A recent survey of renters commissioned by Trusted Choice found that most Americans who rent their homes don't have insurance that would cover their losses in the event of burglary, fire or other unexpected occurrences.

Trusted Choice, based in Alexandria, Va., is the consumer marketing brand for 6,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms across the country. The survey of more than 2,000 adults was conducted in mid-May by ICR, an independent research firm.

Madelyn Flannagan, a spokeswoman for Trusted Choice, said the survey "uncovered a persistent lack of awareness or understanding about property and liability risks faced by renters."

Two-thirds of those surveyed don't have renters' insurance. There are 35 million Americans who rent rather than own their own home, according to figures Trusted Choice obtained from the National Multifamily Council.

Let me say here that I don't want you think that I am fronting for the insurance companies by reporting this. While I have my issues with a lot of things insurers do, and although my experiences with insurance company representatives have often left me steaming and screaming, the survey does uncover a major and financially dangerous flaw in renters' thinking.

A landlord's insurance generally only covers the building where you live. It doesn't usually cover your personal belongings, and your liability. The landlord's policy most likely excludes liability for something that occurs in the space you are renting. You could be held responsible for injury to another person or damage to another person's property if an incident occurred within your rented residence, or elsewhere.

Without liability coverage, your current and future earnings could be at risk. Renters insurance may also provide legal defense costs.

The actions by another tenant -- such as negligence causing fires and water damage, for instance -- have obvious implications for the property and safety of other tenants in a building.

It was so long ago that I can barely remember why I even acquired renter's insurance the first time.

I had moved to an apartment in a city neighborhood that was in the early stages of gentrification. The landlord, who also was one of the city's primary redevelopers, had provided crime statistics in the rental package and had stated flatly that his very-high-premium policy didn't cover tenants' personal possessions.

These were the days before personal computers and VCRs, but television sets and stereos were not the disposable items they are now. So I was concerned enough to look into renters' insurance.

Because the neighborhood was on the fringe, renters' insurance was fairly expensive. To encourage people to move back to town, however, an insurer with headquarters in the neighborhood began offering low-cost car insurance on to which homeowners or renters insurance could be added for a small extra charge.

I signed up, and was glad I did. Shortly after my wife and I were married and we were both out of town, our apartment was burglarized and a lot of very nice and expensive wedding presents were taken. The burglars were escaping through our bedroom windows as my wife was opening the front door to the apartment, so the outcome could have been much worse.

The deductible was small, so much of our loss was covered. And thankfully so, because being out $1,200 was not the way to start married life.

A lot of renters are younger people just starting out, or those who cannot afford to buy. Among those respondents who said they don't have renters' insurance, 26 percent feel that the coverage is too expensive and 17 percent said they didn't know they needed it. Moreover, 8 percent had never heard of renters' insurance.

Coverage for renters is widely available throughout the United States, with the average annual premium about $20 per month for about $20,000 of property coverage and $500,000 of liability coverage, Flannagan said.

One reason for getting renters' insurance is that today's renters own more valuable stuff than I did when I was young. The survey found that 89 percent owned one or more electronic devices, such as digital recorder devices, desktop and laptop computers, digital and video cameras and home theater systems. More than half owned exercise or sports equipment such as a bicycle, exercise equipment or skis.

Half of all renters own pets, and these tenants face increased liability exposure, especially with dogs or exotic pets. But the likelihood of owning renters' insurance is much lower among owners than among non-owners.

Those operating businesses out of a rented home probably should have a separate business policy. But the likelihood of owning renters insurance is not much higher among those who own and operate a firm out of their condo, apartment or other rental property than among those who do not.