MyAccount Claims Help Car insurance Home insurance Bike insurance Van insurance Personal loans Home insurance We know how important your home and its contents are to you. That's why we offer home insurance that covers you for the unexpected expense that theft, loss and damage can bring. Get a home insurance quote Retrieve your home insurance quote Homepage Home insurance What is home insurance? Home insurance protects your home and belongings against loss or damage caused by things like fire and theft. With the right home insurance policy, your provider will cover the costs to repair or replace the building or its contents should something unexpected happen. If you're just about to take your first step onto the property ladder or simply need a refresh, here's all you need to know about home insurance. What does home insurance cover? There are three main home insurance types: buildings only insurance, contents only insurance, or combined buildings and contents cover. Here's a summary of what they cover: Cover included Alternative accommodation cover for all your family and pets New for old (excluding linens and clothing) £1,000,000 of buildings insurance Up to £150,000 contents cover 24 hour claims helpline Family legal expenses cover Home emergency cover The services we provide are covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Buildings only insurance Covers the cost to repair or replace the actual bricks and mortar of your home if it's damaged or destroyed by things like fire, water leaks or storms. Outbuildings such as sheds and garages are also covered, as are permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens and bathroom suites. Contents only insurance Protects your personal belongings against loss or damage caused by things like theft, attempted theft, fire, smoke, water leaks and weather-related damage. Items covered include everything from your sofa and TV to your bed and clothes. You can take out extra cover for high-value items and items you take away from the home, like bicycles. Combined buildings and contents Combines the above types of cover into one, easier-to-manage policy. Taking out combined insurance means you only have one renewal date to remember and you're likely to get a discount on your premium too. Is it a legal requirement to have home insurance? Buildings insurance isn't required by law if you're living in, or renting out, a property you own. If this is your first home, you'll need buildings cover when you take out a mortgage. Your mortgage provider or broker's likely to suggest a certain home insurance provider, but this might not get you the best deal. So get a few home insurance quotes before making a decision. While it's not a legal requirement to have contents insurance, if you didn't have cover you'd be putting your belongings at risk. If your sofa was ruined by floodwater or your jewellery was stolen, the costs to repair or replace them would come from your own pocket. If a number of your belongings were damaged, destroyed or stolen at the same time, it could work out extremely expensive – certainly more than the annual premium for contents cover. So this type of insurance is seriously worth considering. What home insurance do I need if I rent? If you're a tenant, your landlord is responsible for taking out buildings insurance. It's still important to check they've got this covered when you sign the tenancy agreement – don't be afraid to ask for proof. Contents insurance for your personal possessions is down to you though. Cover for the landlord's contents, like the sofa if they rent the property part-furnished, is their responsibility. Does home insurance cover boilers? Most home insurance policies don't cover boilers as standard, so you'll need to take out extra cover. Home emergency cover with Hastings Direct offers protection for a range of unexpected household emergencies, including boiler breakdowns. If your boiler stops working, all you need to do is ring the helpline on your policy documents, and we'll send an approved tradesperson to fix it. This type of policy also covers things like faulty heating systems, draining and plumbing issues, roof damage and failure of power and gas supplies. Home insurance with Hastings Direct If you're looking for quality cover for a price that won't break the bank, it's got to be Hastings Direct. Some of our customers insure their most valuable assets for less than £111 a year whilst 50% pay less than £183.* Each policy we offer can be tailored to match your individual needs and budget, too. As well as home emergency cover, we offer: Family legal protection. This covers the cost of pursuing legal proceedings associated with personal injury claims, motoring prosecutions, probate disputes and more. You and all family members living with you at your permanent address will be covered under this policy. Key protection. We'll pay for your keys to be replaced or recovered if they're lost, stolen, locked in or broken in a lock, preventing you from getting into your home, office or car. Get a home insurance quote with Hastings Direct today and see how much you could save! Get a home insurance quote Retrieve your home insurance quote * 10% of Hastings Direct Home insurance customers paid less than £111 and 50% paid less than £183 between 1st January 2021 and 5th April 2021 (inclusive of taxes and fees). Policy info Policy info Acceptance criteria Insurance policy documents Information about our insurers Our fees Types of home insurance Types of home insurance Buildings only insurance Buildings and contents insurance Contents only insurance Policy features Policy features Family legal protection Home emergency cover Key protection Help Home insurance guides About MyAccount MyAccount Claims help centre Help centre Home insurance customer reviews Read all our customer reviews Car insurance Our Direct and Premier policies are 5 Star rated by Defaqto, so why not get a hassle-free car insurance quote today. Get a car quote Bike insurance Great motorbike insurance with flexible extras. Tailor your cover to suit your needs and budget - leaving you free to enjoy the open road. Get a bike quote Van insurance All the tools for a great van insurance package, plus flexible options such as breakdown cover and legal protection, so you can tailor your cover to your needs. Get a van quote Insurance Car insurance Van insurance Bike insurance Home insurance Multi Car insurance Telematics insurance Legal Accessibility policy Cookie policy Our fees Privacy notice Terms & conditions Terms of use Modern Slavery COVID Risk Assessment How can we help? Help centre Customer reviews Hastings Direct news Sitemap Complaints About us About Hastings Direct Our brands Our TV ads Hastings Group Careers Hastings Insurance Services Limited, trading as Hastings Direct, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (register number 311492). Registered Office: Conquest House, Collington Avenue, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN39 3LW. Registered in England and Wales no. 3116518. All policies are subject to English Law. Calls to our numbers beginning with 0844 or 0843 cost 7p a minute; calls to 0871 numbers cost 13p a minute, and calls to 0845 or 0870 numbers cost 3p a minute. Your phone company will also charge you a fixed access fee when you make a call to any of these numbers. Please contact your phone company for their call access charges. Calls to 0800 or 0808 numbers are now free from mobiles as well as landlines. Calls to 03 numbers cost no more from mobiles and landlines than national rate calls, and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls. Calls may be recorded for our mutual protection. © 2021 Hastings Insurance Services Limited