What insurance do I need as a tenant?
Short answer: Most renters take out tenants’ contents insurance to protect their belongings. Buildings insurance is the landlord’s responsibility.
Core cover
Contents insurance (at the address you rent): Protects your belongings (e.g. furniture, clothes, electronics) against insured events such as fire, theft and escape of water.
- Accidental Damage (to your contents): For mishaps like a dropped TV or spilt paint on your sofa.
- Personal Possessions (away from home): Extends cover to items you carry outside, such as a phone, laptop or jewellery.
- Bicycle cover: Often needs listing separately, especially for higher-value bikes.
- Family Legal Protection: Can help with certain legal disputes (sometimes including tenancy matters).
- Home Emergency (important):
Intelligent Insurance does not offer Home Emergency unless the property is your owner-occupied permanent home and it isn’t left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days.
For rented homes, any emergency assistance (e.g. boiler breakdown) is usually arranged by the landlord under their own policy—check your tenancy agreement and speak to your landlord/agent.
What you usually don’t need
- Buildings insurance (the structure): This is normally your landlord’s responsibility. If you’re the landlord, see our let property insurance
- Landlord contents or rent guarantee insurance: These are landlord products.
Flat-shares and students
In a house share, you can either take a joint policy (all named on one policy) or separate policies for individual rooms. If you’re sharing, see our contents insurance for shared houses for how cover works and common limits.
Students in halls or shared houses can get student-specific contents cover; check limits for portable electronics and bikes.
Quick checklist
- Add up the value of your belongings to choose a suitable contents sum insured.
- Check the single article limit and specify high-value items that exceed it (e.g. a watch or laptop).
- Keep proof of ownership and value (receipts, photos, valuations).
- Review your cover when you move, renew or buy new high-value items.
For exact definitions, limits and exclusions, always check your Policy Booklet and Schedule, and refer to your tenancy agreement for any specific insurance requirements.