Student Contents Insurance

If you’re a student at university, you’ll probably have all sorts of belongings to help make your student halls/house feel more homely. If having to replace your favourite items doesn’t sound like a good idea to you (or your bank account), you may want to take out insurance to make sure that if anything did happen, you’re covered.

Remember: Not only is it a hassle to replace belongings after a mishap, but it can also be expensive – a cost you could probably do without when you’re living on a student budget.

Having student contents insurance in place will help make sure you’re not left out of pocket should anything unexpected happen to the things you couldn’t live without.

Being a student, this may be the first time you’ve had to get your head around insurance. So, we’ll try and break things down as much as possible for you.

Usually, student contents insurance covers the belongings within your student accommodation against the risks of fire, theft and flood. Such items could include clothes, furniture, jewellery and electrical items.

If you don’t have cover via your accommodation provider, or perhaps you’re living in a student house, or at home and you aren’t covered under your parent’s insurance, you can still protect your belongings with student contents insurance from our partner, studentGuard.

studentGuard’s contents insurance covers up to £12,500 of contents that you have inside your student home. You can choose the sum insured level that suits you, starting from £5,000. The standard contents cover includes protection against a range of perils including a loss from theft, attempted theft, malicious damage, fire, flood and more.

The standard contents insurance also automatically provides a range of additional inclusive covers for theft or loss of keys, theft of items being transported to and from your student home at the beginning and end of term, university books and property on loan, up to £5,000 tenant’s liability, mugging and assault cover and much more.

What is tenant’s liability cover?

If you’re a tenant living in a rented home, your landlord may have furnished the property before you moved in to make it more comfortable for you. However, if any of the landlord’s belongings (such as furniture, fixtures or fittings) were to be accidentally damaged while you’re living there, the landlord may expect you to cover the cost of the damage out of your tenancy deposit.

Tenant’s liability covers loss or damage to your landlord’s fixtures and fittings, caused by you, and  which you are legally liable for under the terms of your tenancy agreement (excludes accidental damage).

What’s not covered?

If you’re thinking of covering your contents with studentGuard, as with most insurance policies, there are a few things that aren’t covered. These include, but are not limited to:

• Your excess
• Accidental damage to your contents in the home unless you have chosen our optional accidental damage option.
• Items taken outside of your student home, unless you have specifically chosen the optional personal possessions cover
• Accidental damage to mobile phones and any cover outside of your student home, unless you have specifically chosen the mobile phone cover
• Cosmetic damage which does not affect the operation of an item
• Any mobile of smart phones that are more than four years old, from the date of manufacture

Is there optional cover?

Once you’ve picked your standard contents insurance through studentGuard, if there are additional levels of cover you think you may need, you can choose to add these on by selecting one or more optional covers:

• Accidental damage – extends cover for contents inside your student home to include accidental damage. Excludes mobile phones.
• Personal possessions cover – theft and accidental damage cover for items that you take out and about. Covers anywhere in the UK and worldwide for up to 60 days per period of insurance. Excludes mobile phones.
• Mobile phone cover – theft and accidental damage cover in the UK and worldwide for up to 60 days per period of insurance for your mobile or smart phone. Includes up to £150 for any unauthorised UK calls or data usage following theft of your insured phone. Cover can be provided for phones that are up to four years old, from date of manufacture.

How long is studentGuard’s cover?

A student contents insurance policy through studentGuard provides 12 months of cover. The standard policy covers your possessions inside your student home.

If you add on optional personal possessions cover for your belongings, your items can be covered inside and outside your home, within the UK and also worldwide for up to 60 days per period of insurance.

Additional mobile phone cover will also cover your phone inside and outside of your student home against theft and accidental damage within the UK, plus up to 60 days worldwide per period of insurance.

Will I pay monthly for studentGuard’s cover?

You can choose between paying in full or by monthly direct debit (free of interest!).

Is studentGuard’s cover ‘new for old’?

Yes, if you need to make a claim, your items will be replaced on a ‘new for old’ basis. This means that you’ll get a new replacement of an equivalent value (within your chosen sum insured limit). You’ll need to make sure you choose an appropriate ‘sum insured’ value based on your contents’ current, new replacement value (new for old replacement does not apply to linen or clothing).

Is Tenant's Liability included in studentGuard’s cover?

Yes, £5,000 of tenant’s liability cover is included within studentGuard’s standard contents insurance.

This will cover loss or damage to your landlord’s fixtures and fittings, caused by you, and  that you’re legally liable for under the terms of your tenancy agreement. It excludes accidental damage.

If you opt for student contents insurance with studentGuard, your mobile phone will be covered as standard against a range of perils including loss from theft, attempted theft, malicious damage, fire, flood and more - but not accidental damage.

If you need cover for theft and accidental damage inside and outside your student home (and worldwide for up to 60 days) per period of insurance, you can add on the optional mobile phone cover.

Cover can be provided for smart phones up to four years old, from the date of manufacture. There are a maximum of two claims per period of insurance.

Yes! studentGuard’s standard contents insurance covers your laptop, tablets and other technology. You’ll be covered for a range of perils such as loss from theft, attempted theft, malicious damage, fire, flood and more.

Opting for additional cover can extend protection to include accidental damage inside your student accommodation, plus also insure your items outside of your student home with studentGuard’s personal possessions option and mobile phone option.

If you’re heading to university, this may be your first time taking out an insurance policy. If so, it’s super important to make sure you fully understand the details of the policy you’re signing up for before you buy.

Have a think about the following before getting your student contents insurance quote:

Am I already covered elsewhere? 

Take the time to find out if you already have cover in place for your personal belongings – after all, you don’t want to be paying for cover you don’t need! There are two main things to check:

• Find out whether you’re covered under your parents’ or guardians’ home insurance
• Check if you already have contents cover in your student accommodation. You can then decide if this cover is enough, or whether you need to top it up.

What do I need to protect? Is the level of cover right? 

It can be difficult to judge what level of student contents cover you’re going to need at university, and it’s easy to underestimate the value of your belongings – particularly your clothes and personal items. Here are some things to think about:

Add up the cost of your stuff 

Spend some time calculating the full value of your possessions before you get a quote. This is so you can make sure you’re not under-insured if you need to make a claim.

Consider additional items 

Consider whether you need cover for any additional items you might be taking to university, such as your tablet, laptop or mobile phone – remember that these may not be included as part of a standard contents insurance policy.

Find out where you’re covered 

Find out if your things will be covered whilst you’re out and about at uni. If not, is this enough cover for you?

Get to know your policy 

Finally, read the full details (T&Cs) of the policy to understand the cover you’re getting.

Have I answered all the questions accurately? 

It’s super important to double check the details you’ve provided to make sure your quote is right. Things like your level of cover and personal details (like your job, home address etc.).

Are there any student home insurance discounts available? 

You can get an exclusive 10% discount when you insure your contents through our partner, studentGuard!

Once you move away from home, you may find that your belongings are no longer covered under your parents’ or guardians’ home insurance policy – and even if they are, it may not provide the level of cover you need. For example, your belongings may only be protected inside your uni room, not whilst you’re out with friends or at lectures. It’s a good idea to check with your parent’s home insurance to see what the situation is.

Do I have student halls insurance without knowing? 

Before taking out your own policy, you should also check whether your accommodation provider has arranged any insurance for you whilst you’re staying with them.

I have student insurance with my halls of residence, is this enough? 

If you do already have cover in place, it’s still important to check what is/isn’t covered. You can then decide whether you need any additional protection whilst you’re out and about at uni.

I don’t have cover through my accommodation provider.

If you don’t have cover through your accommodation provider - maybe you’re living in a student house or halls without cover - you can buy student contents insurance yourself. Our partnership with studentGuard gives students an exclusive 10% off student contents insurance.