To answer that question, let's ask another questions. "If you owned or were buying your home, would you carry Homeowners insurance?" Why or why not? I dare say that most of us would answer that questions with an emphatic, "Yes!"
So, what is the difference?" Most would say, "The home if a much larger investment and I could not recover without insurance. Besides my mortgagee says I have to insure the home."
Homeowners insurance does, indeed, provide coverage for the building, but also for the contents. It seems we don't place as much value on our personal property as we do the building that contains them. Perhaps we had best define "contents." Anything we can carry out of the house is contents. That would include appliances, table, chairs, beds, dressers, wall hangings, etc. However, do not forget our clothing, personal items, tools, cameras, picnic items, dishes, silverware, lawn and yard care items and a host of other seemingly inconsequential items. Many of those pieces have been purchased over time with little impact on our budget. Now, ask yourself, "What it would cost to purchase all of those things brand new?" When evaluating your belonging from that perspective it is easy to see just how costly the project would be.
Hence, Renters Insurance, is am much of a necessity as Homeowners Insurance. Whether the loss if from theft, fire, wind or vandalism, the cost of replacing your personal property can be devastating. Now add in the cost of renting an another place to live with the deposits and other up-front costs. Then there is the possible cost of storage and/or clean up of those pieces not lost or damaged.
To this point we have not even addressed the need for the general liability coverage included in both Homeowners and Renters Insurance.
Now, ask yourself that questions again, "Do I need Renter's Insurance?"