 TITLE: What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover? CONTENT: What Is Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?\n-------------------------------------------\nMost standard homeowners insurance policies offer these four basic types of coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute:\n*   Liability protection\n*   Home structure\n*   Personal belongings\n*   Additional living expenses\nLiability coverage protects you legally and financially if someone is hurt on your property or you or your family members unintentionally cause injury or damage to another person or their property. For example, if someone slips on your wet kitchen floor and severely hurts themselves, or your dog bites a neighbor in front of your house, your policy may help pay for their medical bills and any legal action that results from the injury.\nYour policy will also pay the cost to repair or replace your home if it is damaged or destroyed by:\n*   Fire and smoke damage\n*   Wind, hail or lightning\n*   Water, such as from a freeze or related to mold (but not from a flood)\n*   Vandalism or theft\nThese perils and more, depending on your policy, are usually covered for your home and sometimes for detached structures on your property, such as a garage, tool shed, gazebo or fence. Personal items lost in these instances are also typically included in your policy, as are items stored off-premises.\nHomeowners insurance also typically includes additional living expenses coverage, which pays for the cost of living somewhere other than your home if it's been damaged by an insured event. END