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Student Accommodation Insurance

Student homes are often targeted by local burglars due to lax security and valuable contents e.g. PCs, stereos, so arrange a suitable insurance policy to cover any theft of your items whilst at university thus avoiding the expense of replacing them.

Don't think it will happen to you? According to research, it happens to one in four students studying at university and unfortunately, if you're broke it's going to be a while before you can afford to have your possessions replaced.

So you will want to consider insurance and there are dozens of insurance companies and banks offering affordable policies for students. These include: personal possessions (cover for certain fire, theft, vandalism and water damage. Handy especially if you're sharing a flat, or living in university halls); Computer; Car; Bicycles; Motorcycle; Holiday/Travel/Backpacking; Medical; Course Completion or Exam Failure; Musical Instrument; Camera Equipment; Sport/Hazardous Activies; and one company even offers a policy called Uni-Shield, which covers you many of the typical problems you may encounter while studying.

Some questions to ask when considering an insurance policy:

• Are you covered under your parents' policies? You don't want to double up on insurance if it's not necessary.
• Does your university or halls offer insurance in their fees? If so, what is covered?
• Who can apply? Some policies are only for students living only in halls.
• What is and is not covered under this policy? Get as much details as possible and always check the small print.
• When does the coverage start?
• Are there any free additions? Some companies offer certain extras such as credit-card protection, theft of keys or money, etc.
• What are the premiums for where you live? Rates usually depend on which city or town you live in, in what neighbourhood and in which type of accommodation, so it's useful to get a tailor-made quote. All policies are not created equal.

There are many insurers to choose from so it's normally best to google search 'student insurance'. One of the leading providers are Endsleigh.

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