A long-term tenant received a notice from her landlord indicating that the landlord had no record on file of the tenant's renter's insurance policy, and that the tenant was to deliver a copy to the landlord's office. The notice indicated that the tenant's lease required that they carry renter's insurance. The tenant has never carried renter's insurance, and does not want to incur the cost. However, the current lease does contain a provision that "tenants are responsible to maintain their own renter's insurance."
The tenant is hoping that the clause could be deemed waived, or that the language is ambiguous such that the tenant is not required to purchase insurance. Can the tenant avoid buying insurance? If the tenant does not buy insurance, would that enable the landlord to evict the tenant?

