29 February 2016

If you are coming home for the holidays will your student insurance still be valid?

Find the student insurance that will keep your belongings covered over the holidays

Now we are into the second half of the academic year students up and down the country will be sorting out their accommodation for next year. Whichever form of housing you will be living in, insurance for all of your belongings is important but, if you are leaving anything in your student residence over the holiday period, make sure your student insurance will cover you.

Many insurance policies will not cover the loss or damage to any contents of a property if it is unoccupied for a length of time. This can be for as long as 60 days or as short as 24 hours. It is vital to read policies carefully to ensure they meet your needs. If you and your housemates are likely to all go home for the weekend leaving your house empty, you do not want a policy which will not cover you for a theft as the house has been empty for more than 24 hours.

There are often options to extend your insurance to cover holiday times although not all will be long enough to cover the summer holidays. Cover4students offer a Vacation cover extension to their standard student insurance will insure up to £3,500 worth of contents during the periods between published college or university terms.

With all insurers you must notify them of any changes to your residency including if your house will be unoccupied for some time.

Covering your belongings under your parents' home insurance is an option - with their consent! - but it does have its drawbacks. Students are three times more likely to be the victims of a burglary than a normal household. Any claims made using your parents' home insurance will affect their no claims bonus and may also have an impact on their premiums.

The advantages to a specialist student insurance are that you can normally choose to include equipment needed for your course such as medical or sports equipment. Gadget cover is increasingly important as you will rely on them for your studies as well as to communicate with home. Cover4students has the option to include Laptop and Portable Computer equipment cover anywhere in the UK. Excesses on student insurance are usually lower than on standard home insurance too.

Good luck with your search for accommodation and if this is your first year, we can offer some hints and tips to get you going on your new adventure.

Image courtesy of: Pixabay