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.
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.