Bad luck often comes out of the blue. But if you protect yourself with insurance, you could stop a bad situation becoming much, much worse.

Contents insurance explained

This insurance is needed by all our customers

• We recommend that all our customers have home contents insurance for their home or garage
• Content insurance covers the things that are actually inside your home or garage that you could take with you, if you moved out
• This should include furniture, clothes, carpets, phones and fridges etc
• If there’s a leak, a burglary or a fire (and many other things) this insurance would help if anything was stolen or damaged
• It wouldn’t cover the cost of repairing any damage to the rooms or buildings (but most of our customers don’t need this)

Where you can get help

• There's an affordable service available especially for our customers with Thistle Insurance, which covers things from replacing outside door locks, if your keys are lost or stolen, to the contents of your freezer
• You can contact Thistle Insurance on 0345 450 7288 or email myhome@thistleinsurance.co.uk
• Or you could use another service. But please check the cover is exactly what you need

Building insurance explained

This insurance is needed by leaseholders and shared owners...but often paid for in your service charges

• Building insurance covers damage that happens to the structure of a building. It normally covers the things that would stay put if the building was turned upside down and shook
• Because we own the buildings, people who rent from us normally don’t need building insurance (although they do need contents insurance. See the section above)

What this means for leaseholders and shared owners?

• Leaseholders and shared owners do need building insurance for their homes - we insure most of them
• Please check your service charge statement or your lease to make sure you’re covered
• If you’re not sure, get in touch with your neighbourhood manager
• If we’ve sorted it, you’ll be covered with a company called Gallagher. If you have any claims, contact them on 01245 341 251.