Shared House contents Insurance

Written by

Emma Myrie

Insurance Underwriting Expert

Reviewed by

Libby Goodsearles

Head of Marketing

Contents Insurance

Insuring your belongings when you’re a flatmate

Homeprotect home insurance for shared accommodation is designed for housemates, flatmates and renters living in for shared rental properties including flats and houses, student properties and rooms let to lodgers.

Although some insurers will let you take out one policy for the entire property and share the cost between all housemates, this is not always practical. Not all tenants are reliable and personal circumstances can change mid-way through the tenancy. By taking out your own policy you can each insure your own valuables and keep your claims history separate.

What’s more, if you are going to university or college, contents insurance for students is often included under your parents’ home insurance, so you don’t need another policy. With Homeprotect contents insurance policies, students get up to £6,000 worth of contents cover while living in student accommodation.

Responsibilities in a shared house

‘Safety in numbers’ might be how the old saying goes but unfortunately that doesn’t ring true for house shares. When it comes to shared house insurance tenants should take responsibility for their own belongings. Theft, for example, is a key concern in a shared property due to the number of visitors coming and going from the house. It’s important that your room is self-contained with its own lock to reduce this risk.

Your landlord has a responsibility to have buildings insurance in place too. Whereas contents insurance is a ‘nice-to-have’, buildings insurance is an absolute must have.

What’s covered by contents insurance?

Having contents insurance means you won’t be out of pocket if you need to repair or replace your belongings after they’ve been stolen, damaged or destroyed.

What we offer

What isn’t included?

What is included in personal possessions?

When you take out a contents insurance policy your belongings will often be protected within the boundary of the property. To insure items outside the home or of particular value then you should take personal possessions cover, which applies to items that are often take out daily like clothing, wallets/purses, jewellery and cameras. Personal possessions covers each individual item worth up to a maximum of £1,500. If you need to insure items of higher individual value or you need to insure pedal cycles, laptops, tablets or mobile phones then you can do this under our ‘specified items’ cover.

Contents Insurance Cover Levels

Our contents insurance is designed to protect your belongings against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.