Many residence insurance coverage insurance policies don't cowl accidents as commonplace, warns Which?

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Nearly all of residence insurance coverage insurance policies fail to incorporate cowl for unintentional harm as commonplace, evaluation from Which? signifies.

The patron group mentioned that when households take out buildings or contents insurance coverage, many might assume they're routinely coated for unintentional harm.

However when Which? analysed 78 residence insurance coverage insurance policies from 35 suppliers, it discovered solely 28% of buildings insurance coverage insurance policies and 27% of contents insurance policies included unintentional harm cowl as commonplace.

Many insurance policies did supply the duvet as an non-obligatory additional or present primary cowl that might be upgraded.

Analysis for Which? amongst 4,000 folks carried out by Yonder in October 2024 discovered 31% of shoppers who had purchased insurance coverage thought their coverage would cowl them for something that was not their fault.

The same proportion (29%) believed that if they'd cowl for possessions, they're protected in opposition to any occasion involving these possessions together with unintentional harm.

In a separate Which? survey of greater than 2,800 folks in June and July 2025 who had tried to make a declare on their coverage within the final two years, unintentional harm accounted for round a fifth (19%) of circumstances. That analysis concerned Deltapoll.

Final week, Which? launched a super-complaint to the Monetary Conduct Authority over its considerations about “severe failings” within the residence and journey insurance coverage markets.

Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Cash, mentioned: “In terms of making a declare in your insurance coverage, it’s sadly all too widespread to get caught out by the small print.”

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A spokesperson for the Affiliation of British Insurers mentioned: “Dwelling insurance coverage is primarily designed to cowl you for important losses from occasions comparable to fireplace, storms and floods.

“Unintended harm insurance coverage can cowl you for sure mishaps, like spilling paint on the carpet or a window by accident smashed by a ball.

“It doesn’t embody harm that’s as a result of a scarcity of repairs or harm brought on by pets and can typically have to be bought as extra cowl, which is broadly accessible.