The recent rioting in Baltimore and last year’s riots in Ferguson, MO, may leave homeowners wondering what would happen if their homes were damaged in the melees.

Luckily, no homes have been reported damaged in the rioting in Baltimore, with small businesses unfortunately taking the brunt of the damage. Businesses and homes damaged in a riot are normally covered by insurance, if the owner has insurance.

Anyone filing a claim should do so quickly so they can avoid problems with their insurer. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that claimants who act quickly may find themselves waiting because of factors outside their control.

A small business owner who had up to $30,000 in merchandise looted was waiting on a police report that her insurance company will want, so she took photos of the damage in the meantime. Reporting the claim quickly, the Journal pointed out, puts the responsibility on the insurers and makes it difficult for them to say intervening events after the riots caused the damage.

Riot a named peril

For homeowners, a riot is a named peril in most homeowner’s insurance policies. Any theft or damage that happens during a riot is typically covered, though it’s worth checking with your insurer to see if it’s a named peril on your policy.

The HO-1 policy, which is considered basic homeowner’s insurance, covers a house and its belongings from loss or damage from 11 named perils:

  • Fire or lightening
  • Smoke
  • Windstorm or hail
  • Explosion
  • Riot or commotion
  • Aircraft
  • Vehicles
  • Glass breakage
  • Vandalism or malicious mischief
  • Theft
  • Volcanic eruption.

A second form of coverage, called HO-2, is offered by some insurers in place of HO-1 and covers the same 11 perils, plus six more:

  • Falling objects such as meteorites and satellites.
  • Weight of ice, sleet or snow.
  • Overflow of water, excluding sump pumps.
  • Rupture of heating, air conditioning, hot water heater or fire sprinkler.
  • Pipe freezing.
  • Electric current.

That’s a lot of accidents to cover. There are some perils, however, that the HO-2 policy doesn’t cover: Flood, earthquake and ice dam are a few.

‘All risk’ policies

A third type of policy, the HO-3, is called an “all risk” policy, though that title is a misnomer. It doesn’t cover everything that can happen to your house. It should have been called a “named exclusion” policy because it doesn’t cover the following:

  • Ordinance of law
  • Nuclear hazard
  • Flood
  • Earth movement
  • Power failure
  • Inherent defects
  • Governmental action
  • War and military action
  • Vermin

Types of coverage

Since standard homeowner policies cover riots — and all that could come with them such as theft, looting, vandalism and fire — a homeowner’s property should be covered in a riot. However, some policies have named exclusions, so it’s worth checking with your insurer to see if a riot is excluded.

If your fence is damaged by a plane making an emergency landing in your yard, or the fence is toppled by rioters pushing through your yard, you should be covered. The same goes for a broken window — it doesn’t matter if it was broken by hail or rioters throwing a rock.

A policy should also cover a home if its damaged from explosion, fire or vandalism in a riot, including the cost of rebuilding the home. Make sure the limit for rebuilding covers the entire cost, not just the current market value.

Looting could be treated as theft in an insurance policy, though there may be limits for how much will be paid for something that’s destroyed or stolen. High-value items such as jewelry and artwork can have higher limits or may be excluded entirely and require an insurance “rider” for additional coverage.

A homeowner’s policy typically covers loss of use, meaning your home isn’t habitable because of damage from a covered peril, such as a rioter driving a car through your living room. Your additional living expenses could be covered, though a typical limit is 20 percent of your dwelling coverage limit. There may also be time constraints.

Renter’s insurance

Riots typically happen in urban areas, where renting is more common than home ownership. If an apartment is damaged during a riot, don’t think that your landlord’s insurance will cover your damaged or stolen property.

Renter’s insurance, which costs about $15 a month, can protect renters from damages during a riot. A policy will include a deductible, just as homeowner’s policies do. And, just as homeowners should do, it’s a good idea to photograph and document your belongings before an accident happens, and to keep that list off-site.

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who covers insurance and personal finance topics for a variety of websites, including his personal finance site CashSmarter.com.