Can I get home insurance with a criminal record?
This guide is for informational purposes only. MoneySuperMarket does not currently offer quotes for home insurance policies where a member of the household has a unspent criminal conviction or has been declared bankrupt.
Key takeaways
You will probably need to take out specialist home insurance if a member of your household has an unspent criminal conviction
Once convictions are spent they no longer need to be disclosed to insurers
Insurers ask about criminal records; not telling them about an unspent conviction can invalidate your insurance
Can I get home insurance with a criminal record?
Yes, but it’s not always easy – even if the offence itself was very minor.
Home insurance companies are very wary of “unspent” criminal convictions, or in other words, convictions for which the prescribed rehabilitation period hasn’t yet passed. So if you have an unspent criminal conviction, you may need the help of a specialist insurance firm to get the home insurance cover you need.
People who have been declared bankrupt in the past may also find it difficult to find cover.
What counts as a criminal conviction?
You don’t have to tell your insurer if you receive a fine for a non-recordable motoring offence like speeding. But if you are convicted in a court, regardless of the offence, you will need to tell your insurer about it when you take out a policy to avoid invalidating your cover.
The same is true for all members of your household – if they have any convictions, even if they aren’t the policy holder, your insurer will need to know.
What’s the difference between a spent conviction and unspent conviction?
If enough time has passed, your conviction may be “spent” or no longer current, and does not need to be disclosed to insurers.
The difference between a spent and unspent conviction boils down to how much time has passed since the offense and the severity of the crime. If you live in England and Wales, you can check whether your conviction is “unspent”, or still active, using the online disclosure calculator run by Unlock, an organisation for people with convictions.
If you or another household member gets a criminal conviction while you already have a home insurance policy in place, you don’t need to tell your insurance provider until you renew your cover or switch to a new provider.
How long do criminal convictions stay on my record?
The amount of time a criminal conviction can prevent you from getting cover from a mainstream home insurer depends on the severity of your crime and the length of your sentence.
According to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the length of time convictions will show up on your file is:
Sentence | Time on record |
|---|---|
Fine | 1 year |
Community service | 1 year + the length of the order |
Prison sentence: up to 6 months | Your sentence + 2 years |
Prison sentence: 6-30 months | Your sentence + 4 years |
Prison sentence: 30 months - 4 years | Your sentence + 7 years |
Prison sentence: 4+ years | The rest of your life |
If you go bankrupt, you must also wait six years for it to be removed from your credit report – even though you will be “discharged” from most of the related financial restrictions after 12 months.
Is home insurance more expensive if I have a criminal record?
Probably. You generally have to pay more for home insurance if you have an unspent criminal conviction on your record – mainly because you likely won’t qualify for a standard policy and will need to take out specialist cover.
Also known as non-standard home insurance, these policies generally cost more than standard insurance; how much more will depend on the nature and seriousness of your crime.
Do home insurance companies check criminal records?
When you take out home insurance, you’ll always be asked if you – or anyone else living in the property – has a criminal record. The insurer may not always check this immediately, but could at any point during the life of your policy, including if you have to make a claim.
What happens if I don’t declare a criminal conviction to my home insurance provider?
Failure to disclose the details of any convictions or bankruptcies could invalidate your home insurance policy – in other words, it will leave you as good as uninsured. That’s why you should always declare your criminal convictions, as well as those of any other members of your household, when you take out insurance.
Do I need specialist home insurance if I have a criminal conviction?
Yes. If you have an “unspent” criminal conviction, you’ll probably need to take out home insurance with a specialist insurer. If, on the other hand, you have an old conviction, it may no longer need to be disclosed when you apply for home insurance.
A quick check using the online disclosure calculator Unlock can help if you’re in England or Wales.
How can I find cheap home insurance with a criminal conviction?
Just like buying a standard policy, if you or someone in your household has an unspent criminal conviction, it makes sense to shop around for cheaper home insurance.
MoneySuperMarket does not offer quotes for home insurance policies where a member of the household has a criminal conviction or has been declared bankrupt. If your conviction is unspent you’ll need to get in touch with a specialist insurer and provide the relevant information to get a quote based on your individual circumstances.
