Hi everyone, I’m a student renting an apartment and I’m really confused about what to do.
I recently found that my bathroom mirror cracked from top to bottom while I wasn’t there. There was no impact or anything it just cracked on its own.
I contacted my renters insurance, and they told me that because the apartment owns the mirror, they would pay the apartment (not me). But they also said:
• My security deposit will be used first
• If the repair cost is less than my deposit → insurance pays nothing
• If it’s more → insurance only covers the extra
So it sounds like no matter what, I’m still paying out of pocket, and insurance doesn’t really help me in this situation.
This feels frustrating because I don’t want to pay $650 for a mirror that I didn’t break.
My questions:
1. Is this normal? Is renters insurance supposed to work like this?
2. Should I even file a claim, or is it not worth it?
3. Since the mirror cracked on its own, can I argue this is not my fault (like maintenance issue)?
4. What is a reasonable cost for replacing a large bathroom mirror like this? I’m worried my apartment will overcharge me.
5. Is there anything I can do to not pay or reduce the amount I have to pay?
I’d really appreciate any advice or similar experiences. I’ve never dealt with something like this before. And I just moved in in less than 1 month.