An education in home insurance

With A-Level results out today and students preparing for university over the coming weeks, Nationwide Building Society is urging parents and students not to push insurance cover to the bottom of the to-do list.  One of the first things parents can do is check their own home insurance policy to see if student possessions are covered.  Such a simple action can immediately lead to peace of mind for parents and students as they head off to university with their possessions insured.

Students starting university this year may take with them expensive items such as a laptop computer, iPod, mobile phone, television, hi-fi system, games console and camera.  Fortunately, with Nationwide's home contents policy, students are automatically covered for loss, or damage to, possessions while attending university, therefore giving students one less thing to worry about and giving parents peace of mind that their children's possessions will be protected.

John Baker, Nationwide's head of insurance, said: "With the cost of tuition fees, accommodation fees and books to pay for, university is without doubt a very expensive experience for both students and parents.  As a result, both may overlook the importance of having home insurance while away at university and take the risk that they will never need to make a claim.  However, with expensive items, student homes have become a prime target for burglars.

"Parents may be unaware that their child's contents could be covered under their own home insurance policy, such as is the case with Nationwide's policy.  Student policies can be expensive but if cover is provided under their own policy parents can make sure their child's possessions are protected while in their student accommodation without extra cost."

Tips for students on how to protect their belongings while at university:

Lock doors and windows whenever leaving your room or student house. 

Speak to your landlord about replacing any old or broken locks which may make it easy for thieves to break in.

Mark possessions with the initials of your university and student ID number.  This can help police return stolen items to their rightful owner and can make it harder for a burglar to sell on stolen goods.

If having friends over, lock any expensive items away to avoid damage.

Don't leave cash and valuables on display in your room.  If you are on the ground floor, don't put your TV and other high value goods where they can be seen from the window.