much does camera equipment rental insurance cost?

Likely not as much as you think! For renting low-value items, you can find policies that start at under $100, with policies starting at not much more than that for high-value rentals. 

  • Where can I buy camera equipment rental insurance?

You can buy camera equipment rental insurance either from your rental house or a separate insurance company.

  • Will my current business insurance policy cover rented equipment?

General liability business insurance will not cover rented equipment.

Go Beyond Your Basic Insurance Policy for More Comprehensive Coverage (and Greater Peace of Mind!)

While everyone should have a basic insurance policy to keep them covered in the event of life’s ups and downs, it’s not just enough to purchase that basic policy and call it done. Additional coverage can keep you (and your finances!) safe, whether you need camera equipment rental insurance, business insurance or, as BriteCo offers, affordable insurance to protect your fine jewelry, engagement rings and luxury watches from theft, loss, damage and mysterious disappearance. 

See why our 5-star jewelry insurance policies are better than the rest and get your quote today.

Also Check:

How To Shoot A Jewelry Video | BriteCo Jewelry Insurance
How Do I Insure My Camera Equipment? | BriteCo Jewelry Insurance

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Dustin Lemick

Author

Dustin Lemick

Dustin Lemick is the Founder and CEO of BriteCo and a third-generation jeweler with over thirteen years of retail jewelry experience. He holds a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and has in-depth knowledge and expertise in appraisal systems, diamond and gemstone markets, retail pricing models, insurance replacement models, and jewelry quotation pricing systems.