What is household contents insurance and what does it cover?
Beautiful blue green couch in a minimalist apartment setting

What is household contents insurance and what does it cover?

Like most insurances, household contents insurance is what you wish you had gotten after something happens like a burglary or fire. Plans also start €2.5 per month depending on the size of your home and the amount of coverage you want. 

What can you expect from your household contents insurance coverage? 

There will most likely be different reasons why you’ll need to use household contents insurance, so we can start off with an example: 

Imagine Charlie has moved to Berlin to freelance and is told that he needs to get household contents insurance by a coworker. After signing up and working for a few years, the apartment underneath his catches fire. 

The fire starts right after Charlie leaves to go see a new client, so he is unaware of what is happening. While someone is able to save his dog, everything else in the apartment is too damaged to be salvaged and fire has made it unsafe to live in. The damages include a lot of technology that Charlie normally uses when working. If Charlie’s dog has any injuries, he could make use of his dog health insurance.

Household contents insurance would not only cover replacements for things in the home, but it would also cover an apartment for Charlie and his dog to stay in while they search for a new place to live.

He will need to provide pictures and photos of the contents in his home when filing the claim. This can all be done from his Feather account.

What exactly is covered?

Household contents insurance covers everything in your house that’s not part of the structure. This includes:

  • Furniture, rugs, carpets, and decorations;
  • Clothing;
  • Electrical appliances;
  • Curtains and blinds;
  • Cash and valuables like jewelry (in limited amounts).

When can I ask for compensation?

Most household insurance policies cover a wide variety of incidents (known as insured events) that result in damage to or loss of property. Coverage under the Feather policy includes: 

  • Damage by fire and lightning; 
  • electrical surges; 
  • explosions; 
  • civil unrest; 
  • strikes;
  • Loss of or damage to property caused by burglary and attempted burglary and robbery;
  • Damage caused by tapwater and leaks (e.g. if a pipe bursts and damages your stereo system, you’ll be reimbursed);
  • Damage caused by acts of nature, including storms and hail.

In many cases, you can also be compensated for costs related to insured events, including:

  • Hotel stays, if the damage renders your home unusable;
  • The cost of changing locks (e.g. following a burglary);
  • Transport or travel costs (e.g. if you need to return from a trip in order to handle your affairs following an insured event).

Are my belongings insured even when they’re not in my home?

For the most part, your policy covers property inside the insured location on your contract. But in some cases, it may also cover theft of belongings that are temporarily outside the home (e.g. if your gym bag or purse is stolen at your office or fitness studio). 

When does my contract start and how can I end it? 

Your policy begins from the day agreed upon in the contract with the condition that the first payment is made on time. If you’re late, this means that you might have to contact us to see when your insurance will start. 

You have the right to cancel your contract at any time, and your policy will be inactive from the moment we get your request (or the date named on your termination). 

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