Does Renters Insurance Cover Dog Bites? Limits, Breeds and Gaps

How renters insurance handles a dog bite claim

A dog bite claim against a renter is paid from the personal liability part of the policy. The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) says homeowners and renters policies typically cover dog bite liability, including legal expenses, up to limits of $100,000 to $300,000.

Liability covers people outside your household. If your dog bites a neighbor, a delivery driver or a child at the park, the injured person can claim against your policy. The insurer can pay medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering, and it handles your defense if you are sued.

Your policy has a second, smaller layer called medical payments coverage. Triple-I puts it at typically $1,000 to $5,000. It pays a bitten guest’s medical bills without anyone proving fault, which can settle minor bites before they turn into lawsuits.

Neither layer pays for your own injuries or your own dog’s injuries. Those belong to health insurance and pet insurance respectively.

How common and how costly are dog bite claims?

Dog bite claims are rising fast and costing more each decade. Triple-I and State Farm report that insurers paid $1.86 billion for 28,450 dog-related injury claims in 2025. The average claim was $65,450.

Measure	2025 figure	Change
Number of claims	28,450	Up 25.6% from 2024
Total paid by insurers	$1.86 billion	Up 18.6% from 2024
Average cost per claim	$65,450	Up 97% since 2016

Those numbers come from homeowners insurance claims data, and renters policies carry the same kind of liability coverage. Claims include bites and other dog injuries, such as a dog knocking someone down.

The states with the most claims in 2025 were also among the most expensive:

State	Claims in 2025	Average cost per claim
California	2,830	$81,789
Florida	2,347	$62,375
New York	1,308	$92,154

If you rent in California, Florida or New York, an average claim would already use most of a $100,000 limit. That is why Triple-I notes some experts recommend at least $300,000 of liability coverage for renters.

What happens if a bite claim exceeds your limit?

You pay the difference yourself. Triple-I states that if the claim exceeds the limit, the dog owner is responsible for all damages above it. That money would have to come from your savings or future income.

An umbrella policy is the usual fix. It adds liability coverage on top of your renters policy and kicks in once the renters limit is used up. Triple-I says umbrella policies typically cost $200 to $350 a year for an extra $1 million of coverage. Our pet liability insurance guide covers umbrellas in more detail.

Which insurers use dog breed restrictions?

Some insurers refuse coverage for listed breeds, and others ignore breed entirely. Triple-I says some companies won’t insure owners of certain breeds, while others exclude the dog from coverage or require training, muzzles or a liability waiver.

There is no single list. We compared four published lists: Lemonade’s renters guide, Liberty Mutual, Insure.com and NerdWallet. The table counts how many of the four name each breed.

Breed	Lists naming it (of 4)
Pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers	4
Rottweilers	4
Doberman Pinschers	4
German Shepherds	3
Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes	4
Akitas and Chow Chows	2
Great Danes and Mastiffs	2
Wolf hybrids	2

The pattern is clear: large, strong breeds with a guarding reputation show up most. Insure.com says owners can sometimes challenge a breed label with a vet letter or a DNA test.

The Lemonade guide names 14 breeds that its renters policy may not cover, including American Bulldogs and Presa Canarios. It also says a dog with a history of biting may not be covered.

State Farm takes the opposite approach. Its own page says it “does not ask what breed of dog is owned when writing Homeowners or renters insurance.” NerdWallet reports that State Farm looks at a dog’s bite history instead.

Insure.com notes that restrictions vary by insurer, by state and sometimes by individual underwriter. If you own a pit bull, a German Shepherd or a large guardian breed, ask about breed rules before you pay.

Can insurers deny coverage because of a dog’s breed?

In most states they can, but a few states limit it. Triple-I says Pennsylvania and Michigan prohibit insurers from canceling or denying coverage based on breed for some policies. NerdWallet adds Colorado, Illinois and New York as states with laws against denying coverage on breed alone.

These laws usually still let an insurer act on a specific dog’s bite history. A dog that has hurt someone can be excluded in any state.

Liability law also differs by state. Insure.com says 29 states hold dog owners strictly liable for injuries their dog causes, meaning you can owe damages even if your dog never showed aggression before.

What to do if your renters insurance excludes your dog

You have three main options if your insurer won’t cover your dog.

1. Switch insurers. Shop for a renters insurer that does not restrict your breed or that judges the individual dog. AptCover’s renters insurance for pet owners guide covers what to ask.
2. Buy a standalone canine liability policy. Specialist insurers write liability for dogs that standard policies reject. XINSURANCE, for example, says it covers any dog breed, including dogs with a bite history, and can list your landlord on the policy.
3. Accept conditions. Some insurers will cover a restricted dog if you complete training, use a muzzle in public or sign a waiver.

Insure.com says standalone dog liability policies run from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000 a year, with limits from $25,000 to $300,000. NerdWallet cites sample quotes from one specialist ranging from $454 a year for a Doberman with no bites to $1,124 for a Great Dane with three prior bites.

Be careful not to hide your dog to get a cheaper policy. If an insurer learns about an undisclosed dog after a bite, it may deny the claim.

Does your lease require dog bite coverage?

Many leases require renters insurance with a minimum liability limit, and pet-friendly buildings often ask for more. Your landlord’s own policy protects the building, not your liability. Triple-I notes a landlord’s insurance covers repairs to the building and won’t pay for your possessions.

AptCover explains the rules in can a landlord require renters insurance and covers limits in its renters insurance liability guide.

Pet insurance does not cover bites your dog causes

Pet insurance pays for your own dog’s care, not injuries your dog causes to others. If your dog is bitten in a fight, an accident-and-illness policy can reimburse the vet bill after your deductible, the amount you pay first each policy period. A bite wound is a classic emergency vet visit.

The other dog’s vet bill or a person’s ER visit is a liability claim. That goes to your renters policy, as explained in our guide to renters insurance pet coverage.

Bottom line

Renters insurance usually covers dog bites, up to a liability limit that typically runs $100,000 to $300,000. With the average 2025 claim at $65,450, a higher limit or an umbrella policy is worth pricing. Breed lists and bite history are the main reasons coverage fails, so confirm your dog is accepted before you need it. If it isn’t, a standalone canine liability policy can fill the gap.