"I already have home contents insurance — won't that cover my storage unit?" It's one of the most common questions we hear. The honest answer is: probably not in full, and possibly not at all. Here's what you need to know before relying on your existing policy.
What home contents insurance typically covers
Home contents insurance is designed to cover your belongings at your home address. Most policies also include some cover for items temporarily away from home — in your car, at a hotel, or with you while travelling. A storage unit is a different matter.
When it comes to self-storage, home contents policies generally fall into one of three categories:
- No cover at all — the policy specifically excludes belongings held in storage. This is common with basic or budget policies.
- Partial cover — typically limited to 10% of your total contents sum insured, and often restricted to specific events only (theft, but not flood; damage, but not fire). Read your policy schedule carefully.
- Full off-site cover — some higher-end policies do extend to storage units, but this is rarer and usually comes with conditions (the unit must be at a recognised, security-accredited facility).
Important: even if your home insurance includes some off-site cover, it may not satisfy the insurance requirement from your storage facility. Most facilities require a policy specifically for the storage unit — not a home contents extension.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Home contents extension | cover4storage policy |
|---|---|---|
| Cover for storage unit specifically | ✗ Often excluded or partial | ✓ Yes — purpose-built |
| Accepted by storage facilities | ✗ Often not accepted as standalone proof | ✓ Accepted across UK operators |
| Instant certificate | ✗ Usually requires a call to your insurer | ✓ Issued immediately on purchase |
| Cover level | ✗ Often capped (e.g. 10% of home sum insured) | ✓ You choose — up to £50,000 |
| Excess | Usually £100–£250+ | ✓ No excess |
| Portability (if you move unit) | Depends on policy | ✓ Policy moves with you |
| Price | Usually increases your home premium | From £16.50 a year standalone |
Why does it matter whether the facility accepts it?
Most storage facilities don't just ask "do you have insurance?" — they ask for a certificate of insurance as proof. A home contents policy isn't typically designed to produce a standalone certificate for a storage unit. If your facility requires proof of cover and your home insurer can't issue it in the right format, you may find yourself scrambling before your move-in date.
A cover4storage policy issues a certificate the moment you complete your purchase. You can download and present it immediately.
The cover level problem
If your home contents policy covers belongings off-site up to 10% of your sum insured, the maths can leave you significantly underprotected.
Say you have £40,000 of home contents cover (a typical figure). 10% of that is £4,000. If you're storing a full bedroom set, white goods, boxes of valuables, and electronic equipment, the replacement cost could easily be £10,000–£20,000. The extension only gets you partway there.
With a dedicated self-storage insurance policy, you choose your cover level based on what you're actually storing — not a fixed percentage of an unrelated figure.
When would home insurance be sufficient?
There are scenarios where relying on a home contents extension might be reasonable:
- You're storing a small number of low-value items for a short period
- Your policy explicitly covers off-site storage for the full replacement value
- Your storage facility accepts a home contents policy as proof of cover
- Your home insurer can produce a certificate in a format the facility accepts
If all four of those are true, checking your home policy first makes sense. But verify all four — don't assume.
The simplest answer
For most people putting belongings into a storage unit, a dedicated storage insurance policy is the cleaner, simpler, and often cheaper option. It's designed exactly for the purpose, the certificate is instant, and there are no ambiguities about what's covered and what isn't.
Prices start from £16.50 a year — less than most people expect, and less than a home contents extension would typically cost for the same level of protection.
Get a quote in minutes. See your price → No personal details required upfront.
For cover built specifically for a storage unit, see our storage unit insurance page.