How burglary and theft can affect your home insurance
Your home insurance policy will generally cover you for damage or losses resulting from burglaries and theft, depending on the circumstances. However, living in an area with high crime rates is likely to increase your premiums - here’s what you need to know about burglaries and home insurance.
Key takeaways
Home insurance typically covers the cost of replacing stolen belongings and repairing damage from a break-in. This includes high-value items, clothes, furniture, and important documents
However it will depend on whether or not your home was properly secured at the time of burglary - negligence might mean your claim is rejected
Increasing your home security can reduce your premiums, but if you live in an area with high crime rates you’re likely to face higher insurance costs
What is burglary and theft home insurance?
Your home insurance policy should provide cover for the cost of repairing or replacing items that are damaged or stolen as a result of a burglary. It will usually be divided into two parts - your contents cover and buildings cover.
Your contents insurance policy will cover you for the cost of replacing belongings that were stolen. It can cover high-value items like your mobile phone, TV, or laptop up to a certain amount, as well as things like clothes, furniture, and important documents such as your passport
Your buildings insurance policy should cover damage caused to your windows and doors as a result of the break-in, as well as any fencing, outer gates, or outbuildings, though you may need extra cover for this.
The contents of outbuildings, like your shed or garage, should be covered by your contents policy, as long as you’ve declared them.
How do insurers define burglary, theft and robbery?
It's common for people to use the terms theft, burglary, and robbery interchangeably, but they refer to different crimes with distinct legal definitions:
This is a crime that involves force or intimidation to steal something of value. It's a violent crime that instils fear in the victim, such as a shop robbery or a mugging on the street.
Theft is the act of taking something with the intention of keeping it permanently, without the owner's consent. Examples include shoplifting or pickpocketing.
This is defined as the unauthorised entry into a structure, such as a home or business, with the intent to commit theft or another crime.
Robbery
Theft
Burglary
What can I claim for on my home insurance?
If your home has been burgled, depending on the nature of your policy you should be able to claim for:
Damaged or stolen items up to a certain value, specified as your single item limit
Brand new replacements of equal value, or a pay-out to cover this, if you have new-for-old cover. Otherwise you’ll have indemnity cover, which takes into account the current value of the item that is being replace, rather than its value when brand new
Items kept in outbuildings, like your bike or golf clubs, so long as they’re declared on your policy
Am I covered if my property is empty?
Your home insurance policy should cover you if your home is burgled while you are away, however you will need to show that you took reasonable steps to secure your home. For example, all doors and windows must’ve been locked - negligence is likely to invalidate your claim.
Do I need unoccupied home insurance?
If you’re away from home for an extended period, usually over 60 days, you’ll need to take extra cover to ensure your home and contents are protected. This is because unoccupied properties are more at risk, so some levels of your cover may be reduced while your home is empty.
What if I live in a high-crime area?
You can check to see if you live in an area with a high crime rate using the police’s compare your area tool. If you do, it’s likely you’ll face higher insurance premiums as a result of the increased risk of you making a claim on your insurance policy.
Are my belongings covered if they’re stolen from my person while I’m out of my home?
If your belongings are stolen from you while you’re outside your home, you may be covered by personal possessions insurance (out-of-home cover.) This will usually be part of your contents insurance, either included as standard or available as an optional extra.
What to do after a burglary?
Finding out you’ve been burgled can be a stressful and traumatic experience, and it’s understandable that you will want time to process this. However there are steps that you’ll need to take immediately:
Contact the police straight away, and don’t interfere with the scene until they arrive so they can collect evidence. They’ll give you a crime reference number, which your insurer will ask for when you make a claim
Take photos and videos of the damage and make notes of everything that is missing. It will also be helpful to find proof of purchase or ownership for any of the items that were stolen
You will need to contact your insurance provider within 24 hours of discovering the break-in to make a claim
How to reduce the likelihood of being burgled
Here are some tips to reduce the likelihood of your home being burgled:
Invest in alarms, quality locks, and security lights
Use curtains on garage windows to obscure the view
Always ensure doors and windows are locked, even if you're stepping out briefly
The bedroom is an obvious place to store your valuable jewellery, so consider hiding your expensive items in places burglars wouldn’t expect
Store keys securely and avoid common hiding spots like under doormats
Make your home secure
Secure outbuildings
Lock up
Hide your valuables
Key safety
Compare home insurance quotes
If you’re looking for quality home and contents insurance, MoneySuperMarket does the hard work for you. We compare home insurance quotes for you to find the best deal for your needs.
Just tell us a little bit about yourself, your property, and the items you want covered, and we’ll put together a list of quotes for you to choose from. Once you’ve decided on your preferred deal, just click through to the provider to finalise your purchase and get the cover you need.
Money & Savings Expert
Our expert says
Any conversation around theft, robbery or burglary can start to feel like the world is just waiting to take your precious, hard-earned possessions off you. That isn’t true, but we do know that most of these types of crimes are opportunistic. That means anything you can do to keep your items and home secure, and to be vigilant while out and about is worth it – every time. Even if you’re only going to be gone for a minute or two. Do that and not only will you reduce the chance of becoming the victim of crime, but if you are, the claims process may be more straightforward.
