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

Provided you’re able to lock the door to your room, you will be able to take out a tenant’s contents insurance policy that covers all the contents of your room. Remember that the policy will only cover you for damage or theft from the room itself, and not if you’ve left items elsewhere in the house or taken them out and about with you.

If you’re moving from a property that already has existing cover you may be able to benefit from that coverage. For example, if your parents have already got home contents cover, they may have, or be able to extend their policy to cover your possessions outside of that family address. This means your possessions could be covered under their existing policy.

If you’re moving into a halls of residence, many universities offer some level of cover as standard. This covers your room for fire, flood and theft. You should check with your university for details in order to ensure it is adequate, and take out additional cover if required.

Whatever policy you end up taking out, always look at the exclusions and limits to make sure you have the cover that you’re looking for. Remember to specify any additional items that you might need covering, such as a bicycle and add accidental cover if you want to protect your contents against those unexpected mishaps at home.