What home insurance do I need for a flat?

Key takeaways

• Just as with living in a house, if you inhabit a flat you can still benefit from having a home insurance policy in place

• Contents insurance is recommended regardless of whether you own or rent, while landlords and property owners will need to think about buildings insurance

• Whether or not you’re a freeholder or leaseholder will also affect the type of cover you need

What home insurance do I need for a flat?

The type of home insurance you’ll need for your flat will depend on your living and ownership situation. Home insurance is split into buildings and contents insurance - buildings insurance covers the structure of the building, while contents insurance covers your belongings inside.

How much does flat insurance cost?

The cost of flat insurance depends on the type of cover you need, whether your flat is purpose-built or converted, your location, your claims history and how much your belongings would cost to replace.

What affects the cost of flat insurance?

The price you pay can for flat insurance depend on:

• Whether you need buildings, contents or combined cover

• Whether your flat is purpose-built or converted

• Whether you’re a leaseholder, freeholder, tenant or landlord

• The rebuild value of the building

• The value of your belongings

• Your postcode

• Your claims history

• Optional extras, such as accidental damage, home emergency or personal belongings cover

• Whether communal areas are covered by a freeholder or managing agent policy

What does flat buildings insurance cover?

A buildings insurance policy will cover you for the cost of repairs to the structure of your home, meaning the floor, walls, roof and any fixtures or fittings. If you’re renting the flat, this won’t be your responsibility, but if you own the flat, whether or not you’ll need to take out buildings insurance will depend on how you own it.

Does it matter if I'm a leaseholder or a freeholder?

Yes - in most cases, the freeholder(s) of the flat will be responsible for arranging buildings insurance, and this will likely cover communal areas like landings and stairwells too. If you’re a leaseholder, check to see if the freeholder has cover in place - it’s likely you’ll be paying your fair share of the premiums through the service charge.

Are communal areas covered by flat insurance?

Communal areas such as hallways, stairs, lifts, roofs and shared entrances are usually covered by the building’s main buildings insurance policy. If you own a leasehold flat, this is often arranged by the freeholder or managing agent.

What does flat contents insurance cover?

Your flat contents insurance policy works in a similar way to contents insurance for a house, in that it covers all of your belongings and possessions in your home. It includes your clothes, electronics, and kitchen items too - but a single-item limit will generally apply, and any valuables will need to be named separately to be covered.

It’s a good idea to have contents insurance in place regardless of whether you own the flat or are just renting, as it protects your belongings in the building.

What extra cover can I get with flat insurance?

When you take out flat insurance, you’ll have the option of adding extra levels of cover to your policy - they’ll usually increase your premiums a little, so consider if it’s worth taking out:

Do I need insurance if I’m renting my flat?

No, if you’re renting, you won’t be legally required to take out buildings insurance, but a renters contents insurance policy can be useful in protecting your belongings.

Insurance for student flats

If you’re a student living at university, your home insurance policy may cover your belongings even while you’re living in halls or in a student house/flat. Some halls of residence also include their own contents insurance, which you’ll pay for through your accommodation fees - so check beforehand to see if you’ve already got enough cover.

Do I need buildings insurance for a share of freehold flat?

Yes, if you own a share of the freehold, you and the other freeholders are usually responsible for making sure the building is insured. This can be arranged jointly through a managing agent or residents’ management company.

What is landlord insurance?

If you own the property and rent it out, a standard home insurance policy won’t cover you if anything happens. Instead, you need to take out landlord insurance to cover the buildings and the tenants.

Compare flat home insurance

Whether you rent your flat, or own as a freeholder or leaseholder, it’s always worth thinking about flat insurance. Finding affordable cover is easier when you compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket - just tell us about yourself, your flat and the cover you need, and we’ll look for quotes that match your requirements.