Many home insurance policies do not cover accidents as standard, warns Which?

The majority of home insurance policies fail to include cover for accidental damage as standard, analysis from Which? indicates.

The consumer group said that when households take out buildings or contents insurance, many may assume they are automatically covered for accidental damage.

But when Which? analysed 78 home insurance policies from 35 providers, it found only 28% of buildings insurance policies and 27% of contents policies included accidental damage cover as standard.

Many policies did offer the cover as an optional extra or provide basic cover that could be upgraded.

Research for Which? among 4,000 people carried out by Yonder in October 2024 found 31% of consumers who had bought insurance thought their policy would cover them for anything that was not their fault.

A similar proportion (29%) believed that if they had cover for possessions, they are protected against any event involving those possessions including accidental damage.

In a separate Which? survey of more than 2,800 people in June and July 2025 who had tried to make a claim on their policy in the last two years, accidental damage accounted for around a fifth (19%) of cases. That research involved Deltapoll.

Last week, Which? launched a super-complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority over its concerns about “serious failings” in the home and travel insurance markets.

Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: “When it comes to making a claim on your insurance, it’s sadly all too common to get caught out by the small print.”

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: “Home insurance is primarily designed to cover you for significant losses from events such as fire, storms and floods.

“Accidental damage insurance can cover you for certain mishaps, like spilling paint on the carpet or a window accidentally smashed by a ball.

“It doesn’t include damage that’s due to a lack of upkeep or damage caused by pets and will generally need to be purchased as additional cover, which is widely available.

“Always check your policy details or speak to your insurer to make sure you have the right level of protection for your needs.”