Protect your personal belongings with tenants' contents insurance.
Protect your possessions against theft and damage
Quotes available for rented properties including self-contained flats, shared flats and houses
Why do tenants need insurance?
As a tenant you will not normally need to take out buildings insurance as this is your landlord's responsibility. However, your landlord's policy will only protect the structure of the building itself, along with its permanent fixtures and fittings.
Tenants' insurance is essential if you want to protect your furnishings and other personal possessions - such as jewellery, bicycles, handheld gadgets, sports equipment, electrical appliances, laptops and computer equipment, games consoles, musical instruments, CDs, DVDs, furniture, clothing and frozen food - against insured risks such as flood, fire and theft.
Tenants' insurance guide
Tenants’ insurance is available for rented properties including self-contained and shared flats and houses. It is usually not suitable for full time students; if you are a full-time student please go to the student insurance page.
To help you decide whether it's right for you, we've put together a tenants' insurance guide that explains what it is, why it's important and how you can find the right cover for your needs.
Tenants' insurance explained
To help you make an informed choice about whether tenants’ insurance is right for you, we've put together a short guide that explains what it is, why it’s important and how you can find the right cover but still pay the right price.
Why do tenants need insurance?
As a tenant you will not normally need to take out buildings insurance as this is your landlord's responsibility. However, your landlord’s buildings insurance policy will only protect the structure of the building itself, along with its permanent fixtures and fittings. We recommend that you always check the level of cover your landlord has; if you have rented the property via a letting agency then its agents may be able to advise you on behalf of your landlord.
If you are renting an unfurnished property then tenants' insurance is essential if you want to protect your furnishings and other personal possessions against insured risks such as flood, fire and theft.
Even if you’ve rented the property fully or partly furnished, and your landlord has taken out additional cover for the furnishings within the property, it’s unlikely that their policy will provide cover for your personal belongings - for example jewellery, bicycles, handheld gadgets, sports equipment, electrical appliances, laptops and computer equipment, games consoles, musical instruments, CDs, DVDs, furniture, frozen food or clothing.
Although a good quality tenants’ insurance policy won’t make events such as fire, theft or flooding any less stressful or upsetting, if you do need to make a claim it will help to ease financial worries and provide valuable peace of mind that you can get the items replaced.
Who is it suitable for?
Tenants’ insurance is available for rented properties including self-contained and shared flats and houses. It is usually not suitable for full time students; if you are a full-time student please go to the student contents insurance page, or read our student insurance guide.
How can I work out how much cover I need?
When you get a quote for tenants' insurance you will be asked to supply the ‘sum insured’, which is the maximum insured value of your contents. The best way to work out how much to insure your contents for is to make a list of all your possessions and the cost to replace them. If you do it room by room you will know which items belong where, making it easier to keep track of any losses and simplifying the administration process should you need to make a claim. Once you’ve completed your list, you’ll have an accurate ‘sum insured’ to provide the insurance company with when you get a quote.
Although calculating the value of your possessions is a time consuming exercise, it is essential that you don’t under insure them by underestimating how much it will cost to replace them. Your insurer will only pay out up to the sum insured regardless of whether you realise afterwards that your belongings were worth a lot more than you originally calculated.
Remember! Most insurance companies will set a maximum limit per item, usually around £1,500, so if you do have items with a higher value - such as jewellery or watches, a widescreen TV or computer equipment, then you will need to list these items separately on the policy.
What cover is available?
Typically a tenants’ insurance policy will protect your possessions against risks such as fire, theft, flooding, storm damage and escape of water.
Other cover options may include protection for frozen food in case there is a disruption to a power supply; home emergency cover; legal expenses cover; personal possessions cover for items taken out of the home (such as bicycles, jewellery or handheld gadgets); and accidental damage cover. Some insurance companies will also provide cover for accidental damage to your landlord’s possessions, such as carpets.
When you compare tenants’ insurance policies check the type of cover offered by the insurer for replacement items. ‘New for old’ policies will replace your items with brand new ones, whereas ‘wear and tear’ policies will deduct a percentage of the item’s cost for depreciation.
Remember! Always check the policy small print to see exactly what is - and isn’t - covered. That way, you can be sure you are getting a sufficient level of cover for your needs. When you receive your policy documentation check that the details are correct and if you have any queries or concerns, contact your insurer at your earliest opportunity.
What is an excess?
An excess is the contribution you agree to pay towards any claim. The excess is split into two different types, compulsory excess and voluntary excess.
Compulsory excess
This is the amount your insurance company requires that you pay towards any claim made on your policy. Normally it is deducted from the settlement made to you.
Voluntary excess
This is the amount you agree to pay towards the claim in addition to the compulsory excess. You agree this at the start of the policy; the higher the excess the lower your premium will be.
What are policy exclusions?
Insurance companies won’t pay out for certain risks or some types of loss or damage, for example where it results from or is in connection with terrorism. These will be clearly set out in the terms of the policy and are known as ‘exclusions’.
Other things that may affect or invalidate a claim you make are:
Not using your burglar alarm when you’ve told your insurance company you have one.
Not reporting a burglary or theft to the police and not getting a crime reference number.
Being burgled where there is no forced entry into your property (i.e. leaving a door or window open).
Leaving the property unoccupied for more than 30 days.
Failing to use key operated locks on windows when you are away from the property.
Remember! If the information you give to your insurer is not correct, it could invalidate your policy. You also need to tell your insurance company everything you believe to be relevant or important that may affect your policy.
How to save money on tenants’ insurance
It might sound obvious but shopping around is the best way to get a quote that gives you the cover you want at the right price. Rather than spend hours on the web or on the phone to different insurance companies, the easiest way to see what's available is to use an insurance comparison site like Gocompare.com. You only have to enter your details once and we will provide you with quotes from a number of different tenants’ insurance companies. You will be able to compare prices and see what is included in each policy; this way you can make sure you have all the cover you want at a price that is right for you.
Remember! The cheapest quote may not provide the right level of cover for your needs, meaning that while you save money on your premium you could be left out of pocket later on if you do need to make a claim. By paying a little extra for your insurance it is usually possible to secure better cover and therefore get better value for money.
Protect your possessions against theft and damage
Quotes available for rented properties including self-contained flats, shared flats and houses
Why do tenants need insurance?
As a tenant you will not normally need to take out buildings insurance as this is your landlord's responsibility. However, your landlord's policy will only protect the structure of the building itself, along with its permanent fixtures and fittings.
Tenants' insurance is essential if you want to protect your furnishings and other personal possessions - such as jewellery, bicycles, handheld gadgets, sports equipment, electrical appliances, laptops and computer equipment, games consoles, musical instruments, CDs, DVDs, furniture, clothing and frozen food - against insured risks such as flood, fire and theft.
Tenants' insurance guide
Tenants’ insurance is available for rented properties including self-contained and shared flats and houses. It is usually not suitable for full time students; if you are a full-time student please go to the student insurance page.
To help you decide whether it's right for you, we've put together a tenants' insurance guide that explains what it is, why it's important and how you can find the right cover for your needs.
Tenants' insurance explained
To help you make an informed choice about whether tenants’ insurance is right for you, we've put together a short guide that explains what it is, why it’s important and how you can find the right cover but still pay the right price.
Why do tenants need insurance?
As a tenant you will not normally need to take out buildings insurance as this is your landlord's responsibility. However, your landlord’s buildings insurance policy will only protect the structure of the building itself, along with its permanent fixtures and fittings. We recommend that you always check the level of cover your landlord has; if you have rented the property via a letting agency then its agents may be able to advise you on behalf of your landlord.
If you are renting an unfurnished property then tenants' insurance is essential if you want to protect your furnishings and other personal possessions against insured risks such as flood, fire and theft.
Even if you’ve rented the property fully or partly furnished, and your landlord has taken out additional cover for the furnishings within the property, it’s unlikely that their policy will provide cover for your personal belongings - for example jewellery, bicycles, handheld gadgets, sports equipment, electrical appliances, laptops and computer equipment, games consoles, musical instruments, CDs, DVDs, furniture, frozen food or clothing.
Although a good quality tenants’ insurance policy won’t make events such as fire, theft or flooding any less stressful or upsetting, if you do need to make a claim it will help to ease financial worries and provide valuable peace of mind that you can get the items replaced.
Who is it suitable for?
Tenants’ insurance is available for rented properties including self-contained and shared flats and houses. It is usually not suitable for full time students; if you are a full-time student please go to the student contents insurance page, or read our student insurance guide.
How can I work out how much cover I need?
When you get a quote for tenants' insurance you will be asked to supply the ‘sum insured’, which is the maximum insured value of your contents. The best way to work out how much to insure your contents for is to make a list of all your possessions and the cost to replace them. If you do it room by room you will know which items belong where, making it easier to keep track of any losses and simplifying the administration process should you need to make a claim. Once you’ve completed your list, you’ll have an accurate ‘sum insured’ to provide the insurance company with when you get a quote.
Although calculating the value of your possessions is a time consuming exercise, it is essential that you don’t under insure them by underestimating how much it will cost to replace them. Your insurer will only pay out up to the sum insured regardless of whether you realise afterwards that your belongings were worth a lot more than you originally calculated.
Remember! Most insurance companies will set a maximum limit per item, usually around £1,500, so if you do have items with a higher value - such as jewellery or watches, a widescreen TV or computer equipment, then you will need to list these items separately on the policy.
What cover is available?
Typically a tenants’ insurance policy will protect your possessions against risks such as fire, theft, flooding, storm damage and escape of water.
Other cover options may include protection for frozen food in case there is a disruption to a power supply; home emergency cover; legal expenses cover; personal possessions cover for items taken out of the home (such as bicycles, jewellery or handheld gadgets); and accidental damage cover. Some insurance companies will also provide cover for accidental damage to your landlord’s possessions, such as carpets.
When you compare tenants’ insurance policies check the type of cover offered by the insurer for replacement items. ‘New for old’ policies will replace your items with brand new ones, whereas ‘wear and tear’ policies will deduct a percentage of the item’s cost for depreciation.
Remember! Always check the policy small print to see exactly what is - and isn’t - covered. That way, you can be sure you are getting a sufficient level of cover for your needs. When you receive your policy documentation check that the details are correct and if you have any queries or concerns, contact your insurer at your earliest opportunity.
What is an excess?
An excess is the contribution you agree to pay towards any claim. The excess is split into two different types, compulsory excess and voluntary excess.
Compulsory excess
This is the amount your insurance company requires that you pay towards any claim made on your policy. Normally it is deducted from the settlement made to you.
Voluntary excess
This is the amount you agree to pay towards the claim in addition to the compulsory excess. You agree this at the start of the policy; the higher the excess the lower your premium will be.
What are policy exclusions?
Insurance companies won’t pay out for certain risks or some types of loss or damage, for example where it results from or is in connection with terrorism. These will be clearly set out in the terms of the policy and are known as ‘exclusions’.
Other things that may affect or invalidate a claim you make are:
Not using your burglar alarm when you’ve told your insurance company you have one.
Not reporting a burglary or theft to the police and not getting a crime reference number.
Being burgled where there is no forced entry into your property (i.e. leaving a door or window open).
Leaving the property unoccupied for more than 30 days.
Failing to use key operated locks on windows when you are away from the property.
Remember! If the information you give to your insurer is not correct, it could invalidate your policy. You also need to tell your insurance company everything you believe to be relevant or important that may affect your policy.
How to save money on tenants’ insurance
It might sound obvious but shopping around is the best way to get a quote that gives you the cover you want at the right price. Rather than spend hours on the web or on the phone to different insurance companies, the easiest way to see what's available is to use an insurance comparison site like Gocompare.com. You only have to enter your details once and we will provide you with quotes from a number of different tenants’ insurance companies. You will be able to compare prices and see what is included in each policy; this way you can make sure you have all the cover you want at a price that is right for you.
Remember! The cheapest quote may not provide the right level of cover for your needs, meaning that while you save money on your premium you could be left out of pocket later on if you do need to make a claim. By paying a little extra for your insurance it is usually possible to secure better cover and therefore get better value for money.
