A typical student room contains possessions worth £3,259. Research also shows that 27% of students had no insurance cover for their belongings while studying, equivalent to around 632,000 UK students. Based on the value of a typical student room, this equates to uninsured items worth more than £2 billion across the UK.2.
The ABI is therefore issuing five top tips to remind students what they should be doing to keep their possessions protected:
Check your parents’ and university’s policies – it may be possible for an existing home insurance policy to be extended to cover possessions at university, or there may be an insurance cover already in place in student halls.
Check to see if there are any limits on the value of the insurance of your possessions and if so, consider taking out a separate policy.
Shop around for the right cover – when it comes to buying any kind of insurance, it is always worth shopping around to find the best price that works for you and ensure that the cover you are being offered is adequate.
Don’t leave valuables unattended – avoid leaving valuables like laptops unattended when you are out and about, including the library, as this increases the chance of theft.
Consider marking and hiding your valuables – hide your valuables at home and when your room or property is unoccupied, keep your valuables away from view. Security mark your valuables with your details or register them on www.immobilise.co.uk, a police-supported national property register, to help police identify them if they do go missing.
Lock your windows and doors – if you are moving into student halls, to minimise risk, remember to shut your windows and lock the door when you are out of your room. For those moving into private accommodation, make sure your front and back doors are strong and secure, with good quality locks. And make sure you shut and lock windows when you go out.
Laura Hughes, Manager, General Insurance at the ABI, said:“University can be an exciting time for students and taking out insurance may not be top of their ‘to-do’ list. But it should not forgotten. A theft or a loss of a mobile phone or laptop can be expensive if a student doesn’t have insurance protection.
“Students moving into rented accommodation may be unaware of the risk of burglary which can be greatly reduced by taking a few simple security steps. The ABI’s top five tips may appear common sense but what appears to be the most simple and basic measures can sometimes be the most effective to prevent problems and ensuring a fulfilling and enjoyable student experience.”
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