800,000+ customers
27 locations
92% recommend us

What about contents insurance if I share a home with others?

When most people think of the word "cohabitation," they think of living with a partner. But there are several forms of cohabitation, for example with roommates in a dorm or the still relatively unknown co-housing. However you live together, of course you want your belongings to be properly insured. We explain how to get contents insurance for house-sharing.

home contents insurance for house shares

Home sharing: tailoring home insurance to the situation

When you start living with a partner, an insurer will ask few additional questions. However, if you are going to live with someone other than a partner, taking out household contents insurance is sometimes a bit more difficult. This is because this carries certain risks for the insurer. A higher risk for the insurer also has some consequences for the policyholder, such as different policy conditions or a higher premium. There is also the possibility that not every insurer will accept your application for contents insurance. This depends on your living situation and the conditions set by the insurer. There are several situations where you share a home with someone other than a partner:

Taking out home contents insurance? Calculate your premium!

Student accommodation

One of the most common forms of home sharing is student accommodation. Student houses come in all shapes and sizes. There are very large houses, sometimes housing ten to fifteen students, but also smaller student houses, housing only 3 to 4 students. All students have their own room and often share common areas such as the living room, kitchen and bathroom with their housemates.

Sharing common areas in particular makes the risk higher for insurers. How do you know which items originally belong to whom? Who should take out contents insurance for these items? And who gets paid out in case of damage? In addition, the chance of burglary or theft in a student residence is much higher. It's hard to keep track of who all visits each other. Moreover, perhaps not every student room has a good lock, or sometimes the occupant forgets to lock his or her room. Therefore, many home contents insurance companies require that the student room must be able to be locked. That way, not just anyone can walk into the room, and the risk of damage from burglary is already much lower. Always check the policy conditions of your home contents insurance which conditions your insurer imposes on house sharing.

Residential group

A commune is a group of people who live together but do not form a family. A commune may arise for social, ideological, financial or religious reasons. It can be a group living together in one home, but also in several homes with shared facilities. Here, too, the insurer looks at how easily accessible individual homes and rooms are to outsiders.

Central living (also called co-housing)

Central living is a way of living together in which everyone has their own home, but shares the common areas. These include a central meeting area, a garden, a laundry room and/or a workshop. The reasons for living in a central housing project are mainly social, financial or ecological.

Take out home contents insurance with roommates

When taking out household contents insurance, you must specify your family composition. You can choose between family with/without children or single with/without children. Roommates are not insured on the same policy. You can take out household contents insurance for yourself. It is good to know that an insurer may require that each roommate take out insurance for his own rented part. Always check the policy conditions of your household contents insurance. Insurers may exclude certain items from coverage.

Joint household insurance?

Don't forget to check with any landlord or student residence if there is already a group contents insurance policy in place for all residents of the property. Usually the landlord includes the cost of the household contents insurance in the rent. In such a situation, there is no need to take out another separate household contents insurance policy, as you would be double insured!

Calculate your household insurance premium online now!

Now with free recovery service

We can be reached via Chat, Whatsapp, phone or email

Please feel free to contact us if you would like to know more.
We are here Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00.

get in touch