Student insurance

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated:

 

Our daughter is going to university and will live in the halls of residence. What sort of contents insurance should we buy? DS, Liverpool

Angelique Ruzicka from This Is Money says:
Check with your own home insurance provider to see if it will cover your daughter's possessions.

Some insurers like Churchill and More will do this without charging you extra. Others like Saga will ask you to pay as they classify this as an 'optional extra' on top of your home insurance.

Second, talk to the university for advice. Some have basic cover for halls of residence for items stolen within them. But check the details, as some expensive equipment such as a laptop may not be included.

If you are worried about claims affecting your no claims bonus on your home insurance, or if you want to get more cover as an extra precaution, insurers like Endsleigh and Saxon specialise in student cover. Premiums vary but Endsleigh, for example, charges £16 a year for the most basic of cover.

But beware of the pitfalls. Some insurers will not cover students if items are stolen without evidence of forced entry. Others won't cover possessions while they are in transit or if they are left in the halls of residence during the holiday period. So if you do get individual cover make sure that you read your policy thoroughly and that you understand all the terms and conditions.

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