Until recently, it was very hard for renters to get home insurance, and if they did, they had to pay a lot more than they should have. But because more people are choosing to rent instead of buy, it is now much easier and more fair for renters to get home insurance.
There are companies that specialise in insurance for renters, and it can be a good idea to get insurance if you rent. By getting a policy, you can protect both the deposit you gave the landlord and any unplanned events that might happen while you are a tenant.
When looking for insurance, it is important to shop around and go to someone who specialises in tenant policies. If you don't, you could still get insurance, but you might end up paying a lot more than you should. When you get a policy, the area where you are renting will be taken into account, so make sure to ask if your area is covered.
All companies will ask you how much insurance you need, and when they do, you should remember that you want to insure the things in your home, not the house itself. So, when thinking about this, add up the value of everything in your home and don't leave anything out.
When you buy renter's insurance, you should also think about things like what's in your freezer. You should also think about expensive things like digital cameras, bikes, and laptops.
But these things might not be covered by a standard policy for renters, so you should ask what is and isn't covered. But if you take things like a laptop computer out of the house, they will not be covered if they are stolen while you are not on the property.
Usually, a standard tenant's policy will cover between GBP3,000 and GBP40,000 worth of your stuff. The same policy will cover up to six people living in the same apartment, and it will usually cover items left in outbuildings and garages as well, as long as it can be shown that reasonable force was used to steal them.
