Contents insurance for

people who rent their home

Cover for short-term and long-term tenancies.
Tenant building liability included.
Includes bicycles, laptops, mobile phones and tablets.

Tenant insurance

Protecting your belongings against theft or damage

What is tenant insurance?

Tenant insurance is a contents insurance policy specifically designed for people who rent their home. Most of us would struggle to replace our possessions if they were stolen or damaged, which is why tenant insurance is essential for protecting your belongings.

Your belongings are classed as all the items you would take with you when you move home. To take out tenant contents insurance, you need to work out how much your belongings would cost to replace as new, as a HomeProtect policy will pay out on a new for old basis, which means that if you make a claim you will receive the full value of the item at today’s prices.

Remember, your landlord has a responsibility to have buildings insurance to protect against damage to the structure of the property and its fixtures, such as kitchen units, flooring and bathroom units, but your belongings are your responsibility.

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A guide to tenants' responsibilities

Most of your responsibilities as a tenant fall into two principle categories: paying rent and bills, and looking after the property.

Read the article

Tenant home insurance Vs. Tenant contents insurance

Unlike home-owners, those who rent their property are not required to hold home insurance – in fact, the term ‘tenant home insurance’ is usually only used in reference to ‘tenant contents insurance’.

Broader home insurance policies can combine building insurance and contents insurance, however, building insurance is the responsibility of the landlord and not the tenant.

Your personal belongings, on the other hand, are your own responsibility to cover for damage, loss or theft. Tenant contents insurance can be invaluable for replacing or covering the cost of items from your home, in the case of a flood, fire or robbery.

What does tenant contents insurance cover?

Laptops and other gadgets like smartphones.
Handbags left at home.
Watches.
Soft furnishings.
Bikes.
Jewellery.
Sports equipment.
Books and DVDs.
Collectibles.

Tenants liability insurance

Gadget insurance

Watch insurance

Jewellery insurance

Bicycle insurance

High risk contents insurance

Your questions answered

Is tenant liability insurance included?

For tenants renting a complete property, contents insurance policies include up to £5,000 per claim tenant liability cover for damage caused to the building, provided your tenancy contract states that you’re legally responsible for fixing this type of damage. This is sometimes known as tenancy liability cover.

Isn’t my landlord responsible for insurance?

Although you should check the specific terms of your tenancy agreement, common practice is that landlords only take out buildings insurance for properties they let out and tenants are responsible for buying insurance cover for their belongings. This arrangement makes practical sense as you can ensure that the level of content cover you get is appropriate for the things you own including any high risk items, bikes and electronic gadgets.

How do I calculate the value of contents to be insured?

Visit every room in your home (including the attic, shed and cupboards under the stairs!) and list all your belongings including kitchen equipment, luggage, rugs etc. Research how much it would cost to replace each item as new and then add up the full amount you’d need to replace everything.

We normally cover the amount you specify, however if you enter a very low amount your policy may include more than this, if this is the case you will be made aware of this before purchasing.

Are items in my shed or garage covered?

In most cases, if you make sure the value of these items are included in the value of contents to be insured. Please note that there are some items that we can't insure such as boats and water skis, please refer to the policy booklets for full details.

Do I need home insurance when I’m a tenant?

Although it’s not essential to have contents insurance when you’re renting your home, having suitable cover in place gives you peace of mind should the unexpected happen including burglary, fire, flood or escape of water.