At a glance
You can have two policies on the same home, such as a buildings insurance policy and a contents insurance policy.
You can claim on both, if say, a flood damages both the building and your contents.
If you’ve doubled up on policies and then need to claim, it will complicate the process.
Separate cover is needed for second homes or rentals.
Can you have two home insurance policies on the same house?
Yes, you can have two home insurance policies on the same house. If you’re a homeowner, it’s likely that you’ll have both buildings insurance and contents insurance to protect your home.
You can buy buildings insurance and contents insurance as two separate policies, or together as a combined policy, which can work out cheaper.
What you don’t want to do is double up on either and end up with two contents policies or two buildings insurance policies.
Not only will this cost you more money, but it could also be an administrative headache without actually increasing the amount of cover you have.
Can I claim twice if I have two household insurance policies?
It depends. If you have separate buildings and contents insurance policies, you can claim on both if the event you’re claiming for impacted both. For example, a flood damages the structure of your house and your possessions inside it.
If you’ve doubled up and have two contents insurance policies, for example, you may be able to make a claim with both providers but your claim won’t be paid in full twice.
The two insurance providers might decide to use something called a contribution clause. This means they split your claim between them and pay a proportion of it each.
A contribution clause will be outlined in your policy documents. It will explain how much of the share your insurance provider will pay in the case of double insurance.
This is likely to make the process more complicated and take longer for you to get a pay-out.
How to avoid having two home insurance policies
You could accidentally end up with double cover for your home if you buy a new policy and your old one renews automatically. To avoid this:
Check whether your home insurance policy renews automatically.
Make a note of your renewal date and put time aside to compare quotes before your policy ends – you may find you can get a better deal if you switch insurance providers.
If you switch home insurance providers, make sure you tell your old provider that you aren’t renewing.
If you discover you have two home insurance policies running at the same time, it may keep things simpler if you cancel one.
You can contact each insurance provider to see if they’ll refund part of the premium. You should get your money back if you cancel within the 14-day ‘cooling off’ period – that’s 14 days from the day your policy starts or when you receive your policy documents, whichever is later. However, there may be an admin fee to pay.
Find out more about cancelling your home insurance policy.
What about moving to a new home?
If you’re buying a new property, you’ll need to arrange buildings insurance for your new home as soon as you exchange contracts.
However, you’ll need to keep the insurance on your current property until the sale is completed.
Once you complete the sale of your old home, you’ll need to either cancel the home insurance policy on your old home or transfer it to your new property, if your provider will allow that. Your premium will be recalculated for the new property.
If you’ve decided to switch to a new insurance provider for your new home, you’ll need to cancel your old policy. Check whether you’ll have to pay a cancellation fee so you can factor that into the cost.
You’ll also need to check that your insurance covers your contents while they’re being moved to your new home. If it doesn’t, you may be able to add contents in transit cover to your policy for an extra fee.
Second homes and rental properties
If you own another property, you’ll need home insurance for it that’s separate from the policy on your main home.
Specialist landlord insurance is available if you receive a rental income on your second property. You may need specialist insurance for your second home if the property is:
Not your primary residence
Left unoccupied for long periods of time – usually more than 30-60 days depending on your policy
Let out as a holiday home
Used as a holiday home by friends and family.
FAQs
Can two people insure the same house?
You can insure a house together with the person you bought it with.
Or you can get contents insurance with your partner if you’re leaseholders or renters. You’ll then have a home insurance policy in both your names, which means either of you will be able to make a claim.
But it's worth knowing any claims your partner makes will be added to your claims history, meaning you may face higher premiums when it comes to renewing.
Alternatively, you could add an additional policyholder to your existing home insurance, but you might be charged an admin fee for this.
What home insurance do I need for a second home?
As well as home insurance for your main home, you’ll need separate buildings insurance and contents insurance for your second home.
You might also want to consider extra cover for your second home, such as:
Can I get a refund if I double up on my home insurance?
If you realise you’ve doubled up on your home insurance within the 14-day cooling off period, you should be able to cancel the new policy and get a refund (as long as you haven’t made a claim in that time).
If you realise your mistake after the 14-day cooling off period has ended, you should contact the insurance provider of the policy you no longer want to see if you can cancel.
It may be prepared to offer you a partial refund. Whether you cancel within or outside the cooling-off period, you may need to pay an admin fee.
Just don’t cancel both your policies. You don’t want to end up without any insurance at all.
Looking for something else?
As well as writing for Churchill and Privilege insurance websites, Karen’s CV includes working with M&S, Debenhams, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis. With over 20 years of editorial experience for big household names she leads a talented content team with a focus on simplifying personal finance for everybody.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Amy helps make sure you get the best value when choosing insurance. Thanks to more than four years’ experience at Compare the Market, she understands what people look for, working closely with insurance providers to offer you deals and services that are fair, easy to understand and right for your needs.
Our content is written by a Compare the Market expert, backed by data and enhanced by technology. Find out how we ensure accuracy and quality in our Editorial Guidelines.
