Quick answer: Contents insurance covers the moveable possessions inside your home — furniture, electrical equipment, jewellery, clothes, and cash — against theft or damage. It can be taken out by both homeowners and renters. A standard policy starts from around €150–€250 per year, depending on the value of your belongings and the level of cover you choose.
What is Contents Insurance?
Contents insurance is a policy that protects your personal belongings. Unlike buildings insurance, which covers the permanent structure of your home, contents insurance covers everything inside it that you would take with you if you moved.
A simple way to understand the difference: - Buildings insurance → the walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchen, fixed bathroom fittings - Contents insurance → the sofa, TV, laptop, clothes, jewellery, cash
Contents insurance is relevant to: - Homeowners who want to protect their belongings alongside their property - Renters who own belongings but are not responsible for the building (your landlord covers the building) - Anyone sharing a house — contents insurance by room or for individual tenants is available from some providers
What Does Contents Insurance Cover?
A standard policy covers most items inside your home, including:
- Furniture (sofas, tables, wardrobes, beds)
- Electrical equipment (TVs, laptops, smart speakers, fridges, washing machines)
- Valuables (jewellery, watches, art, documents)
- Clothing and footwear
- Cash (usually up to a defined limit)
Cover typically applies against: - Theft and attempted theft - Fire, smoke and explosion - Water damage from burst pipes or leaks - Storm and flood damage - Vandalism
What is Not Covered as Standard?
Standard exclusions typically include:
- The building structure itself (covered by buildings insurance)
- Fixed features like built-in wardrobes, radiators, or your fireplace
- Items left unattended in a vehicle (unless added as an extra)
- Accidental damage (usually an optional add-on)
- Items above a single-item limit — many policies cap individual items at around €2,000. Anything worth more than this limit (fine jewellery, musical instruments, designer items) needs to be specifically declared to the insurer
Types of Cover: New for Old vs. Indemnity
Policies typically come in two varieties:
New for old cover: The insurer replaces your damaged or stolen item with a brand-new equivalent, or pays out the cost to buy a new one. This is the most comprehensive type.
Indemnity cover (replacement value): The insurer estimates what your item was worth at the time of the claim, factoring in depreciation for age and wear. A five-year-old laptop, for example, would be paid out at its second-hand value, not the cost of a new one.
New for old cover is generally more expensive but provides significantly better protection, especially for electronics and appliances. For older items or budget-conscious buyers, indemnity cover can be an acceptable trade-off — but read the terms carefully.
How Much Cover Do You Need?
When getting a quote, you'll typically be asked to choose a total contents sum (e.g. €25,000, €40,000, €60,000). This should represent the approximate replacement cost of everything in your home from new.
How to estimate: Walk through each room and estimate the replacement cost of all items. Categories to include: - Living room: sofa, TV, hi-fi, ornaments, rugs - Kitchen: appliances (even those included in the tenancy) - Bedrooms: beds, wardrobes, drawers, clothing, personal devices - Office: laptop, monitors, books, printers - Valuables: watches, jewellery, art, musical instruments
The free Intact Home Contents Calculator is a useful tool for building an estimate room by room.
Underinsurance is common. If you insure for €30,000 but a full claim event (e.g. a house fire) revealed your contents were worth €50,000, you are proportionally underinsured and may receive a reduced payout. When in doubt, insure for a higher figure.
Optional Extras Worth Considering
Insurers offer add-ons for a small additional premium:
- Accidental damage — covers mishaps like spilling wine on a carpet, dropping your TV, or breaking a mirror
- Personal possessions / all risks — extends cover to items taken outside your home (phones, laptops, clothing, jewellery on your person)
- Key cover — pays for lock replacement if your keys are stolen or lost
- Downloads insurance — covers permanently lost digital content (music, software libraries) on a computer
Tips for Getting the Best Value
- Combine with buildings insurance — buying both as a combined home insurance policy from the same provider is almost always cheaper than two separate policies
- Increase your voluntary excess — agreeing to pay a higher amount yourself in the event of a claim reduces your premium. Make sure you could realistically afford the excess if you did need to claim
- Build a no-claims bonus — not claiming for small losses keeps your claims history clean and earns you a no-claims discount over time
- Declare high-value items — jewellery, watches, or electronics above the single-item limit must be declared individually; otherwise a claim on them can be refused
- Shop around at renewal — home insurance premiums often increase significantly at renewal. Compare at least two or three quotes each year before auto-renewing
Common Questions
Q: I'm renting — do I need contents insurance? Yes — if you own any belongings worth protecting, contents insurance is strongly worth considering as a renter. Your landlord's buildings insurance does not cover your possessions. A standard renters contents policy is typically inexpensive (from around €150–€200/year) and is available from all major Irish home insurers.
Q: Are my belongings covered when I'm not at home? Standard contents policies cover belongings inside your home. Items you take outside (phones, laptops, jewellery) are typically not covered unless you add personal possessions / all risks cover as an optional extra. If you travel frequently or carry valuable items daily, this add-on is worth considering.