Contents insurance

It’s not a legal requirement for renters to have contents cover, so technically you don’t need it. But it’s often a good idea.

As the owner, your landlord will usually be responsible for the general maintenance of the building, so it’s down to them to ensure their property is protected with buildings insurance.

But you’re responsible for any contents inside that you own. If anything were to happen to your possessions, you would have to pay for replacements if you didn't have contents insurance.

If you live in a house share, your possessions are obviously more prone to being stolen, so it can be a good idea here too.

Likewise with student accommodation: the more people in and out of your address, the higher the risk your possessions face.

Contents insurance covers your possessions against damage or theft while they’re at your home address.

Personal possessions cover protects them when you’re out and about.

There’s often an upper cover limit – typically artound £1,000 – but you’ll usually be able to find cover for everything from phones to cameras to jewellery to wallets and handbags.

So if your phone was stolen while out and about, your standard contents insurance policy might not cover it. But personal possessions cover might.

Yes, it does. If your phone is stolen or is damaged by fire, for example, you could claim to have it replaced.

If you’re keen to cover all bases, you could look into a separate gadget insurance policy for your phone. This separate policy also covers you for dropping it in the toilet or cracking the screen.

Yes, washing machines and all white goods should be covered for theft and damage.

But if your washing machine just breaks down and stops working, this isn’t normally covered by your contents policy.

You can get accidental damage as an add-on to your contents insurance policy.

Standard contents cover kicks in if your possessions are damaged by theft, fire or flood. But if you spill red wine on the carpet. It might not pay out.

Adding accidental damage cover to your policy helps cover these unfortunate incidents.

No, boilers aren’t normally covered by contents insurance. If you want to protect your boiler, you might need to get a standalone boiler insurance policy.

Yes - as part of your home’s overall contents, your carpets and curtains should be covered under your contents insurance policy.

Remember to add the cost of replacing all of your home’s carpets to your overall contents value when getting a quote.

If your possessions are damaged by a flood, then yes, you should be covered by your contents insurance policy.

But if you have a burst pipe, your contents insurance policy is likely to cover only items that were damaged by the water. The pipe itself, and any damage to your fixtures and fittings, would likely come under a buildings insurance policy.

Smartphones, laptops and gaming consoles will all be covered by your contents insurance. You will need to add a laptop or items worth over £1,000 to your home insurance quote to ensure cover in the home. However, for anything you use while you are out and about you will need away-from-home cover. You might also consider specialist gadget insurance if you have a lot of gear.

It’s always a good idea to keep receipts if you can and take photos of high value items. This will help if you are claiming for theft.

As a rule of thumb, anything you’d take with you if you moved house should be included on your contents policy – including items like curtains and carpets. It’s worth taking the time to go around your house from room to room and put a reasonable value on everything. It’s easy to underestimate the value of your contents, but it’s important to make sure you’re not under-insured.

Lots of policies will cover your garden and outbuildings but not all do so it’s important to check before you buy. If you have a lot of gear stored outside it’s important to check how much cover is included too as levels vary substantially between insurers.