Home insurance that covers your personal possessions within your home is typically referred to as contents insurance, as distinct from buildings insurance which protects the structure and permanent fixtures and fittings of the building.
Contents insurance offers financial protection should your personal possessions within your home be damaged or destroyed, or lost in a fire, storm, or as a result of a break in.
Contents insurance may offer financial protection for loss or damage to furniture, decor, appliances, and personal property such as clothes, technology or audiovisual equipment, sports equipment, or valuables such as jewellery, antiques, or art.
Renter’s insurance
Contents insurance can be purchased along with buildings insurance as a comprehensive home insurance policy, or as standalone contents insurance.
Standalone contents insurance is often referred to as renter’s insurance as it generally appeals to those who do not own the building that they live in. The building is then usually insured by their landlord.
If you own an apartment, you may also find that the building is insured by the management company’s insurance but that you need contents insurance to protect your furniture, appliances, and possessions.
Table of Content
What is covered by contents insurance?
Contents insurance or the contents cover of your home insurance, offers cover up to the sum assured for the personal property which you have within your home should they be damaged or destroyed in an insured event.
Unexpected events that are covered by home contents insurance usually include damage due to:
The sum assured may be taken as a percentage of the buildings sum assured in a comprehensive home insurance policy, or as a value that is sufficient to replace or repair your possessions should an unexpected event occur if you choose a different amount or you purchase standalone contents insurance.
You may also choose additional forms of cover for your home’s contents such as ‘all risks’ or specified items cover, and/ or accidental damage cover. Accidental damage cover includes damage such as DIY mishaps or breakages as well as the standard perils.
Standard contents insurance
Most insurers offer a range of forms of cover that come as standard such as the following:
How Compare Insurance Works
We compare all insurance options so you can be sure you’re always getting the best deal.
1. Select Your Product
Simply select the insurance product you need a quote for e.g. life, home or health insurance.
2. Online Quote Form
Fill out one of our simple online assessments with your insurance details.
3. Free Quote Consultation
A qualified financial advisor will call you back for your free insurance quotation.
Specified items cover
If you wish to insure items of a higher individual value or you wish to insure items that you use away from your home such as jewellery or a laptop, then you may need specified items cover.
Most contents insurance offers a certain amount of ‘all risks’ cover for items that you use away from your home, such as sports equipment, jewellery, or technology. However, the amount of cover is generally low, €2,000 for example, and the cover for each individual item may be even lower.
If you wish to insure a single item that is of higher value, an engagement ring for example, and you wish to protect this item away from your home, then you will need specified ‘all risks’ cover. With this type of home insurance contents cover, single high-value items can be listed on the home insurance contents cover for which you will pay an additional charge.
Who provides contents insurance?
Insurers who provide home insurance also provide contents insurance, either as part of a buildings and contents home insurance product, or as standalone contents insurance.
These include:
(RSA)
Get a contents insurance quote today!
From the everyday items that you couldn’t do without to your most treasured valuables, your home’s contents need to be protected in case of damage or theft.
Contents insurance will offer financial protection for your personal possessions so that you won’t be faced with the cost of replacing them in a fire, storm, or flood, or in the event of a break in.
Fill in our online assessment or call us today and we will find insurance that protects your home’s contents at an affordable price, whether you own your home or apartment, or you are a renter.
