If you're a tenant who has taken out New York insurance for renters, then it's likely that you had to undergo a credit check first. This is because insurance companies need to undertake a thorough assessment of risk before issuing a policy, and your credit history is an indicator of your level of risk.

Will you pay on time...all the time?
It's easy to argue that your credit history has nothing to do with whether someone will break into your home or whether you'll be the victim of a fire. But you also need to consider that when signing up for an insurance policy, you're agreeing to pay your insurance company a set amount of money over a certain period of time. 

Will you make a claim?
Some insurers may also use your credit history to determine the likelihood that you'll make a claim against your insurance policy. This is done using trends and statistics to draw correlations. Although it's a contested issue, insurance companies need to take into account as many factors as possible when drawing up policies, and the link between credit history and claim behavior is just such a factor.

So, if you were wondering why you underwent a credit check when taking out renters insurance, New York insurance providers likely wanted to evaluate your so-called "risks."