Home insurance for a council house

The council is responsible for buildings insurance on every council home. This means that your rental council home is protected if its structure, fittings or fixtures, such as the bath, sink, toilet and fitted kitchen cupboards, are damaged as a result of fire, storm or flood. The reassuring news is that the cost of this is already included in your rent – just as with all council tenants.   

If you’ve bought your council home and are a leaseholder, the council will arrange building insurance cover for all leasehold properties. This will be included in the leaseholders’ annual service charge.

Your contents within the council home are not included in the buildings insurance paid for by the council. Just like other tenants in the UK, you’ll need to take out your own contents insurance in order to protect your possessions from damage, loss or theft. A contents insurance policy will insure items such as your furniture, clothing, electrical appliances, carpets, etc.

Ask yourself whether you can afford to replace your home’s contents if they were damaged or stolen. If the answer is ‘no’, then it’s definitely worth considering contents insurance. 

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that council home contents insurance will come at a cheaper price. How much you pay depends on the value of your possessions, the size and location of the home you’re in and, of course, which insurance provider you choose.  

Some councils may provide tenants with the option to take out contents insurance through them. However, don’t just assume that doing so will automatically secure you a great-value premium or the cover you want. It’s always worth making doubly sure by comparing content insurance quotes.

Keen to compare quotes for council home insurance? Compare the Market can help. Simply give us a few details and we’ll gather quotes from some of the UK’s most respected home insurance providers. Let’s get started and see if you can save.