The 22-year-old mother of three had every intention of reattaching disconnected smoke detectors, but never got around to it.

And she had always planned on getting renter’s insurance, but never made the call.

Now she and sister Phyllis Reinoso, the mother of four children between a few months and 6 years old herself, have been left at the mercy of what help they can get from the American Red Cross and strangers.

“I never bothered to think about it,” Mrs. Chapman said, standing outside the still smoldering home on Jules Drive that Jan. 8 morning. “I don’t know where I’m going to go.”

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Most homeowners have insurance that covers the loss of their possessions in the event of a fire, theft, or other covered peril. That’s not the case for renters.

Nationwide, 96% of homeowners have homeowners insurance (such insurance is a requirement of having a home loan) while only 43% of renters have renters insurance, industry statistics show.

Almost half of the renters questioned in an Allstate survey of the Bay Area conducted in June said they knew about renters insurance, but had not yet bothered to look into getting a policy. Another third said they didn’t think their possessions were valuable enough to get insurance.

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If you rent an apartment, renters insurance will reduce the financial hardship of a fire, burglary or other disaster. Can you afford to lose everything in your apartment or house?