What Does Home Insurance Cover? (And What It Doesn’t)
Last fact-checked: March 2026
Quick Facts: What Home Insurance Covers
- ✓Home insurance covers sudden, unexpected events. Fire, flood, storm, theft, and accidental damage (if added) are covered. Gradual deterioration, wear and tear, and maintenance issues are not covered by any standard policy.
- ✓Accidental damage is not standard cover. Spilling wine on a sofa, drilling through a pipe, or dropping a laptop are all excluded from a standard policy. You need to add accidental damage cover to both your buildings and contents sections separately.
- ✓Flood cover may be restricted or unavailable in high-risk postcodes. The government-backed Flood Re scheme helps eligible homeowners access affordable flood insurance, but properties built after 1 January 2009 are excluded from Flood Re.
- ✓Unoccupied properties lose standard cover quickly. Most policies restrict cover if the property is left unoccupied for more than 30 to 60 consecutive days. If you are away for an extended period, notify your insurer or your policy may be void at the point of a claim.
Key Takeaways
- →Standard home insurance covers a defined list of named perils: fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, vandalism, subsidence, and falling trees or aerials. It does not operate as a general maintenance warranty. If it is not on the named perils list and it is not accidental damage cover, assume it is not covered.
- →The most disputed exclusions in UK home insurance claims are: wear and tear, gradual damage, and unoccupancy clauses. Understanding these three before you need them is far better than discovering them mid-claim.
- →Subsidence cover is included in most UK buildings policies as standard, but the excess for subsidence claims is far higher than for other perils, commonly £1,000 to £2,500. Claims also carry a significant risk of affecting future insurability, so thorough investigation before claiming is strongly advisable.
- →Escape of water is consistently one of the most claimed perils on UK home policies, and also one of the most contested. A sudden burst pipe is covered. A slow leak from a corroded joint that has been seeping for weeks is typically excluded as gradual damage. The distinction matters enormously at claim time.
- →Optional add-ons significantly change what your policy covers. Accidental damage, personal possessions, home emergency, legal expenses, and garden cover are all excluded from standard policies and must be added separately. Each adds to the premium but can prevent a very expensive gap in protection.
Most home insurance disputes in the UK do not arise because an insurer has acted unfairly. They arise because a homeowner assumed something was covered when it was explicitly excluded from the policy they bought. The gap between what people expect home insurance to do and what it actually does is one of the most consistently misunderstood areas of personal finance in the UK.
This guide sets out exactly what a standard UK home insurance policy covers, what it excludes, which exclusions are commonly disputed, and what optional add-ons exist to fill the gaps. For a full overview of how buildings and contents policies work as separate products, see our guide to buildings vs contents insurance.
Quick Summary: What Standard UK Home Insurance Covers
A standard combined buildings and contents policy typically covers three areas:
- 1.The Structure – damage to the fabric of your home caused by fire, lightning, explosion, storm, flood, subsidence, heave, landslip, escape of water, theft, vandalism, and impact by vehicles or aircraft.
- 2.Your Belongings – loss or damage to personal possessions inside the home caused by the same named perils. Accidental damage to contents is not standard and must be added separately.
- 3.Legal Liability – if a visitor is injured at your property and holds you responsible, most policies include occupiers’ liability cover (typically £1 million to £2 million) as standard.
What it does not cover as standard: wear and tear, gradual damage, mechanical breakdown, accidental damage (without add-on), pests, items outside the home, and business equipment.
💬 From the MMC Home Insurance Team
“The phrase we hear most often after a declined claim is ‘I thought that was covered.’ Nine times out of ten, the homeowner has confused ‘sudden and unforeseen’ with ‘anything that breaks.’ Home insurance is not a maintenance contract. It covers events: a storm blows a tree through your roof, a pipe bursts overnight, someone breaks in. It does not cover the roof that has been letting in water for two years, or the pipe joint that has been weeping for months. Read the perils list. Know your exclusions. And if in doubt, call us before you claim – not after.”
MMC Home Insurance Specialists, FCA-authorised (reg. 916241)
What Does a Standard Home Insurance Policy Cover?
A standard UK home insurance policy covers damage caused by a defined list of named perils. The industry-standard named perils list used by UK insurers includes: fire, lightning, explosion, earthquake, storm, flood, subsidence, heave, landslip, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, and impact by vehicles or aircraft. If the cause of the damage is on the list, and the circumstances do not trigger an exclusion, the policy pays. If the cause is not on the list, the policy does not pay, regardless of how severe the damage is.
| Peril | Buildings | Contents | Key Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire, smoke, and explosion | Covered | Covered | Deliberate fire-setting by the policyholder is excluded |
| Storm and wind damage | Covered | Contents inside only | Fences are commonly excluded even under a storm claim – check your policy |
| Flood | Covered | Covered | High-risk postcodes may face restrictions. Flood Re scheme applies to eligible properties built before 2009. |
| Escape of water (burst pipe) | Covered | Covered | Sudden burst only. Gradual leaks are excluded as wear and tear. |
| Theft and attempted theft | Covered | Covered | Damage caused during a break-in (broken door, smashed window) is covered. Theft by a household member is usually excluded. |
| Vandalism and malicious damage | Covered | Covered | Damage by a tenant is typically excluded from standard policies. Landlord insurance provides the right cover for rented properties. |
| Subsidence and heave | Covered | Not applicable | High excess (typically £1,000 to £2,500). Affects future insurability. Always investigate thoroughly before claiming. |
| Landslip | Covered | Not applicable | Ground movement causing structural damage. Usually grouped with subsidence and heave under the same high excess. Properties on slopes or near coastal erosion zones carry elevated risk. |
| Earthquake | Covered | Covered | Included in most UK policies as a named peril. Seismic events are rare in the UK but do occur, particularly in the Midlands and Wales. |
| Falling trees, branches, aerials | Covered | Covered if damaged | Covers damage caused by the impact. Does not cover removal of a fallen tree unless it has damaged the insured structure. |
| Lightning strike | Covered | Covered | Includes power surge damage caused by a lightning strike in most policies |
| Impact by vehicle or aircraft | Covered | Covered if damaged | Covers damage to the property from impact. Third-party vehicle damage claim is separate via motor insurance. |
| Occupiers’ liability (legal liability) | Included as standard | Included as standard | Covers legal costs and compensation if a visitor is injured at your property and holds you liable. Typically £1 million to £2 million limit. Does not cover injury to household members. |
What Is NOT Covered by Standard Home Insurance?
Exclusions are as important as the cover itself, and the most common causes of disputed claims are not unusual events: they are everyday situations that homeowners routinely misunderstand. The list below covers the exclusions that generate the most complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
| Exclusion | What It Means | Common Misunderstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Wear and tear | Gradual deterioration of any material or component over its normal lifespan is not covered | A roof that has been aging for 20 years and finally starts leaking is a maintenance issue, not an insured event |
| Gradual damage | Damage that develops slowly over time, including slow leaks, damp, and rot, is excluded even if the eventual result is significant | A slow pipe leak that has been seeping behind a wall for months is gradual damage. A sudden overnight burst is covered. |
| Poor workmanship and faulty design | Damage caused by inadequate building work, defective materials, or poor design is not covered | If a contractor does a bad job and the result causes further damage, the insurer will not cover the resulting loss |
| Mechanical or electrical breakdown | Appliances that break down due to age, fault, or normal failure are not covered by home insurance | A washing machine that develops a fault and floods the kitchen: the flood damage to the property may be covered, but the machine itself is not |
| Unoccupied property | Most policies restrict or suspend cover if the property is unoccupied for more than 30 to 60 consecutive days | A burst pipe discovered on return from a long holiday may be declined if the property exceeded the unoccupancy threshold. Properties left empty long-term need specialist unoccupied property cover. |
| Accidental damage (without add-on) | Unintentional damage you cause yourself is not covered unless the accidental damage add-on has been added to the policy | Spilling wine on a carpet, drilling through a pipe, or knocking over a television are all excluded from a standard policy |
| Pest infestation | Damage caused by rodents, insects, or other pests is explicitly excluded from virtually all standard policies | Structural damage from rats gnawing through joists, or a wasp nest in a roof space, are not covered |
| Storm damage to fences | Many policies specifically exclude fences, gates, and hedges from storm damage cover even where storm is an insured peril | A fence blown down in a storm is one of the most common examples of a claim that feels covered but usually is not |
| Contents outside the home | Personal possessions taken outside the home are not covered under standard contents insurance | A stolen laptop from a cafe, or a phone lost on public transport, requires a personal possessions add-on to be covered |
| Business equipment at home | Work-owned equipment, stock, and tools kept at home are typically excluded from personal contents policies | Working from home does not automatically extend your contents policy to cover work property |
⛔ The Most Common Declined Claims
According to the Financial Ombudsman Service, the home insurance complaints that are most frequently upheld against insurers involve disputes over gradual damage vs sudden damage definitions, wear and tear assessments, and unoccupancy clause application. In every case, the outcome turned on the specific wording of the policy. Reading the wording before buying is not optional: it is the only way to know what you have actually purchased.
Is Accidental Damage Included as Standard? The Optional Add-Ons Explained
A standard home insurance policy covers the named perils. Optional add-ons extend the policy to cover scenarios that fall outside the standard list. Each add-on increases the premium, but for the right household it can prevent a very expensive uninsured loss.
| Add-On | What It Covers | Who Needs It | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental damage – buildings | Unintentional damage to the structure: drilling through a pipe, cracking a glass panel, a DIY project gone wrong | Most homeowners benefit. Particularly valuable for older properties with more DIY activity. | £20 to £60 per year additional premium |
| Accidental damage – contents | Unintentional damage to possessions: spilled drinks, dropped electronics, torn upholstery | Households with children, pets, or expensive electronics benefit most | £30 to £80 per year additional premium |
| Personal possessions | Covers specified items taken outside the home: phones, laptops, cameras, jewellery. Note that bicycles usually need to be listed specifically, or you may need standalone bicycle insurance for full away-from-home cover. | Anyone who regularly takes valuables outside the home | £40 to £120 per year depending on value and items listed |
| Home emergency | Covers call-out costs for emergency trades: boiler failure, burst pipe, blocked drain, lost keys | Most homeowners. Particularly useful without a boiler service contract. | £25 to £60 per year. Note: this is not the same as boiler cover. |
| Legal expenses | Covers legal costs for disputes arising from the home: boundary disputes, planning disputes, personal injury claims. Separate to public liability insurance, which is relevant if you run a business from home. | Homeowners in areas with active development or known boundary issues | £20 to £40 per year |
| Garden cover | Extends cover to garden furniture, ornaments, plants, and lawnmowers stored outside | Homeowners with significant garden investment or valuable outdoor equipment | £15 to £40 per year |
Does Home Insurance Cover Flood Damage? The Flood Re Scheme Explained
Flood is an insured peril on most standard home insurance policies, but homeowners in flood-risk areas may find it is either excluded, heavily priced, or subject to a very high excess. The government-backed Flood Re scheme was introduced to address this.
Flood Re is a reinsurance arrangement between the UK government and insurers. Participating insurers can pass the flood risk element of a high-risk property to the Flood Re pool, which caps the cost of that component. The practical effect is that eligible homeowners in flood-risk postcodes can access affordable flood cover through mainstream insurers rather than being left without options.
✅ Flood Re: Key Facts
- →Available to residential properties only, not commercial premises
- →Excludes properties built after 1 January 2009 (designed to discourage building in flood-risk areas)
- →Does not apply to buy-to-let properties or commercial premises
- →Not all insurers participate. If your current insurer does not offer Flood Re-backed cover, compare quotes from participating insurers.
- →The average flood claim in 2025 was £30,000 according to ABI data. For most homeowners in at-risk areas, not having flood cover is not a realistic option.
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Does Home Insurance Cover Subsidence?
Subsidence is covered under most UK buildings policies as standard, but it is a claim that requires very careful thought before you make it. A subsidence claim stays on your insurance record and can make future policies more expensive or harder to obtain. It also typically carries a much higher excess than other perils.
If you notice cracks in walls, doors or windows sticking, or visible movement in the property, get a structural surveyor to assess the cause before contacting your insurer. Many apparent subsidence cases turn out to be normal thermal movement or settlement rather than true subsidence, and having a professional assessment first means you only make a claim if it is genuinely necessary. The typical subsidence claim excess ranges from £1,000 to £2,500, and the claim can affect premiums for up to five years. Properties with a history of subsidence or in high-risk clay soil areas may need non-standard home insurance to obtain cover at all.
Covered or Not Covered? A Quick Reference Guide
The table below gives a fast reference for common home events and whether a standard UK policy responds. It assumes a combined buildings and contents policy without optional add-ons unless stated.
| Event | Covered? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen fire destroys fitted units and appliances | Yes | Fire is a named peril. Buildings covers the units; contents covers the appliances. |
| Burst pipe floods two rooms overnight | Yes | Sudden escape of water is a named peril. Both buildings and contents damage covered. |
| Slow pipe leak behind wall causes mould and rot over months | No | Gradual damage exclusion. The leak was not sudden or unforeseen. |
| Storm blows fence panels down | Usually no | Most policies exclude fences from storm damage even where storm is a named peril. |
| Storm blows tree through roof | Yes | Storm damage to the structure is a named peril. Removal of the tree may or may not be included. |
| Child spills juice on sofa | Only with add-on | Accidental damage to contents requires the accidental damage add-on. Not covered as standard. |
| Laptop stolen from a coffee shop | Only with add-on | Standard contents only covers items inside the home. Personal possessions add-on required for away-from-home cover. |
| Boiler breaks down in January | No | Mechanical breakdown is not an insured peril. Home emergency add-on covers the call-out; a boiler cover product covers the repair or replacement. |
| Rats damage roof joists | No | Pest damage is explicitly excluded from all standard UK home policies. |
| Subsidence cracks appear in exterior walls | Yes, with high excess | Subsidence is a named peril but carries a specific excess of £1,000 to £2,500. Get a structural survey before claiming. |
| Property flooded while empty for 10 weeks | Likely excluded | Unoccupancy clause: most policies suspend or restrict cover beyond 30 to 60 days unoccupied. Always notify your insurer if leaving a property empty. |
| Work laptop stolen from home study | Usually no | Business equipment is typically excluded from personal contents policies. A home business extension or separate public liability insurance is required for full business cover. |
Home Insurance Cover Checklist
Use this checklist to verify your policy covers what you actually need. Tick each item against your current policy schedule before buying or renewing. If any box cannot be ticked, ask your insurer or broker to confirm the position in writing before proceeding.
✅ Standard Cover – Confirm These Are Included
- ☐Fire, smoke, and explosion
- ☐Lightning and earthquake
- ☐Storm and wind damage
- ☐Flood damage
- ☐Escape of water (burst pipes)
- ☐Subsidence, heave, and landslip
- ☐Theft and attempted theft
- ☐Vandalism and malicious damage
- ☐Falling trees and impact damage
- ☐Occupiers’ liability (£1m minimum)
- ☐Alternative accommodation if uninhabitable
- ☐Buildings sum insured set to rebuild cost
- ☐Contents sum insured reflects true replacement value
- ☐Single-item limit adequate for jewellery and valuables
⚠️ Optional Add-Ons – Check Whether You Need These
- ☐Accidental damage – buildings
- ☐Accidental damage – contents
- ☐Personal possessions away from home
- ☐Home emergency cover
- ☐Legal expenses cover
- ☐Garden cover (furniture and equipment)
- ☐Home business extension (if working from home)
- ☐Specified high-value items listed separately
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or insurance advice. Policy terms, exclusions, and excesses vary between insurers. Always read your policy schedule and wording in full before buying or making a claim. Flood Re eligibility criteria correct as at March 2026. MyMoneyComparison.com is FCA-authorised and regulated (reg. 916241).
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