What is it that makes your house a home? It might be an extra-soft couch, a favourite mug in the press or an extra special photograph or painting on a wall.
More than one in four of us rent our homes in Ireland, and every person will take some time to make their space warm, comfortable and personalised. You might not own the walls around you, but you probably own a considerable amount of what’s inside.
That means that you should take time to protect your belongings and safeguard the things that matter most to you. Here are six practical places to start.
1. Figure out what’s yours and what’s your landlord’s
Most rental houses in Ireland come fully furnished, which is very handy, but makes it easy to blur the lines between where your landlord’s belongings end and yours begin.
Large pieces of furniture and major kitchen appliances most likely belong to the house’s owner. The TV, laptop, coffee machine, bicycle and everything in the wardrobe is probably yours.
This distinction matters because your landlord will usually insure the property, but not your personal possessions. If you want to protect those items, you will need to take out renter’s insurance in Ireland.
Sometimes also known as contents insurance, this cover helps protect your belongings against loss or damage in the event of a fire, theft or other insured risks, so you’re not left out of pocket.
Before you get a quote for a renter’s insurance policy, take a walk around your home and consider what you’ve brought into it. There might be a laptop on the table, phones charging, expensive headphones in your bag or specialist sporting equipment in the shed.
Individually, those items mightn’t seem especially significant, but if you lost them in the morning, replacing them would be very expensive.
2. Add up what your belongings are really worth
Most of us would probably struggle to accurately estimate how much our things cost. It’s worth taking the time to try, though, as this figure is important when it comes to insuring your contents.
This is especially relevant in shared accommodation, where four housemates could mean four laptops, four smartphones and even four bikes.
Take a pen and paper with you while you walk around the house, and note down particularly high-value items. Here are a couple of common items to get you started:
- Television
- Games consoles and similar
- Headphones
- Smartphones
- Laptops and tablets
- Engagement rings or wedding rings
- Watches and other jewellery
- Bicycles, canoes or other sporting equipment
- Power tools
Then add a box next to each item with an estimated figure attached. Remember this is a replacement figure, so consult current listings online where possible.
3. Take out a renter’s insurance policy
According to An Garda Siochana, jewellery and cash are the items most commonly stolen in burglaries, with an average loss of about €600, so it’s well worth protecting your items through reliable, affordable home insurance.
When you have an itemised list and an estimated total value, get an online quote for contents insurance or renter’s insurance. A good policy doesn’t just help you replace certain items after a major event — it can also help protect you from some of the smaller mishaps and unexpected costs that are part and parcel of home life. For example, RedClick renter’s insurance includes: (policy terms and conditions apply)
- Contents cover: Protection for your personal belongings in the rented home, with “new-for-old” cover if insured belongings cannot be repaired.
- Visitor’s belongings cover: This allows up to €1,000 for loss or damage to a visitor’s property caused by an insured event while temporarily in your home.
- Frozen food cover: Electricity gone in a storm? If food in your fridge or freezer is spoiled as a result of an event covered by your policy, you may be able to claim up to 700 to replace it.
- Bicycles away from home cover: A practical benefit, this covers bicycles and accessories up to €600 per cycle, with the option to increase this to €1,500 if required.
- Replacement locks: This will help you get back inside fast by covering the cost of replacement locks to outside doors if the keys are stolen in specific circumstances.
- Extra cover for Christmas and weddings: As an added bonus, our contents cover is increased by 10% of the contents sum insured to help keep these special occasions special.
You should also tell your provider if any of your belongings are particularly valuable, especially if they exceed the single article policy limit. If you have an expensive engagement ring, for example, or keep gold or high-value artwork at home, speak to your insurance company about adding specified or high value items to your policy.
4. Keep a photographic record of the things that matter
Don’t worry, no one’s going to ask you to spend a week photographing every fork in the drawer or dress in a wardrobe. But keeping a few simple records can be very useful, especially in the event of a fire, theft or other damage.
Ideally, you should photograph your rental house before you move in (or save the estate agent ad images) so you can get a good understanding of what was already there before you moved in. Then, when you’re in and settled, photograph each room again, ensuring that the images are also stored somewhere for safekeeping (in case your phone is stolen or lost).
Pay special attention to expensive items like laptops, cameras and bicycles. Where possible, snap the serial numbers and any receipts available. An Garda Siochana actually has a free “Property App” that allows people to record details of possessions such as jewellery, electronic equipment and the like. If something is stolen, having these details already in the system can help with any subsequent investigation and hopefully return your property to you a little faster.
A photographic record of your rental home, shared with your landlord, can also help if there are any disputes between you and the landlord later. Unexpected challenges like mould, broken appliances and faulty plumbing can pop up, so taking a quick snap of any issues early can help resolve problems later.
5. Make everyday security a habit
Wherever you live, the best way to protect yourself and your belongings is by being security conscious. While burglary rates are decreasing, more than 8,000 break-ins were reported in Ireland last year.
While your landlord will be responsible for ensuring overall security in the form of strong, lockable doors and windows, there are plenty of steps you can take to make your home safer on a daily basis:
- Lock doors and windows whenever you leave: It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget, especially on hot days or if you’re just popping out for a few minutes.
- Store keys securely: Avoid leaving house or car keys beside windows, letterboxes or other visible places.
- Keep all valuables out of sight: Don’t get into the habit of leaving rings on windowsills or laptops on kitchen tables where they can be seen.
- Use your alarm if you have one: Get into the habit of setting and unsetting your alarm every day, even when you go to bed if this function is available.
- Make your house look occupied: If you’re heading away on holiday or leaving for a few days, consider setting up automated lighting or motion-sensor lamps.
- Keep travel plans private: Avoid posting on social media or large WhatsApp groups while you’re away — there’s plenty of time to share the holiday snaps when you’re home.
Many of these tips will be especially important during the darker months and busy seasons such as Christmas. Before you leave your home behind, take a few minutes to double-check your doors and windows, secure valuables and think about how the property will look to anyone passing by outside.
6. Check your cover on a regular basis
Life changes and so do the contents of our homes. You might change jobs, for example, which means a new laptop or new bike. You could get engaged or married, adding some important jewellery to your collection. And if a baby comes into your life, you’ll quickly find yourself with a whole room full of expensive contents, from a cot to video monitoring equipment.
That means that you may need to update an existing policy or take out a new home insurance policy. Put an annual reminder in your phone or your digital calendar to prompt you to review your policy and make any changes needed when it’s due for renewal.
Reach out to RedClick if you have any questions. We’re here to help, whether through general article tips and advice, finding the best contents insurance policy to suit your needs or support when you need it most. While the bricks and mortar of your house might belong to someone else, the things that make it a home are very much yours, and we want to help you keep them safe.
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