As a student, when you leave behind your home comforts to move into your first house or flat, it’s absolutely vital that you think about protecting yourself and your property by taking out home insurance. But with so many options on the market, choosing the best insurance can be a complicated business.
Our advice for choosing home insurance when you’re a student
Work out exactly what kind of coverage you need
As a student, you’ll almost certainly have a limited budget - which means it’s important to decide what your priorities are and the cover you want. Put together an inventory of all your valuables: your laptop, for instance, or your phone and musical instruments - or even equipment you need specifically for your course. Then you can choose suitable coverage based on the total value of these items.
Check the civil liability
Civil liability cover is normally included in your home insurance. It protects you if you cause damage to other people or their property. If, for example, you accidentally spill coffee on your neighbour's PC, your liability insurance will cover the cost of repairing or replacing their computer. Make sure that the home insurance you choose has adequate cover for civil liability.
Home insurance: extra guarantees
Some home insurance policies include additional guarantees that may be of interest to students, such as theft insurance. It makes sense to compare policies from different insurance companies before taking your decision. What’s more, as a student you can benefit from preferential rates.
Insure your student accommodation with SMERRA
SMERRA, our health and housing partner, provides home insurance specifically for students! With FAC-HABITAT, ticking the home insurance option is straightforward when you reserve your student apartment (not including Corsica). The policy will then be paid in monthly instalments (starting from €5.50 a month) and added to the cost of your rent (excluding Corsica)! It’s simple and secure to sign up online - a few clicks is all it needs. The certificate is generated immediately by the FAC-HABITAT advisor when you are allocated your accommodation! You’re covered properly with SMERRA if there’s a problem. You don't have to do anything afterwards: the policy is renewed every year, and will come to an end on vacating the accommodation and giving in your notice.
