What is accidental damage home insurance?

Key takeaways

• Accidental damage cover can protect your home or belongings against sudden, unexpected and unintentional damage, but not things like wear and tear

• Buildings accidental damage can cover fixtures and the structure of your home, while contents accidental damage can cover belongings such as furniture, TVs and carpets

• Accidental damage cover usually applies inside the home, so you may need personal possessions or gadget cover for items you take outside

What is accidental damage insurance?

Accidental damage insurance is designed to protect against damage to your property or belongings that occurs suddenly and without intent. It's an optional add-on to your home insurance policy, though it might be included as standard on more comprehensive policies.

The specific definition of accidental damage may vary between home insurance companies. However, it usually includes things like one-off mishaps such as spilling coffee on a carpet, accidentally smashing a window, knocking over a TV or drilling through a pipe while doing DIY.

TV insurance for accidental damage will usually be covered for physical damage – i.e. knocking over a flat screen TV – but not electrical or mechanical faults. It can also include accidental damage caused by a neighbour or even a vehicle hitting your property.

Do I need accidental damage home insurance?

No - while accidental damage cover is not mandatory, it's worth noting that accidental damage is one of the most common reasons people claim on home insurance. MoneySuperMarket data shows it makes up 23.26%^{^} of home insurance claims, second only to escape of water.

Adding accidental damage cover costs around £7.38^{^} on average, while Which? found the average accidental damage claim payout was £615^{^} . Whether it’s worth it depends on your excess, the value of your belongings and how easily you could pay for repairs yourself.

Does home buildings insurance cover accidental damage?

Yes, accidental damage added to your buildings insurance can offer cover for:

• Broken glass windows

• Damage to bathroom fittings

• Damaged drains, pipes, cables, and tanks

• Cracked wall tiles

• Damaged kitchen units and built-in appliances

• Collision damage

• Accidental holes in walls

Does home contents insurance cover accidental damage?

Yes, accidental damage added to your contents insurance can offer cover for:

• Accidental damage to gadgets like your laptop, mobile phone or smartwatch at home

• Physically broken TVs (but not electrical malfunctions)

• Damage to furniture

• Spills on carpets

• Property damage in the garden, such as garden furniture

Are your possessions covered for accidental damage outside your home?

No, accidental damage insurance won’t usually cover items you carry around with you when you’re not at home, such as your phone, jewellery or laptop.

To cover these items when you are out and about, you’ll need to add personal possessions cover to your contents insurance.

You should check the terms of your policy to see if items will be covered for accidental damage if they are in your garden.

If you move house, check if your home contents policy covers removals. Some policies will only include cover if you use a professional removal firm.

Are my gadgets covered for accidental damage?

Yes, gadgets such as mobile phones and watches will usually be covered for accidental damage on your home insurance policy.

But keep an eye on the single item limit for any payout. Most providers will only pay out up to a certain amount for each item. So, if the value of your electronic item is greater than the per-item limit, insurance won't cover it in full.

You may need to list the item on your home contents policy or insure the item separately for it to be fully covered.

If you want to protect your mobile phone or laptop, you can also buy gadget insurance which will protect your gadgets when you take them out of the home. Likewise, a personal possessions policy should also include cover for items taken outside of the home if they fall under the single item value limit.

Does accidental damage cover damage caused by children or guests?

Yes, accidental damage insurance covers damage caused by children – such as kicking a football at the TV or knocking a drink onto the carpet. Accidental damage should also extend to damage caused by guests or friends visiting your property, but it's worth checking your policy wording to be sure.

Does accidental damage cover damage caused by pets?

No, accidental damage won’t usually cover damage caused by pets, whether it’s your cat or dog chewing through a cable or knocking over an expensive vase.

Does accidental damage cover damage caused by lodgers or paying guests?

No, accidental damage policies won't usually cover damage caused by lodgers or paying guests - this is usually excluded from standard home insurance.

Does accidental damage cover damage caused by tenants?

No, if you're a landlord and your tenants cause accidental damage, it's unlikely standard home insurance will cover you - you'll usually need specific landlord insurance instead.

Does accidental damage cover damage caused by DIY?

It depends - accidental damage may cover a sudden DIY mishap, such as drilling through a pipe or accidentally putting a foot through the ceiling while in the loft. But it usually won’t cover poor workmanship, faulty design, unfinished work or damage caused because the job wasn’t done properly.

If you’re doing major renovations, structural work, plumbing or electrical work, tell your insurer first. Standard home insurance may not cover everything while work is taking place.

What is excluded from accidental damage cover?

Exclusions – things that aren’t covered – vary from policy to policy, but most accidental damage policies won't cover the following:

• Pest infestations

• General wear and tear

• Shoddy workmanship and bodged DIY

• Unoccupied properties (home insurance policies normally have a 30 or 60-day unoccupied limit)

• Damage caused by lodgers or other paying guests

Will I need to pay an excess on accidental damage claims?

Yes, you will need to pay an excess if you make a claim for accidental damage.

The excess is the initial amount you pay towards a claim before your insurer pays the remainder. Excesses on home insurance policies can vary – in general, the higher the excess, the lower the premium.

Excess payments mean it may not be worth making low value claims.

Do tenants need accidental damage cover?

Yes, if you want to protect your belongings from accidental damage and you rent your home, you will need accidental damage cover for your own possessions.

Your landlord will be responsible for any accidental damage which happens to the structure, windows, doors, roofs, and exterior parts of the building.

Tenants could be liable for any damage they cause to the property – this means they might either have to pay for the damage themselves or have tenant’s liability insurance to cover it.

Landlords should consider buying landlord insurance – make sure the policy includes protection against accidental damage caused by tenants to the landlord’s possessions in the property (i.e. furniture).

Finding the right home insurance cover

Accidental damage insurance can be a valuable addition to your home insurance policy, offering comprehensive protection and peace of mind.

You can compare home insurance quotes quickly and easily with MoneySuperMarket.

Households typically paid £248.37^{^} for combined buildings and contents insurance in March 2026, and £69.13^{^} for contents insurance (median price based on policy type).

Whether you're a homeowner, tenant, or landlord, it's worth considering how this cover could help you manage the financial impact of minor – and bigger – accidents.