COVER YOUR GADGETS AND POSSESSIONS WITH A STUDENT INSURANCE QUOTE
Student accommodation can often be targeted by thieves, because a lot of students have expensive items such as laptops, tablets and smartphones.
It’s never fun to be the victim of theft or other misfortunes, but student insurance will at least minimise the cost and inconvenience if your possessions are stolen, lost or damaged.
Get your insurance in place for the start of your residency, that way you’ll be covered from day one.
It’s basically contents insurance, but it’s specially designed to cover the sort of stuff students own, like your gadgets, books, clothes and bicycle.
The policy will pay out if the unexpected happens and your possessions are lost in events like a fire, theft, flood or storm.
You build the policy you need – so you’ll need to add high-value items like gadgets, bicycles and musical instruments to your policy.
Things like accidental damage, cover away from home, and insurance for losing your keys are all optional extras – add them if you need them.
You’ll need to look at policy docs to see exactly what’s excluded, but usually you won’t be covered for:
Here’s what you can choose to include in your policy:
Cover for your gadgets anywhere in the UK and worldwide for up to 90 days. Gadgets can be covered for loss, theft, accidental damage and liquid damage, as well as cover for your digital downloads.
Cover for your possessions anywhere in the UK and for up to 90 days worldwide. You can choose to cover just your everyday items, your valuables worth more than £500, or both.
Cover your instruments and accessories for theft and damage. You’ll also be covered to hire a replacement while yours is being repaired or replaced.
Cover for theft or damage to your bicycle and its accessories.
In halls of residence or a student house you probably have a lock on the door to your own room. This’ll cover you for losing your keys. It’ll help pay for a locksmith to get you back in and replacement locks.
If you have to leave your course due to accident or illness, this will cover the money you’d lose in course fees and rent. Plus help to cover the cost of resits. It can help to cover the cost of reproducing lost or damaged coursework too.
There's only a few things we need to know to get you a quote:
The usual things like your name, DOB and email address
What university you attend and whether you’re in halls, private accommodation or elsewhere
Choose what you want to include to build your own policy. Look out for cover outside of the house for things like laptops, or your bike
Check what locks are on your bedroom door and whether they meet insurer’s requirements
Four suggestions for lowering the cost…
Only pay for cover options that you need
Look after your stuff and keep valuables out of sight
Paying monthly’s more expensive, because interest is charged
Don’t double up on cover – check whether you’re covered on your parents’ home insurance
Getting buildings insurance is down to your landlord or university - whoever owns the building. It’s not your responsibility.
Some university accommodation contracts include insurance but not all, so check before you move in.
Make an inventory of the individual items you have in your room and add up their value. Don’t forget things like clothes, shoes and course books.
This covers the cost of a new replacement item and not the current value of the item which has been lost, damaged or stolen.
Alternatively, you can take out a policy that covers the actual value of the item. These policies are likely to be cheaper, but a pay-out might not cover the cost of a replacement.
No. Student insurance is designed for students living away from their family home in halls of residence, or rented accommodation, while they’re studying.
But you might want to check if any of your belongings are covered under your parent’s contents insurance – particularly high-ticket items like laptops.
Not always, so make sure you read the terms and conditions of your policy carefully.
Whether you live in halls of residence or a shared house might also affect your policy, so double check the small print.