Contents insurance · calculator

Add it up before you insure it

Q: How much contents insurance do I need?

Enough to replace everything you own as new. Make a room-by-room inventory of replacement values, add it up and round up. The total is your sum insured, which is the most your insurer will pay.

Q: What is a single-item limit?

The most a contents policy will pay for any one item unless you list it separately. Which? says limits typically range from £1,000 to £2,500.

Q: How much does contents insurance cost?

The average contents-only premium paid in the UK was £118 in Q2 2026, down 9% on a year earlier, according to the ABI.

Q: Do tenants need contents insurance?

Tenants don't need buildings insurance, but their landlord's policy won't cover their belongings. Only 28% of renters held contents insurance in 2024, according to the FCA.

Q: Does contents insurance cover things outside the home?

Not by default. Cover for belongings taken out of the home, such as phones, bikes and jewellery, is usually an optional add-on called personal possessions or all-risks cover.

Q: What proof will I need to make a contents claim?

Your insurer may ask for proof of ownership and value, such as receipts, invoices or recent photographs, and may want to inspect damaged items.

Contents insurance replaces your belongings if they're stolen, damaged or destroyed. Most people guess the sum insured. Ten minutes, room by room, gives you a figure you can trust.

Updated 6 October 2026 · Figures sourced and linked

Work out my cover →

£118Average contents-only premium paid, Q2 2026, down 9% a yearSource: Association of British Insurers, 3 August 2026

34%Of adults who own or rent had no contents insurance, 2024Source: Financial Conduct Authority, 16 May 2025

28%Of renters held contents cover, against 85–89% of ownersSource: Financial Conduct Authority, 16 May 2025

£5,100Record average theft claim, Q2 2026, up 27% a yearSource: Association of British Insurers, 3 August 2026

Contents calculator

How much cover do you need?

Insure for the cost of replacing everything as new, not what it would fetch second-hand. That's the ABI's contents insurance guidance, and it's why most people's first guess is too low.

Walk round each room and estimate what it would cost to buy it all again today. Then list any single item worth more than £1,000: the calculator flags anything over your policy's single-item limit.

Replace-as-new value, room by roomLiving roomSofa, TV, rugs, lamps, booksKitchen & diningAppliances you own, cookware, table, foodMain bedroomBed, mattress, wardrobe, beddingOther bedroomsBeds, toys, desksBathroom & linenTowels, toiletries, small electricalsClothes & shoesEveryone's, at replace-as-new pricesLaptops, phones, gamingUsually the fastest-growing totalGarden, shed & garageBikes, tools, mower, furnitureEverything elsePictures, instruments, hobbies

Single items worth over £1,000

Your contents total£0Suggested sum insured: £0Rounded up to the next £5,000 so new purchases don't leave you short.

Your policy's single-item limit

Items over the limit will be flagged here.

Insure for the cost of replacing as new, not second-hand value (ABI). Single-item limits typically run £1,000–£2,500 (Which?). Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Valuables

The limit that catches people out

Every contents policy has an overall sum insured, but most also cap what they'll pay for any single item. Which? found these single-item limits typically range from £1,000 to £2,500. An engagement ring worth £4,000 on a £1,500-limit policy could be paid at £1,500 unless you've listed it.

Many policies also set a combined cap on valuables such as jewellery, watches and art, so check both limits. Listing high-value items usually adds to the premium, but it's the only way to be sure they're covered at full value.

Theft claims are rising fast. The average theft claim hit a record £5,100 in Q2 2026, up 27% on a year earlier (ABI Property Insurance Tracker).

Which? typical range, top£2,500

ABI example limit£1,500

Which? typical range, bottom£1,000

Average theft claim, Q2 2026£5,100

Single-item limits compared with the average theft claim. Sources: Which?, ABI guidance, ABI Q2 2026.

Renters

Renting? Your landlord's policy isn't yours

Tenants don't need buildings insurance: the structure is the landlord's responsibility. But the landlord's policy won't pay for your sofa, laptop or clothes. The FCA's Financial Lives 2024 survey found only 28% of renters held contents insurance, compared with 89% of people who own outright and 85% with a mortgage.

Tenants' contents policies work the same way as any other: add up your belongings as new, check the single-item limit, and look at whether you want accidental damage or cover away from home. Some tenant policies can also cover accidental damage to the landlord's fixtures and fittings, which can otherwise come out of your deposit.

Sharing a house? Most standard policies are written for one household, so check how a policy treats lodgers and house shares before you buy.

Making a claim

Proof of ownership, sorted

Keep receipts and invoices

Email confirmations count. A folder in your inbox is enough.

Film every room once a year

Open wardrobes and drawers. It's quick proof that items existed and their condition.

Photograph serial numbers

For TVs, laptops, bikes and anything a thief could resell.

Update after big moments

The ABI suggests re-checking your sum insured after expensive purchases, birthdays and Christmas.

Source: ABI contents insurance guidance.

Questions

Straight answers

How much contents insurance do I need?

Enough to replace everything as new, not its second-hand value. The ABI recommends a room-by-room inventory with replacement values; the total is your sum insured and the most the insurer will pay. Our calculator does the adding up.

What is a single-item limit?

The maximum paid for any one item unless you name it on the policy. Which? says they typically run from £1,000 to £2,500; the ABI uses £1,500 as an example. Jewellery, watches, art and expensive tech often exceed it.

How much does contents insurance cost?

The average contents-only policy cost £118 in Q2 2026, 9% less than a year earlier (ABI). See average home insurance costs for the full picture.

Do tenants need contents insurance?

Your landlord insures the building, not your belongings. Only 28% of renters held contents insurance in 2024 (FCA Financial Lives), against 85% of people with a mortgage.

Does contents insurance cover things outside the home?

Not usually by default. Phones, laptops, bikes and jewellery taken out of the house normally need an optional personal possessions (sometimes called all-risks) add-on, with its own limits.

What proof will I need to make a contents claim?

The ABI says insurers may ask for receipts, invoices or recent photographs, and to inspect damaged items. Keep receipts for big purchases and take a quick video of each room once a year.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

We use primary sources only: trade bodies, regulators and government. Figures were checked on 6 October 2026. Spot something out of date? The source link is the fastest way to check.

Association of British Insurers. Contents insurance: consumer guidance. accessed October 2026.
Association of British Insurers. Average claim for subsidence reaches record £20,000 amidst hot weather (Property Insurance Tracker, Q2 2026). 3 August 2026.
Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Lives 2024: general insurance and protection. 16 May 2025.
Which?. Are you sure you're insured? Beware these 10 small print surprises. 4 May 2023.

Keep going

Home insurance UK →What buildings and contents cover do, which you need, and how to compare policies on more than price.Buildings insurance →Insure the rebuild cost, not the market value. Check your sum insured against rebuild inflation.Average home insurance cost →ABI premium data by quarter, plus what paying monthly really costs.Flood insurance & Flood Re →Check whether your home can be covered through Flood Re and what changes in 2039.