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High crime rates in your area will likely make your premiums more expensive due to the higher associated risk
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Students contents insurance is cover you can take out to protect your personal belongings while you’re living away from home – usually in private rented or student accommodation, or halls of residence. It means you’ll be able to claim for the cost of repairing or replacing your items if they’re lost, damaged, or stolen.
There’s no legal requirement to buy student contents cover, but it can protect your belongings while you’re away from home. However, before you buy, it’s worth checking if your contents are already covered:
Your parents or guardians’ home insurance policy may already provide cover for items away from home
You might have contents insurance as part of a packaged bank account or mobile phone contract
You could have existing insurance policies for each separate item – for example, if they were taken out at the time of purchase
"Unless you own a home, contents insurance is often forgotten about. According to the same poll, 89% of mortgage holders have some form of contents cover in place, so there’s quite a big discrepancy between homeowners and renters when it comes to insuring our possessions. However, students are in a unique position, often living in a house or flat share with other adults who are non-family members, which insurers are likely to view as riskier.
There are two scenarios that are likely to apply if you’re interested in contents insurance as a student:
You and your housemates want to insure the whole flat (or house)
You want to insure your own room within a house or flat share.
In the first scenario, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll be entering a joint policy as a named person, which means anyone claiming will raise the premiums for everyone on the policy when it comes to renewal. In the second scenario, you’ll likely need a lock on your door if you ever need to claim against theft. According to MoneySuperMarket data, on previous claims that were declared by customers taking out home insurance with us, “Theft” accounted for 13.65%[3] of all claims declared*, so adhering to the terms and conditions of any policy you take out is paramount if you ever need to make a claim."
David McDermottroe - Home Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket
*Data based on enquiries made between December 2023 to February 2024 where the enquiry contained one or more claims.
Each policy is different, and when you buy student insurance you can pick the level of cover you require. However, many contents insurance policies will offer similar types of protection as well as exclusions:
Theft
Fire damage
Burst pipes, water leaks and flooding
Burglary and vandalism
Tenants liability cover
Wear and tear of your items
Theft from unforced entry
Lack of maintenance
Incorrect information supplied
Calculate how much cover you need, including high-value items, and select the start date
Choose any extras you would like, such as accidental cover and legal protection. Consider additional cover for lost keys, tuition fees, rent, and accidental damage to fixtures and fittings
Once your policy is up and running, contact your insurer if you need to make a claim. If it’s a claim for theft, you’ll also need to contact the police
The average price of student contents insurance is £74.11 per year*, but the exact cost will depend on factors including:
High crime rates in your area will likely make your premiums more expensive due to the higher associated risk
It can make a difference whether you live in a house or flat, as each comes with different risks
More expensive items will usually cost more to insure – and keep an eye out for single item value limits if you have any particularly valuable items
*Based on students living away from home buying contents insurance from July 2023 to September 2023
Contents insurance policies are not terribly expensive, but there are steps you can take to get a cheaper quote:
Prices vary between insurance companies, so get a range of quotes from different insurers to see how much you could save. Be clear about the level of cover you need to get accurate quotes and once you’ve found the best deal, don't forget to shop around when it's time to renew insurance
If you don’t need any added insurance extras like accidental damage cover, you could cut your cost by opting for basic cover only. But bear in mind that will limit the amount you can claim for
High-quality locks, burglar alarms, smoke alarms and joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme can all reduce your premiums. The safer your home, the less likely you may need to claim on an insurance policy. But check with insurers before installing expensive security that may not help reduce costs
Most insurance policies include an 'excess', which is the amount you pay towards any claim. If you agree to increase the excess you will usually pay a lower upfront cost. But bear in mind that you will need to stump up the amount of the excess if you need to claim
Many insurers charge extra if you pay by monthly direct debit. You’ll save money if you make a one-off, annual payment instead, if you can afford it
Insurers usually reward people who have not made any claims in the past with a cheaper policy premium. You may even be able to protect your no-claims discount after you’ve built it up
Before anything happens, make sure you have evidence of how much you paid & the condition
Contact your insurance company and provide your policy details and details of the incident
Include photos of damages items, receipts for the items or a police report
Complete your claim and submit your claim form to your provide
Keep up to date and find out all you need to know with our latest guides.
Estimate the worth of your home contents and any particularly high-value possessions, and quickly compare contents insurance quotes
We’ll show you which contents insurance is the cheapest along with claims experience, a quality score, cover level and more
Once you’ve found a contents-only insurance policy you like, you can call or click through to apply directly with the insurer
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
You should buy the necessary insurance as soon as you know where you will be living for university and what belonging you will be taking with you.
Most student contents insurance policies will cover expensive items, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. However, there may be a limit on how much you can claim for each item.
It is important to check the policy to make sure that your expensive items are covered.
No, buildings insurance isn't necessary for students renting accommodation. Your landlord or university are responsible for what happens to the building.
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Customer reviews
See all reviewsI received a quote for home insurance from John Lewis who i was previously with but it was far too high. I went online to check Money Supermarket and the quotes were a bit cheaper so i opted to move insurer . Quick, efficient, well set out..excellent!
Anonymous
Easy to compare and organise new house and contents insurance - considerably less than the renewal I was offered
Anonymous
It was £50 cheaper than my renewal with the same company .
Vincent Gilbert
The system was easy to use and I did purchase the home and contents insurance.
Robert John Rigby