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Tenants insurance

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What is tenants insurance?

Tenants insurance is a form of contents insurance.

It’s designed to cover the cost of replacing your belongings if they’re stolen or damaged in a way that’s covered by your policy, helping to give you some peace of mind while you’re renting.

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

What can I cover with tenants insurance?

Most tenants insurance policies will cover the belongings you expect them to.

Most should provide you with cover for:

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

However, bear in mind that renters insurance often has a single item limit.

This means that it may not cover particularly expensive items like high-end laptops and jewellery.

For these, you may need a high value insurance policy, or something more specific like jewelery insurance or gadget insurance on top of your tenants insurance.

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What will tenants insurance cover me against?

If you’re a renter, tenants insurance will normally cover your belongings against:

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

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

Vandalism that damages you belongings,though renters insurance won’t cover any damage caused to the building itself.

Water damage to your possessions, for example if water leaks through the ceiling onto your TV.

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

Storm damage, which is good to know as storms have been causing plenty of havoc over recent years.

Fire damage, preventing you from having to replace all your belongings out of your own pocket.

What isn’t covered by tenants insurance?

The things that aren’t covered by tenants insurance include:

Unforced entry. If someone breaks into your home but there are no signs of forced entry, any claim you make is likely to be rejected. You can read more in our guide on what to do if you get burgled.

Wear and tear of contents over time is inevitable and isn’t usually covered by tenants insurance.

Unspecified high value items won’t be covered. You’ll need to specify any high value items when you take out tenants insurance. Insurers offer only a certain level of cover for unspecified items, which is usually up to £1,000. Make sure you calculate the value of your possessions as accurately as possible.

Items away from home. If you take your belongings out of your house, most policies won’t provide cover if they are lost, damaged or stolen. For cover away from the home, you'll need personal possessions insurance.

Rent arrears aren’t covered under a tenants insurance policy.

When the property has been left unoccupied for 30 days.

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How much tenants insurance do I need?

If you’re taking out tenants insurance, you need to make sure you have enough cover in place to insure all your possessions.

You should therefore estimate the value of all your belongings and add up the total, comparing this to the level of cover on offer.

Want to save some time? Let our contents insurance calculator do the hard work for you.

But for a quick overview, a renters insurance policy can typically give you up to £50,000 of cover for your contents.

As the average value of contents in a home is £35,000, according to the Association of British Insurers, this would be enough for the vast majority of people. 

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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.

Your quote will be based on various factors, including:

  • The type of property, is it a house or a flat, and 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 have collected 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 get cheaper tenants insurance?

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

  • Improve your home security
  • Pay a higher excess
  • Install flood barriers
  • Pay for your insurance annually, if you can
  • Compare tenants insurance

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

Pay a higher excess towards a claim. This shows insurers that you’re likely to claim only if there’s a good reason. Check out our guide on voluntary and compulsory excess.

Install flood barriers, if you live in an area prone to flooding. Get your landlords 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 so paying in one go could help you get cheaper tenants insurance.

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

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Need more help?

Is tenants insurance a legal requirement?

Content insurance for renters isn’t a legal requirement.

But bear in mind, if you don’t take out tenants insurance and something goes seriously wrong, you risk losing all your possessions and then being left to replace them out of your own pocket.

An event like a fire, flood or break-in can be devasting. But having tenants insurance in place at least means you can look to get your life back on track without having to dip into your own savings.

Can't I just claim on my landlord's insurance?

Unless you’re claiming for fixtures, fittings and furniture that came with your rental property, you probably wouldn’t be able to rely on your landlord’s home insurance policy for any damage to or loss of your personal possessions.

So, if you’re renting your home, it makes sense to take out renters insurance to cover your own belongings.

Can I get tenants insurance if I live in a house share?

Renters insurance can cover you if you live in a house share or student accommodation.

However, renters insurance premiums 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 tailor-made for those living in student halls, or with others in private shared accommodation.

Can I transfer my tenants insurance to a new rented property?

It’s possible that your insurance provider will let you transfer your tenants insurance to another property if you move mid-policy. But this is by no means guaranteed, so you’ll have to check with your provider. Often, you’ll be required to cancel the existing policy and take out a new one when you moved.

Do I need tenants insurance?

There’s no legal requirement to take out tenants insurance. But a policy would provide you with peace of mind that your belongings are protected in the event of a fire or a burglary.

How do I make a claim on my tenants insurance?

You’ll need to contact your insurance provider. You can find their contact details on your policy documents or on their website.

How much cover do I need for tenants contents insurance?

The level of cover you’ll need depends on whether you have any high value items you’d like extra protection for.

Is accidental damage cover included in my renters contents insurance?

Not automatically, but you can add accidental damage cover to your policy when you get a quote.

Should students take out tenants insurance?

If you’re a student, it might be worth looking at a specialist students insurance policy, which could help cover specific items such as your laptop and textbooks.

What is tenants liability insurance?

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

When do I need to take out tenants insurance?

You should take out tenants insurance the day you move into the property. This will ensure your contents are protected if any get damaged while you’re unpacking.

Why do renters need only contents insurance and not buildings insurance?

If you’re renting a property, you’re responsible only for your contents within it. Anything structural to do with the building is the landlord’s responsibility.

Will I be covered if I live in a flat not a house?

Yes. When you get a quote, you’ll be asked what type of accommodation it’s for, and you’ll be given prices from providers to suit your circumstances.

Do I need pipe insulation?

Pipe insulation isn't a legal requirement but it can help to prevent burst pipes in your home. You might need permission from your landlord before you do anything though so it’s worth checking first.

 
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What our home insurance expert says:

You might assume that it’s your landlord’s responsibility to replace your belongings in the event of a break-in. This isn’t the case. If you’re renting and want to protect your belongings from theft or damage, you’ll need contents insurance for renters.
jessica-willock-signature

Jessica Willock

Home Insurance Product Manager

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