Tenant contents insurance isn’t a legal requirement in the UK, but it could save you a fortune in replacing damaged or stolen items. Some landlords and letting agents might insist you have contents insurance with tenants liability insurance. This covers your landlords items, like furniture, carpets etc. against accidental damage.
Regardless of whether they ask you to take it out, you’ll have likely paid a security deposit or bond which you’ll hope to get back. At the end of your tenancy, they might deduct any damage payments from this. Either way, you're liable for any damage to your landlord's items.
Getting tenants contents insurance could stop you from losing this when you move out, if the landlord needs to charge you for damaged items.
You should also bear in mind the convenience of having your items replaced quickly instead of having to save up again to replace them. This could be especially important for higher value items like laptops or computers if you’re studying or need them on a daily basis.
Helpful hint: It might be useful to total up the value of your items, could you afford them in a total loss in a worst case scenario? Also think about where you live. If it’s a city; are the crime rates high? You could get a quote and then weigh up your options.
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Your belongings such as clothing, personal furniture, electronic items like laptops, home appliances, gadgets, games consoles, TVs and phones should be covered for a range of instances. As long as they’re inside the property.
If your home is broken into and your items are stolen or damaged maliciously, you’ll be covered.
If there’s a fire and your items are damaged or destroyed, tenants contents insurance can cover the costs of replacing them
Pays for emergency accommodation if your room or property becomes dangerous, or uninhabitable, like being damaged by fire or flooding. This can depend on the insurer, so check if it’s included, or if it’s available as an optional extra.
Any possessions damaged by flooding due to heavy rain, flash floods or burst river banks should be covered. This also includes storm damage such as damage to the building like fallen trees which could expose or damage your items.
If your items are damaged by a leak or a burst pipe, you should be covered. It’s not your responsibility to fix or repair it though. Your landlord should have trace and access cover to fix leaks and burst pipes as part of their landlord insurance.
If there’s a power cut or the freezer cuts out, you should be able to claim the value of lost food back.
You must list anything over the single item limit of £1000 separately. Once you've listed these items, you should be covered for their replacement. So make sure items like instruments, watches and iphones are individually added in the quote process if they’re worth over £1,000.
If something breaks or gets damaged due to its use over time, you won’t be covered to replace it through your insurance.
If there’s no signs of a break in because you left a door or window open, your insurer is likely to reject your claim.
If you didn’t list a high value item, and it’s damaged or stolen, your insurer might not cover replacement. Always list high value items separately. You can check with your insurer if you're unsure.
If your home is left unoccupied for longer periods you won’t be covered for any damage or theft that happens. Unoccupied home insurance can help in this case. This is useful for longer term tenants renting a house or flat, but living or working away elsewhere throughout the year.
For example if you get permission from your landlord to put shelves up, and they collapse damaging your items, you’re unlikely to be covered.
Renters insurance won’t cover you if you fall behind on your rent, or can’t pay it due to losing your job. You could look at separate income protection insurance though, this can cover you if you have to stop working due to poor health.
Standard tenants insurance probably won’t cover or protect your home from pet damage. But it could be included as an extra, with an accidental damage add on.
If you want to get covered, you can buy a policy at any time even if you’re already renting and don’t currently have insurance. Your cover starts from the day you buy it. Here's how you get a tenants insurance quote with us:
The best way to see what you’ll pay is to get a quote, as every individual’s price will be different. And remember that the cheapest renters insurance might not be the best policy for you, so always read what’s included in the cost.
As an idea, here’s the average cost of renters insurance based on the value of contents*:
| Contents value | Annual price |
|---|---|
|
£0 - £9,999
|
£55
|
|
£10,000 - £19,999
|
£58
|
|
£20,000 - £29,999
|
£57
|
|
£30,000 - £39,000
|
£60
|
|
£40,000 - £49,999
|
£63
|
1*Based on Confused.com quote data August - October 2024
Your actual tenants insurance quote will depend on a huge range of factors including:
There’s a few smart ways to save on your insurance.
As a tenant you might be a bit limited to improving some of the property’s security, but there’s still lots you can do. If your room has a lock, always lock it when you’re out, if it doesn’t ask if you could have one fitted. You could get a safe, or lock any items away if you have a desk or furniture with secure storage.
Always get your landlords permission if you’re having anything more permanent fitted like new front door locks, installing burglar alarms or surveillance.
Improving your security could help to lower the risk of theft, and protect your home from burglary, meaning insurers may lower your quote.
Choosing a higher voluntary excess when you take out your policy, can show insurers that you're only likely to claim if there's a good reason. It saves them money too, sometimes resulting in a cheaper quote. Our guide on voluntary and compulsory excess includes more information on home insurance excess.
Choosing a higher voluntary excess when you take out your policy, can show insurers that you're only likely to claim if there's a good reason. It saves them money too, sometimes resulting in a cheaper quote. Our guide on voluntary and compulsory excess includes more information on home insurance excess.
If you can afford it, paying annually is normally a cheaper option. Insurers typically charge more for monthly instalments due to interest and admin fees, so paying in one go can save you money. According to our data* paying monthly for contents insurance costs on average £68 over the year but an annual policy paid in full upfront costs an average of £59
Compare policies and shop around to find the best deal for your needs and budget.
Make sure you accurately work out your contents value. If you overestimate the value of your possessions, the chances are you’ll pay more than you need to. But equally, don’t under insure as you’ll end up being out of pocket if you need to make a claim.
*Based on Confused.com data August - October 2024
To get a quote, we’ll ask a few questions about you, the property and your contents, including:
You must tell your insurer if you move house or the value of your items or your personal circumstances change. If you don’t you could invalidate your tenants insurance policy.
There’s a few extras you can buy to tailor your contents insurance to your needs. This is a great way to get the best renters insurance for you and your circumstances. Keep in mind that you might need to pay a bit more for these depending on the insurer. These optional extras include:
Home emergency provides cover for a number of scenarios including:
Some policies also include or have the option to add on alternative accommodation cover. This provides temporary accommodation if your home is dangerous or uninhabitable. Levels of cover can vary by provider.
Your landlord may have this in place as part of their contents and building insurance, so check with them if they do and what you're covered for.
If you have to pursue a civil claim, this covers the legal costs and expenses up to a certain amount. This can help with personal injury claims, disagreements or issues with your housemates or landlord, and even employment disputes.
Can cover valuable items that you take out and about with you, like your handbag, jewellery, wallet or watch. This does vary between insurers and there could be Ts & Cs on maximum payouts and whether your insurer provides cover for loss theft or damage. If you think you need this cover, make sure you ask the insurer exactly what and how items are covered.
This covers you for anything like spilt wine on the carpet or a TV knocked off a unit by accident. If you have a pet, it could also cover damage caused by your dog or cat, but double check with the insurer if this is included.
If you have a bicycle or laptop worth over £150, you can get extra cover for it in the house and also get away from home too. Always check with your insurer what this cover includes, away from home though if you’re unsure.
Tenants liability insurance covers you if you damage any property belonging to your landlord that results in you losing your security deposit.
''Tenants insurance isn't a legal requirement. But if all your items were destroyed, could you afford to replace them? This is where contents insurance could help. And if something happens to your landlord's items, tenants liability insurance can help to protect your rental deposit.
Getting a quote only takes a few minutes, You could also save a fortune and lots of hassle if your items are damaged, lost or stolen."
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Yes, you can get contents insurance for a shared house.
However, your quotes for renters insurance can be higher if you live in shared accommodation, as the risk of theft increases in a shared living environment.
If you share with friends you could take out one policy to cover the whole property which might work out cheaper. Just make sure you have enough cover for everyone's belongings.
But be mindful that the policy holder’s no claims is more at risk because there's more on the policy too.
Yes, there should be no issues on students getting tenants insurance. You’ll see a range of quotes and options when you compare policies. But if you’re a student, there tends to be an increased risk of damage to your belongings, this can increase your contents insurance price.
The good news is that you can take out specialist student contents insurance, which is made for those living in student halls, or with others in private shared accommodation.
You should let your insurer know about damage or theft as soon as possible. If it’s a theft you’ll need a crime reference number from the police, so contact the police immediately to report the theft or break in.
There’s normally a deadline to report instances to insurers, often 24 hours, so the quicker you get everything reported the better.
Here’s some tips which can make your life easier, before buying your insurance and when making a claim:
Yes but you have to add bicycles and electric bikes to your policy in the renters insurance quote process. We’ll ask you ‘’Do you want to insure any bicycles or laptops worth over £150 each?"
We’ll then ask you for:
Your bike should be protected from theft and damage within the home. But levels of cover away from home could vary, so make sure you ask the insurer what you're covered for.
This depends on what kind of work and if you’re employed or self employed.
If you’re an employee working from home, your company will likely have its own insurance on it's equipment. In this instance you shouldn’t need to worry about adding work equipment to your own contents policy.
But always double check with your company to be sure.
If you're self-employed for example in a freelance role, you should list your laptop or equipment when you buy insurance. Also, check with your insurer as you may need additional business insurance with public liability cover, especially if clients visit your home.
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Page last reviewed: 21 November 2024
Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood
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