I live in a shared house. Can I get contents insurance for my room only?

If you live in shared accommodation, you’ll want to ensure your possessions are protected. But this doesn’t mean you’ll need to insure everyone else’s belongings too.

Find out about how you can get room insurance for your shared house.

Chris King

From the Home team

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Posted 8 JANUARY 2020

Types of shared house contents insurance

If you live in shared accommodation, there are a number of ways you can cover your own items for your room only. Contents insurance can offer cover if you live in a shared house or flat, while halls of residence cover could be sufficient if you’re in university accommodation.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance, also known as renters’ insurance, provides the right type of cover for people who rent. Some policies offer the option of covering your room only, if you live in a shared house or flat.

However, a few conditions could apply:

you must be able to lock the door to your room
the policy will only cover you for damage or theft from your room only
your belongings won’t be covered if you leave them elsewhere in the house or when you take them out and about – unless you buy specific cover for this, commonly known as personal possessions insurance.

Theft cover

Most insurance providers won’t offer cover if you’re burgled and there’s no sign of forced entry to your room. However, this could be covered under a specialist policy; to check, look for the exclusions under the “theft” section of the policy booklet.

Extended cover under an existing contents insurance policy

If you’re moving away from home and your parents already have home contents cover, they may be able to extend it so your belongings are covered under their existing home insurance policy. Sometimes this cover is included as standard, so it’s worth checking.

University halls of residence cover

Most universities provide halls of residence contents cover, which often includes cover for communal areas as well as your room.

If you’re moving into halls of residence, check with your university to find out if the level of cover they provide is enough, or whether you need to take out any additional cover.

Whatever shared house contents insurance policy you take out, check the details for exclusions and limits so you know exactly what you’re covered for.

Items such as bicycles and musical instruments may need to be added individually for them to be covered under your policy. You may also want to add extra cover for accidental damage in case of breakages.