Tenants' liability insurance

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What is tenants’ liability insurance?

Tenants’ liability insurance is designed for renters. It offers you financial protection if you accidentally damage your landlord’s fixtures, fittings or furniture.

One of the main benefits is that it could prevent you from losing your security deposit when you move out.

As with all insurance, tenants’ liability cover won’t pay out for general wear and tear. It also won’t cover any damage that was caused deliberately.

We don't compare standalone tenants’ liability insurance policies, but it is usually available as part of your home contents insurance, either as a standard feature or optional add on.

How much does tenants' liability insurance cost?

A number of contents insurance policies include tenants’ liability insurance as standard in their policy, so it may not cost you anything extra on top of your contents insurance.

According to our data, tenants pay around:

£572
or less per year for home contents insurance

The exact figure you’re quoted will depend on several factors, including:

  • Location – you could pay more if your rented property is in a high-risk area 

  • Cover level – the more cover and add-ons you need, the more expensive your policy is likely to be. If you want to add extras to your policy, it can cost around £15 to add accidental damage cover and £54 to add personal possessions cover3

  • Excess – the amount of excess you agree to pay towards a claim will affect your premium. If you increase your voluntary excess, your premium will usually be lower. The typical premium for a £250 excess is £49, compared to £58 for a £100 excess4

  • Payment method – paying for your premium annually will be cheaper overall than paying in monthly instalments if interest is payable. It costs around £53 a year if you pay for your contents insurance upfront, compared with £61 if you pay monthly4

If you do want tenants’ liability cover, make sure you check it’s included in your policy or add it on as an extra before you buy.

2 51% of our customers were quoted less than £56.29 for their contents home insurance in June 2026.

What does tenants' liability insurance cover?

Typically covered

  • Fixtures and fittings

  • Furniture

  • Kitchen appliances

  • Carpets and soft furnishings.

Also known as renters’ liability insurance, policies can cover accidental damage such as a crack in a knocked-over TV screen or wine spilled on the carpet.

You can take out tenants’ liability insurance at any time – whether it’s at the start of your tenancy or after you’ve been renting for a while.

Not typically covered

  • Damage caused by pets

  • Damage caused by general wear and tear or mechanical breakdowns

  • Anything that was damaged deliberately by you or your housemates

  • Theft or damage if you’ve left your home empty for longer than set out in your policy

  • Deductions from your deposit because you haven’t left the property sufficiently clean or fulfilled your other responsibilities, such as paying rent and bills

As it’s for accidental damage only, it also won’t usually cover damage caused by a fire or flood. However, these may be covered if you have tenants’ liability cover as part of a contents insurance policy.

Is tenants’ liability insurance mandatory in the UK?

Tenants’ liability insurance isn’t a legal requirement in the UK. Some landlords and letting agents may expect you to have tenants’ liability cover when you sign a rental agreement. This is especially true if the property is furnished – but they can’t insist on it.

Do I need tenant contents and liability insurance?

While not compulsory, having contents insurance with liability cover can be worthwhile as it could protect you from unexpected expenses.

Imagine if you accidentally dropped something on the bathroom sink, cracked or chipped it, and it needed to be replaced.

In this situation, tenants’ liability cover could protect you from possible deposit deductions or disputes at the end of your tenancy.

As a tenant, it’s partly your responsibility to keep your rented home in good condition.

If you already have rental contents insurance, check the policy terms and conditions. While many insurance providers include tenants’ liability as standard, it’s not always the case.

Helen Phipps

What our expert says...

“According to our research, almost half of renters (49%) don’t have contents insurance, compared with 11% of homeowners. The high cost of living is the main reason people give for not being able to afford it.

"But this could be a false economy if something happened and you had to find the cash yourself without an insurance claim to help.”

Helen Phipps, Insurance expert

Tenants’ insurance vs contents insurance – what’s the difference?

Contents insurance covers your belongings. But if it doesn’t include tenants’ liability, it won’t cover any damage to your landlord’s belongings.

When you’re comparing contents insurance quotes, check if tenants’ liability cover is included.

If you decide against buying contents insurance, you can get tenants’ liability insurance as a standalone option. This could be a better choice if you’re moving into a fully furnished property. However, none of your own belongings would be covered, such as your laptop or jewellery.

How to make a claim on my tenants’ liability insurance

The claims process may vary slightly between providers, but typically you should follow these steps:

  1. Report the incident to the police if you’ve been burgled or another crime has been committed. You’ll need a crime number to make a claim. 

  2. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to explain what’s happened. You should be able to do this either through your online account or by phoning the provider’s dedicated claims line.  

  3. Gather evidence to support your claim. This could include photos of any damage and a copy of your tenancy agreement. Your landlord might be asked to provide proof of ownership and receipts of the items affected. 

  4. Submit your claim and keep a record of all communication with your insurance provider and landlord.  

  5. Wait for your provider to investigate and settle your claim. Don’t get any repairs done until they’ve been approved.

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How to make a claim on my tenants’ liability insurance

The claims process may vary slightly between providers, but typically you should follow these steps.

Report the incident to the police

Contact your insurance provider

Gather evidence to support your claim

Submit your claim

Wait for your provider to investigate and settle your claim

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FAQs

Can I buy occupiers’ liability insurance on its own?

Yes, you can get liability insurance for tenants as a standalone policy from several specialist providers.

Please note, you can’t currently compare standalone tenants’ liability insurance with Compare the Market. But it will be included as standard in some of our providers’ contents policies.

Do I still need a security deposit if I have tenants’ liability insurance?

Yes. Tenants’ liability insurance isn’t a replacement for your security deposit. You could still lose some or all of your security deposit. For example, if you don’t leave your rented property in an acceptable state or owe money.

To help make sure you get your security deposit back: 

  • Check the inventory of the place you’re renting 

  • Point out any damage that’s not mentioned before you move in  

  • Take time-stamped photographs as evidence of the condition of the property when you moved in. 

These can all help in a dispute over the security deposit. Citizens Advice has further guidance on making sure you get back your tenancy deposit. 

Can tenants’ liability insurance stop my landlord deducting my security deposit?

Tenants’ liability insurance can potentially cover the cost of fixing or replacing items belonging to your landlord when the damage happens and you make a valid claim.

This could help you avoid a dispute over repair bills at the end of your tenancy. But it won’t guarantee that you’ll get back the full deposit.

Liability insurance for renters won’t cover you for damage done on purpose. It also won’t protect you if you haven’t paid your rent, utility bills or you don’t get the place cleaned properly before you leave.

If you leave stains on the carpet, for example, and the landlord takes £100 out of your deposit, you won’t be able to claim it back on your insurance.

When should I make a claim on tenants’ liability insurance?

Make your claim straight away for something covered by your policy. Most insurance providers will only let you claim for a set short timeframe after an incident, so don’t leave it until the end of your tenancy to make a claim.

Am I responsible for structural damage that I haven’t caused?

No. Your landlord is responsible for arranging any structural repairs.

They’re also responsible for repairs to:

  • The boiler

  • The heating and hot water system

  • Faulty appliances that belong to them.

As a tenant, you have different responsibilities to landlords. But you should always report any maintenance issues to your landlord straight away so they can be fixed.

What other home insurance might I need?

As well as contents insurance, you may want to consider adding these extras to your policy for an extra cost:

  • Accidental damage cover – this can help cover the costs of repairing or replacing your own belongings if they’re accidentally damaged

  • Personal possessions cover – offers cover for items that you take out and about with you, like your smartphone, laptop or handbag

  • Legal expenses cover – this could cover the cost of professional advice and representation for a range of potential legal issues. If you add legal assistance to your building and contents insurance it costs around £210 compared to £182 without it3.

Do I need my own tenants’ liability insurance if I live in a house share?

It depends. If you share a house, some insurance providers will offer all of you cover under a single tenants’ liability policy. But other providers will ask each housemate to take out their own policy.

If you do this, you’ll need to declare that there are ‘other residents’ at the property.

Where can I get tenants’ liability cover?

Here at Compare the Market, we can help you compare home insurance quotes from a range of trusted UK providers. Many of the contents insurance policies we compare include tenants’ liability insurance, but check the details to make sure.

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Helen Phipps
Reviewed 17 Jul 2026 by Helen Phipps Insurance expert

Helen’s our resident home insurance expert, as the former Head of Home Insurance at Compare the Market. She's also experienced with car insurance and pet insurance from her previous roles across commercial, partnerships and as a freelance consultant, working with more than 100 insurers across a variety of insurance products.

Methodology

1 Based on the % of respondents claiming they have used Compare the Market in the last 12 months vs. other leading PCWs. Source: Savanta BrandVue Financial Services, National Representative Survey of 12,257 respondents (June 2026)​

2 51% of our customers were quoted less than £56.29 for their contents home insurance in June 2026.

3 Based on 51% of customers who compared quotes for this type of policy, with and without the add on, in June 2026.

4 Based on 51% of customers who compared quotes for this type of policy in June 2026.