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Tenants and renters insurance

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1Correct as of August, 2023

What is tenants insurance?

Tenants or renters insurance covers your belongings in rented accommodation.

It's not a legal requirement to get a policy, but it covers the cost of replacing your belongings if they’re stolen or damaged. This helps give you some peace of mind while you’re renting.

It doesn't cover the building itself though. This is your landlord’s responsibility, and their buildings insurance should cover it.

What is and isn't covered?

Most renters insurance policies provide cover for:

  • Clothes and jewellery
  • Electronic devices such as phones, laptops, televisions and other gadgets
  • Furniture and soft furnishings, like curtains or towels
  • Cutlery and crockery
  • Antiques and family heirlooms
  • Your bicycle, if it’s stored indoors
  • Cash

Bear in mind that renters insurance often has a single item limit, usually set at £1,000. It might not cover expensive items like high-end laptops and jewellery that cost more than £1,000, unless you declare them to the insurer.

For these items, you need to declare what they are when you get a quote so the insurer can factor it into your policy price. Depending on the value of the item, you might find this gives you fewer policies to choose from and makes your cover more expensive. If it gets too expensive, it's worth considering a separate jewellery insurance policy.

It's also worth considering accidental damage cover. With it, your belongings are protected against accidental damage like a cracked tablet screen or spills causing staining to expensive clothes . According to our data, the average claim for accidental damage to contents inside a home was £2211. You can add it as an optional extra when you get a quote.

Things that aren’t covered include:

  • Unforced entry, such as leaving your door unlocked
  • Wear and tear of your contents
  • Unspecified high-value items
  • Items away from home
  • Rent arrears
  • Leaving the property unoccupied for 30 days or more
1Confused.com data June 2023

What does renters insurance protect me against?

If you’re a renter, your policy normally covers your belongings against:

  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Water damage
  • Flooding
  • Storms
  • Fire

Theft, if you’re the victim of a break-in

Vandalism that damages your belongings

Water damage to your possessions, for example if a burst pipe leaks water onto your TV

Flood damage, although you aren't covered for any damage to the building itself or anything that belongs to the landlord, such as carpets

Storm damage, to your belongings - meaning anything destroyed or damaged is covered

Fire damage, which can be particularly devastating to the contents of a home

When should I buy renters insurance?

You should make sure you're covered and buy your policy as soon as you move into your rented property. Or buy it earlier and set the cover to start on the date you move in. This is because you want to make sure your items are covered straight away in case something happens.

What our home insurance expert says:

"It’s not your landlord’s responsibility to replace your belongings in the event of a break-in. It's up to them to insure the building, but not your possessions. If you’re renting and want to protect your belongings from theft or damage, you need contents insurance for renters.

You might be tempted to pay monthly due to the nature of moving from one rented accomodation to another. There's certainly an advantage to it but be mindful of the cost. Choosing to pay for 12 months of cover in one go could save you money as you're not paying interest on the outstanding amount. Even if you decide to cancel the policy, you should still be able to get a refund for any full or part months' cover left on the policy, minus a cancellation fee."

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**Single annual policy. Shell Go+ account required. Only one £10 fuel reward can be used per transaction and each can only be used on fuel purchases of £10 or over. HelloFresh 18+ subscription service. Geographical exclusions apply. T&Cs apply

How much tenants insurance do I need?

If you’re looking to get cover, make sure the policy you choose offers enough cover to insure all your possessions.

To do this, estimate the value of all your belongings and add up the total. Then compare the total to the level of cover on offer. If you're struggling to work out how much you need, our contents insurance calculator can do the hard work for you.

If you're a tenant in a shared property, you have the option of getting contents insurance for one room. Rather than paying to cover the whole property, you could just cover any belongings in your room. But any of your belongings or any shared belongings in communal areas usually aren't covered.

According to our data, the average contents value for a home is £52,0002. A typical renters insurance policy can give you up to £50,000 of cover. So if you're looking for cover just for your belongings then you should have more than enough.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimate the average value of contents in a home is £35,000. So £50,000 of cover should be more than enough for the vast majority of people. If you choose not to cover your belongings with contents insurance, you'll have to replace anything damaged or stolen out of your own pocket.

2Confused.com June 2023

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What do I need to get a quote?

To get a quote, we’ll ask you a few questions about the property and your contents, including:

  • The type of property - is it a house or a flat? Or is it a listed building?
  • The number of rooms the property has.
  • Whether the property is used for business – this doesn’t include working from home if you’re usually office-based.
  • The approximate year when the property was built.
  • The type of heating the property has and whether you have a hot water tank.
  • Types of locks on the doors, such as an automatic deadlatch or multi-point locking system. If you’re unsure, check out our guide on the types of door locks.
  • Any no-claims bonus (NCB) you've earned from previous contents insurance policies.
  • Any high value items you’d like to insure, their value and whether you want to cover them away from home.

How do I cut the costs?

If you’re looking to lower the cost of your tenants insurance policy, there are a few things you can do:

  • Improve your home security
  • Pay a higher voluntary excess
  • Install flood barriers
  • Pay for your insurance annually
  • Compare tenants insurance

Improve your home security measures by installing a burglar alarm or keeping valuables locked up. This could help to lower the risk of theft, meaning insurers may lower your price. But before you install anything, check with your landlord because you might need their permission.

Pay a higher voluntary excess towards a claim. This shows insurers that you’re only likely to claim if there’s a good reason. Our guide on voluntary and compulsory excess includes more information on home insurance excess.

Install flood barriers if you live in an area prone to flooding. Get your landlord's permission first – it may be something they can help arrange.

Pay for your insurance annually if you can. Insurers usually charge more for monthly instalments due to interest and admin fees, so paying in one go could save you money. According to our data3, a paying monthly for contents insurance is £67 but an annual policy costs £56.

Compare tenants insurance policies by shopping around to find the best deal for your needs and budget.

3Confused.com June 2023

Compare cheap contents insurance for renters

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Types of home insurance

Home insurance

protects your home and its contents from those unexpected accidents.

Buildings insurance

protects the permanent fixtures and structure of your home.

Contents insurance

protects your household belongings against theft, loss and damage.

Landlord insurance

can protect you and your rental property against unexpected costs, like building or content damage, as well as any disputes.

Student home insurance

can protect your belongings while you're living away from home.

Flood insurance

can offer some protection for your home and belongings if you live in a flood risk area.

Over 50s home insurance

can provide peace of mind your home and belongings are protected against loss, damage and theft.

Flat insurance

can be tailored to cover the building, content or both depending on whether you own or rent your flat.

Shared house contents insurance

protects your belongings in your room against theft, fire damage, storms and flooding.

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Need more help?

Will renters insurance cover my work equipment if I have a home office?

Your office equipment might be covered on tenant insurance but you will need to check your policy. It all depends on the value of your items. If your tenants contents insurance policy doesn't cover the items, you may need to take out a separate business insurance policy.

If the items belong to your employer, it's worth asking them if they are covered under a separate policy too.

Can I get tenants contents insurance if I live in shared accommodation?

Yes, you can get tenants insurance if you live in a house share or student accommodation.

However, the cost of renters insurance can be higher if you live in shared accommodation as the risk of theft increases in a shared living environment.

If you’re a student, there also tends to be increased risk of damage to your belongings, which can further increase the price you pay.

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.

What is tenants liability insurance and do I need it?

Tenants liability insurance covers you if you damage any property belonging to your landlord that results in you losing your security deposit.
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