Your Tenancy

Tenancy Services

Home Contents Insurance

Introduction
Homes for Islington do not insure your belongings, fixtures and fittings against fire, theft, flooding or vandalism. It is your responsibility to insure the contents of your home. We advise you to take out insurance to cover:

• furniture and fittings
• personal belongings
• clothes
• jewellery and other valuables

• rented equipment

There is a special insurance scheme that is run by Islington Council and Norwich Union. This is only available to Council tenants and right-to-buy leaseholders. There is more information about this scheme below. You may alternatively decide to make your own private arrangements to have your home contents insured. For more information about insurance please see the Factsheet linked below.

Home Contents Insurance Factsheet (pdf file 94Kb)
House Contents Prospectus (pdf file 197Kb)

Islington Council’s Home Contents Insurance Scheme
Please note that this is not a scheme offered or run by Homes for Islington. It is run by Islington Council and Norwich Union.

Under a special scheme, arranged by Islington Council through Norwich Union, you can take out home contents insurance at a special low cost rate. This scheme is open to all Islington Council tenants and leaseholders.

Insurance for your home contents
When you take out this insurance your household goods and contents will be insured whilst in your home. The insurance also covers theft of your keys and the contents in your freezer. There is also cover for personal liability. There are more details about this in the policy summary, see link at the bottom of this page.

Payment of the premium
You will need to decide how you would like to pay for thepremium.        The options available are:

Standing order or payment card into the Post Office or a shop with a paypoint facility.

Insurance against fire, theft, vandalism and water damage
These are examples of the type of risk your contents will be insured for. Full details are available on request from Islington Council.

“New-for-Old” insurance
All your home contents (under 5 years old) are covered by the policy on a ‘new for old’ basis, with the exception of linen and clothing which will be replaced at their current cost, less an amount for wear and tear. When you are working out the cost of your insurance, you will need to work out how much it will cost to replace the full contents. If you under value your contents this will mean that if you claim you will not get the full value of your claim.

Special low, minimum sums insured
The lowest amount that can be insured is:

• £6,000 - if you are over the age of 60
• £8,000 - for all other people

How to apply
You will need to complete an application form, which are available from your Area Housing Office or from Islington Council. Contact the Tenants Insurance Scheme on 0207 527 1923, or write to them at 222 Upper Street, London, N1 1XR.

When completing the form make sure that you answer all the questions and sign the declaration. Once you have completed the form post it to the contact details above.

Keeping up the payments

• To make sure that you are always covered you must keep up to date with your payments.

• Islington Council can cancel the policy if your premium payments fall into arrears.

• You will not be able to make a claim unless your payments
  are up to date.

Start date
Insurance starts when Islington Council informs you that you have been accepted onto the scheme. They will write to you with details of your insurance payments and the date when you should start paying. You will be notified in writing if for any reason, you have not been accepted into the scheme.

Special Notes

• If during the period of your insurance cover your home is likely to be unoccupied (e.g. if you are in hospital, extended holiday) for more than
  60 consecutive days you will have to advise Islington Council.
• Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that the sum insured is
  sufficient to cover all your household items and personal effects.
• You do not need to have a clear rent account to be accepted on the scheme

Islington Council urges all tenants and leaseholders to takeout household insurance, either through the special scheme offered by Islington Council or by making your own arrangements

Cost of Insurance
These costs include Insurance Premium Tax at the current rate. Annual premiums are available on request.

Sum Insured	Calendar Monthly	Fortnightly
£6,000	£3.09	£1.42
£7,000	£3.60	£1.66
£8,000	£4.11	£1.90
£9,000	£4.64	£2.14
£10,000	£5.16	£2.38
£11,000	£5.68	£2.62
£12,000	£6.20	£2.86
£13,000	£6.72	£3.10
£14,000	£7.20	£3.32
£15,000	£7.71	£3.56
£16,000	£8.23	£3.80
£17,000	£8.76	£4.04
£18,000	£9.28	£4.28
£19,000	£9.80	£4.52
£20,000	£10.32	£4.76
£21,000	£10.80	£4.98
£22,000	£11.31	£5.22
£23,000	£11.83	£5.46
£24,000	£12.34	£5.70
£25,000	£12.87	£5.94