Can A Landlord Legally Request That You Have Insurance Before You Renew You Lease?

In most states, yes.   It has to to with protecting their legal liability interests to ensure the potential of you claiming or creating liability situations that may entail them in a lawsuit.

Benefits of YOU having a policy and the view of the landlord.

1.  Your things are covered in case of fire, water damage, theft, etc. Of course subject to deductible.  (Make sure you insure at REPLACEMENT cost which is what will it take to buy it again brand new. Otherwise, it is pro rata (nickle and dime you to death)

2. Additional Living Expense, - something happens to the building that you cannot live in the unit, the policy will give you a small amount to assist you in the moving expenses

3.  Loss of Use - something happened to your unit you need to temporarily stay in a hotel/motel.  It will pay a portion of your costs while awaiting to get back home

4.  Personal Liability - somebody thinks you are at accidental fault for injury to another person or property owned by another and they think you should compensate them.  Translation - they are suing you

This is the biggie - Landlords cannot be big brother 24/7 and make sure you are not accidentally creating situations that may create the above.  If youa re the cause, then they can sue your policy for compensation.  Otherwise, the disgruntled party may try to get it from the Landlord which creates a hassle for them and the insurance company to convince them that they are responsible ONLY for the issues arising from the stability of structures or premises grounds that injured a person or other property

5. Medical Payments to Others - this is because somebody did accidentally get hurt and you can be a nice person by telling them "go to ER or doctor and make sure you are OK"  You are not saying you are at faulty, you are just extending an olive branch (EXAMPLE: Guest slip & fall on you recently mopped tile floor)

6.  Limited Building Coverage.  Why would you need this?  YOU accidentally cause damage to the property you are renting.  Traditionally, it is usually $1,000 but some policies may scale it according to the amount of contents coverage you take out.

These Tenant policies are relatively cheap on an annual bases and some companies offer monthly to quarterly payments to pay on the annual to make money more manageable.

Do shop around and get the best EQUAL coverage quotes to get the best comparable prices.  Some companies do use credit history as an influencing factor.  If your credit is not the best, the potential of the cost going up can happen.  Make sure the company's financial stability rating is A by AM BEST or DEMOTECH as this reflects the ability to pay claims solvency.

Licensed Florida Insurance Agent

EDIT ADD - please get clarification what the $50,000 on the apartment is.  I believe that may be the Liability as a mandate for the amount on your contents (your stuff) cannot be usually mandated and the amount on building structure (as you don't own or are responsible for the building)

The Personal Liability can come in increments of $50,000, $100,000 and $300,000 depending on the State you are in.  The differences vbetween these increments traditionally can average $20 per year difference between the levels.  I do encourage the $100,000 because we live in a society that sues and it at least protect your assets to the best of your ability, which minimizes the chances of you having to out of pocket any balance differences

To make life easier for you, ask the insurance agent to add the Apartment's name and address as an ADDITIONAL INTEREST to your policy and this way it will notify them of insurance each year of renewal without you having to do it in the future