Landlord contents insurance covers the things you supply with a let: the sofa, the beds, the fridge-freezer, the curtains, and in many policies the carpets. Your buildings policy covers the structure. Your tenant's own policy covers their belongings. Landlord contents sits in between, and it's the part landlords most often get wrong, because the line between "the building", "fixtures and fittings" and "contents" isn't where most people expect it to be.
This guide is about that line, and about sizing and choosing contents cover for the way you actually let: unfurnished, part-furnished, fully furnished, HMO or student house. It covers which items sit where, how to work out a sum insured, which extensions matter for tenant damage, what you insure in shared areas, and what tenants should insure themselves.
It's general information, not legal advice, and policy wordings differ. Always check the definitions section of your own policy.
If you'd rather we check it for you, send us your current policy or renewal and we'll review it against the insurers on our panel. See compare landlord insurance quotes.
The three-way split in one paragraph
A landlord policy is usually built from three parts: buildings, contents and property owners' liability. Buildings pays to repair or rebuild the structure and the permanent parts of it. Contents pays for loss of or damage to the items you own and supply for the tenant's use. Liability pays if someone is injured or their property is damaged because of the property. Your tenant's belongings are not part of any of these. If you want the whole picture, start with our landlord insurance guide; for the structure and rebuild cost, see landlord buildings insurance. This page stays on the contents side.
Fixtures, fittings and contents: a practical test
People use "fixtures and fittings" as one phrase, but they're different things, and insurers draw the line in their own definitions rather than by a single legal rule.
Fixtures are attached to the building so that removing them would mean damaging or altering it: fitted kitchen units and worktops, the bathroom suite, built-in ovens and hobs, radiators, fitted wardrobes, fixed flooring. Most policies treat these as part of the buildings.
Fittings are items that are attached loosely or free-standing and could be taken away without damage: curtains and blinds, free-standing white goods, light shades, mirrors on hooks. These usually fall under contents.
Contents in the wider sense are everything moveable you supply: furniture, beds and mattresses, kitchenware, garden furniture, and so on.
A useful rule of thumb many wordings follow: if you'd take it with you when you sell the property, it's probably contents; if you'd leave it for the buyer because it's part of the house, it's probably buildings.
The grey areas are where claims go wrong:
Carpets. Many UK policies treat fitted carpets as contents, even though they're fitted. Some put them under buildings. Laminate, engineered wood and tiled floors are more often treated as buildings because they're fixed down. Check your wording, because carpet damage is one of the most common landlord claims.
Integrated versus free-standing appliances. An integrated dishwasher behind a kitchen door is usually buildings. A free-standing washing machine in the same kitchen is usually contents.
Improvements you've added to a flat. If you own a leasehold flat, the freeholder's block policy may cover the original fixtures but not a new kitchen or bathroom you've put in. That's often called "landlord's fixtures and improvements" or "tenant's improvements" cover, depending on who's buying it. We cover the leasehold split, including who claims for what after a leak between flats, in landlord insurance for leasehold flats, so we won't repeat it here.
Room by room: where items usually sit
This is the typical treatment. Your policy's definitions decide.
Room or area | Usually buildings | Usually landlord contents | Usually the tenant's own insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
Kitchen | Fitted units, worktops, sink, built-in oven and hob, integrated appliances, tiling | Free-standing fridge-freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave, kettle, kitchenware you supply | Food, the tenant's own appliances and cookware |
Living room | Fixed flooring, fitted shelving, fireplace | Sofas, chairs, tables, curtains and blinds, rugs, lamps, often fitted carpets | TV, games consoles, the tenant's furniture and personal items |
Bedrooms | Fitted wardrobes, radiators | Beds, mattresses, free-standing wardrobes, chests of drawers, desks | Bedding, clothes, laptops, phones, jewellery |
Bathroom | Bath, shower, basin, toilet, fixed mirrors and cabinets | Bath mats, free-standing storage, shower curtains | Toiletries, towels the tenant brings |
Garden and outbuildings | Sheds, fences, gates, paths (check limits) | Garden furniture, a lawnmower or tools left for the tenant | Bikes and the tenant's garden items |
Shared areas in an HMO | Stairs, banisters, fixed lighting, fire doors | Communal sofas, dining table, shared appliances, hallway furniture | Items each tenant leaves in shared areas |
How much contents cover each type of let needs
Contents cover isn't only for furnished lets. Most unfurnished lets still have some landlord's contents in them.
Type of let | What you typically supply | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Unfurnished | Carpets, curtains or blinds, and often white goods | Whether your buildings policy includes a small amount of landlord's contents as standard, and whether it's enough for carpets and appliances |
Part-furnished | The above, plus a few larger items such as beds, a sofa or a dining table | A realistic sum insured; landlords often underestimate the cost of replacing white goods and carpets together |
Fully furnished | Furniture in every room, kitchenware, sometimes a TV | Single-item limits, accidental damage, and whether items are replaced new for old |
HMO or shared house | Furniture in each room plus a furnished communal kitchen and lounge | Cover for shared areas, theft conditions, and whether the policy is written for the number of households |
Student let | Usually most of the room, including desks and beds | Summer voids and theft conditions; see student let insurance |
Holiday let | Everything a guest uses, from linen to hot tubs | A holiday let policy, not a residential one; see holiday let insurance |
If you let your own home while you're away, the contents question is different: much of what's in the property is yours, not supplied for a tenant. See renting out your home.
Working out your sum insured
Your contents sum insured should be the cost of replacing everything you supply, at today's prices, if it were all lost at once. It's not what you paid, and it's not what the items would sell for second-hand.
A simple way to do it:
Start from your inventory. You should already have one for the tenancy. It lists what's there, room by room.
Price each item at what it would cost to buy new now. For carpets, that means the price per square metre including underlay and fitting, not just the carpet.
Add the things that aren't on the inventory. Curtain poles, light shades, kitchenware, garden furniture and anything stored in a loft or shed for the tenant.
Note the expensive items separately. Many policies have a single-item limit. If one item is worth more than that, tell the insurer.
Review it every time you refurnish, and at least at each renewal.
Two terms decide how a claim is settled:
New for old means the insurer replaces items with new equivalents, without a deduction for age. Many landlord contents policies work this way for most items.
Indemnity means the insurer pays the replacement cost minus a deduction for wear and tear. Some policies use this for certain items, such as carpets, curtains or linen, or for items over a certain age.
Underinsurance matters. If your sum insured is lower than the true replacement cost, many policies apply a condition called "average", which can reduce what you're paid on any claim, even a small one, in proportion to the shortfall. Over-insuring isn't a fix either, because you only get the value of what you lose.
We don't publish typical contents figures or prices, because they'd only be a guess about your property. The inventory is the honest starting point. For what drives the overall price of a landlord policy, see landlord insurance costs.
What contents cover pays for, and what it doesn't
A standard landlord contents section usually covers the items you supply against named events, typically including:
Fire, smoke, lightning and explosion
Storm and flood
Escape of water and oil, such as a burst pipe or a leaking washing machine
Theft or attempted theft, often only where there's been forced or violent entry
Subsidence, heave and landslip
Impact, for example from a vehicle
What usually isn't covered:
Wear and tear and gradual deterioration. A sofa that's worn out after five years of use isn't an insured event.
Mechanical or electrical breakdown. If the fridge simply stops working, that's not usually covered by contents insurance. Some landlords use appliance warranties or home emergency cover for this; see landlord home emergency cover.
Theft by the tenant or their guests without forced entry. Many policies exclude it, or only cover it under a malicious damage extension.
Damage by pets, which is often excluded or limited.
The tenant's belongings. Never covered by your policy.
Accidental and malicious damage: the extensions that matter most
Most tenant-related contents claims aren't fires or floods. They're spills, breakages and, occasionally, deliberate damage. These are usually extensions you add, not part of the standard cover.
Accidental damage covers sudden, unintended damage: red wine on the carpet, a dropped iron burning the sofa, a cracked glass table top. Check whether it applies to contents, buildings or both, and whether there's a higher excess.
Malicious damage by tenants covers deliberate damage by the tenant or their guests. It's often limited, can carry its own excess, and may depend on you having referenced the tenant properly and carried out regular inspections.
These extensions are where your deposit and your insurance overlap. Small damage is usually better dealt with through the deposit; larger damage can be a claim. Our guide to tenant damage, deposits and landlord insurance explains how to tell wear and tear from damage and when to use which.
In England, the deposit is capped by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent where it's £50,000 or more. For a fully furnished property, that cap can be well below the cost of replacing damaged furniture and carpets, which is one reason landlords with furnished lets often take accidental and malicious damage cover.
Pets
Since 1 May 2026, tenants in England with private assured tenancies can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse (section 16A of the Housing Act 1988, added by the Renters' Rights Act 2025). Our Renters' Rights Act guide covers what this means for landlord policies. On the contents side, many policies exclude or limit pet damage, so check the wording before you agree to a pet, and record the condition of carpets and soft furnishings carefully at check-in.
HMOs and shared houses: communal contents
In an HMO, a large part of what you supply sits in shared rooms: the kitchen appliances, the lounge sofa, the dining table, hallway furniture. That changes how contents cover works.
Your duties are wider. In England, the HMO management regulations require the manager to keep fixtures, fittings and appliances used in common by two or more households in good and safe repair and clean working order (regulation 7 of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006). Each room and any furniture supplied with it must also be clean at the start of each person's occupation (regulation 8).
Shared items are rarely covered by tenants' own policies. A tenant's contents policy covers their belongings, not the house's sofa. If a guest of one tenant damages a shared item, the claim will usually be on your policy, not theirs.
Theft conditions are stricter. Many policies only pay for theft where there's been forced entry. In a shared house where each tenant has a key to the front door, that can rule out a lot of theft claims. Ask how the insurer treats theft from shared areas, and whether lockable room doors matter.
The policy must be written for an HMO. Insurers price shared houses differently, and a standard single-let policy may not respond properly. If the house is licensed, the cover should match the licence. See landlord licence and insurance mismatches and our HMO landlord quotes.
If you own a whole block and supply furniture or equipment in shared areas, such as a residents' lounge or entrance hall furniture, see block of flats insurance.
Safety duties for items you supply
Insurance and safety rules overlap here. If a supplied item causes a fire or an injury, the insurer will look at whether you met your legal duties, and a liability claim can follow. The main ones:
Upholstered furniture. Gov.uk says landlords must make sure the furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe. Upholstered furniture supplied in lettings must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, which apply to second-hand as well as new items. Trading standards guidance says bedding, carpets and curtains are excluded from those regulations. Check for the permanent label on sofas, chairs and mattresses before you supply them.
Electrical appliances. Landlords must make sure the electrical system is safe and that all appliances they supply are safe. In England, private landlords need the fixed installation inspected and tested at least every five years; there isn't a fixed legal testing interval for appliances in private lets, but you still need to keep them safe. See our EICR guide.
Gas appliances. If you supply a gas cooker or other gas appliance, it must be kept safe and checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. See our gas safety certificate guide.
Scotland. The repairing standard requires fixtures, fittings and appliances provided by the landlord to be in a reasonable state of repair and proper working order, and furnishings provided by the landlord to be capable of being used safely (section 13 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006). See landlord insurance in Scotland.
In England and Wales, the landlord's basic statutory repair duty for short leases (section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) covers the structure and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating, but expressly not other fixtures, fittings and appliances for using those supplies. So whether you must repair a supplied washing machine or fridge usually comes down to your tenancy agreement. If you've agreed to supply and maintain white goods, you need a plan for breakdowns as well as insurance for damage.
For the full list of certificates, see our landlord safety certificates checklist.
What tenants should insure themselves
Your policy doesn't cover your tenant's belongings. Government guidance for tenants in England has long advised them to get their own contents insurance, because the landlord's insurance won't cover their things.
It helps everyone if your tenants understand this at the start:
Their belongings: clothes, electronics, bikes, jewellery and their own furniture
Their liability for your items: some tenant contents policies include "tenant's liability" cover for accidental damage to the landlord's fixtures and fittings. It's worth knowing about, but you can't rely on it, and you can't make a tenant buy a particular policy.
Their guests: damage caused by a tenant's visitors is a common grey area. Your malicious and accidental damage extensions are your protection, not their policy.
When the property is empty
Contents cover is often restricted once a property has been unoccupied for a set period, commonly with theft, escape of water and malicious damage cover reduced or removed. If there's a gap between tenancies, or you're refurnishing, tell your insurer. See our page on void and unoccupied property cover.
Making a contents claim go smoothly
Keep a dated inventory with photos for every tenancy, signed by the tenant at check-in and check-out. It's your best evidence of what was there and its condition.
Keep receipts for larger items, or at least the date and price.
Report quickly. Most policies require prompt notification. Tell the insurer before you replace damaged items, unless it's an emergency.
Separate wear and tear from damage. A five-year-old carpet with worn walkways is wear and tear. A burn mark is damage.
Check whether the deposit or the policy is the better route for smaller damage, especially if the excess is close to the cost of repair.
A checklist before you renew
Does the policy define contents, fixtures and fittings, and do carpets and white goods sit where you assumed?
Is your sum insured based on today's replacement cost, from your current inventory?
Are any single items above the single-item limit?
Is cover new for old, or are some items settled on an indemnity basis?
Do you have accidental damage and malicious damage by tenants, for contents as well as buildings?
What does theft cover require: forced entry, or theft by anyone?
Is pet damage covered or excluded?
For an HMO, are shared areas covered, and is the policy written for the number of households?
What happens to cover if the property is empty?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need landlord contents insurance for an unfurnished property?
Usually some, yes. Most unfurnished lets still include carpets, curtains or blinds and often white goods. Some buildings policies include a small amount of landlord's contents as standard; check whether it's enough.
What is landlord fixtures and fittings insurance?
It's cover for the items fixed to or fitted in a property. In most landlord policies, fixtures such as kitchens and bathrooms sit under buildings, and loose fittings such as curtains and free-standing appliances sit under contents. For leasehold flats, "landlord's fixtures and improvements" cover protects items you've added that the block policy doesn't. Check your policy's definitions.
Are carpets buildings or contents?
In many UK policies, fitted carpets are treated as contents. Fixed flooring such as laminate or wood is more often treated as buildings. It varies by insurer, so check the wording.
Are white goods covered by landlord contents insurance?
Free-standing white goods you supply are usually contents, and integrated appliances are usually buildings. Either way, insurance usually covers damage from insured events such as fire or escape of water, not breakdown.
Does landlord contents insurance cover damage by tenants?
Only if you have the right extensions. Accidental damage covers sudden, unintended damage. Malicious damage by tenants covers deliberate damage. Both are often add-ons with their own conditions and excesses.
Does my landlord insurance cover my tenant's belongings?
No. Tenants need their own contents insurance.
How much landlord contents cover do I need?
Enough to replace everything you supply, new, at today's prices. Build the figure from your inventory, and review it when you refurnish and at each renewal.
Do I need contents cover for an HMO's shared areas?
Yes, if you supply furniture or appliances in shared rooms. Tenants' own policies won't cover them, and HMO management rules require shared fixtures, fittings and appliances to be kept in good and safe repair.
Get your contents cover checked
Send us your current landlord policy or renewal, your inventory, and how the property is let. We'll check how contents, fixtures and fittings are defined, whether the sum insured and extensions fit the way you let, and review it against the insurers on our panel. Start your landlord quote review.
Meshed is a trading name of Mesh'd Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 1033248). We charge a flat 10% broker fee. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Vincent Liu
Co-founder & CTO
