Should I buy renter’s insurance? I have no lease agreement so can I be held liable for any mishaps?

answerman: Should I buy renter’s insurance? I have no lease agreement so can I be held liable for any mishaps?
My friend owns a house and rents out the other rooms. I am a tenant in that house and we have no documented landlord/tenant lease agreement. I don’t have a lot of belongings and therefore they do not add up to a lot in value. However, there is also liability coverage for renter’s insurance. Since there is no documented agreement, can I be held liable if I’m responsible for a mishap such as a fire? Or, should I still get liability insurance?

Answers and Views:

Answer by kemperk
renter’s insurance is to cover things stolen or damaged that you own.

if you are responsible for a fire or any damage, yes, Renter’s ins would protect you; otherwise, the
LL would have to sue you

Answer by the kid
Renter’s insurance covers your belongings. It wouldn’t cover you if you burned anything down.

Answer by Judy
Yes you could be held liable, if you cause damage. You could be even if you were just visiting for the evening and didn’t live there.

Answer by acermill
Of course you can be held liable. Absent a written lease agreement, you fall under a ‘statutory lease’, the rules of which are governed by the statutes of your specific state. If you start a fire accidentally, the landlord’s insurance will cover the loss, and then the insurer will come after YOU to recoup what it paid to repair that loss.

Answer by Classy Granny
As a renter you do not need fire or liability insurance. It would be a good idea to carry a small policy to cover your personal belongings. If there were a fire the owners insurance would not cover the things in your room

Answer by Landlord
Of course you would be liable. Only about 20% of renters have a lease. The lack of a lease does not give you the legal right to vandalize the place.