Home Contents Insurance for Council Tenants

Tenants and Residents do you have Home Contents Insurance?

Why do I need it?

As your landlord, we cover the buildings insurance for your home, but you are responsible, under the terms of your tenancy, for insuring your contents. It is always a good idea to shop around for a policy that will give you the cover you need.

Home contents insurance is not compulsory, but it is a good idea to consider what a policy would cover you for. Home contents insurance can help protect your personal property from incidents such as fire, theft, water damage, and many more household risks, giving you peace of mind.

What does contents insurance cover?

We have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks, to offer a Home Contents Insurance Scheme, designed specifically for tenants in social housing, all our tenants are eligible to apply. The scheme is designed to meet the demands and needs of social housing residents looking to purchase home contents insurance.

This policy can cover contents such as: Furniture, Carpets, Curtains, Clothes, Bedding, Electrical items, Pictures, Ornaments.

Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. For more information about the policy, please refer to the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) (PDF, 43 KB) and Policy Wording (PDF, 278 KB).

Reasons to choose Basildon Council's Pay As You Go Home Contents Insurance Scheme

• Covers loss or damage to your contents caused by specific events such as, theft, water damage, fire, and many more household risks.
• Tenant's liability - We will pay up to 35% of the contents sum insured for damage to your landlord's fixtures and fittings which you are legally liable for as a tenant. There is no cover available if your home is unoccupied for more than 60 days in a row.
• Covers theft or attempted theft of contents in sheds, outbuildings and garages that form part of your home up to £3,000.
• Covers damage to external glazing for which you are responsible.
• We will pay up to £500 for replacement and installation of locks for outside doors or windows and alarms if keys are lost or stolen.
• You do not need to have special door or window locks, as long as your outside door locks, that is fine.

How can I apply for home contents insurance and how much will it cost? 

The quickest way to apply for cover is by completing the online form.
Please read the following documents before you apply, as they contain important information about the cover, your rights, and the policy terms:

• Insurance Product Information Document (IPID)
• Policy Wording
• Customer Information Document

Once you've reviewed these documents, you can apply by completing the online form here: Home Contents Insurance Application

(Using the online form can save you time and calculates your weekly premium for you)

You can also complete a paper application form (PDF, 240 KB), which includes additional information, and premiums. You can contact the Insurance Team on 01268 207940 for an application pack to be posted to you.  Please also review the Thistle Tenant Risks Customer Information Document (PDF, 107 KB). These documents provide important information about your rights, how we manage your insurance, and key details about the insurance.  Please note that the insurance policy we provide is arranged on a non-advised basis. This means that you will be provided with the information to be able to make an informed decision on which cover is appropriate for your needs.  If you are unsure whether this insurance policy is right for you, please contact the Insurance Team on 01268 207940 who will be happy to help with your queries.

** IMPORTANT - Information on keeping up with insurance  payments and for those receiving Housing Benefit

You must keep up to date with your payments. Failure to keep up with insurance premium payments will result in your policy being cancelled.

Tenants receiving Housing Benefit must be aware that insurance premium payments will not be included as part of their Housing Benefit entitlement. Tenants receiving Housing Benefit will have to either cancel their policy or make payments from their own finances or other benefit entitlement.

To make a claim on your Home Contents Insurance Policy

To make a claim on your Home Contents Insurance Policy please contact MPL Claims Management Limited directly:

• Phone: 0345 060 0030
• Visit the on-line portal here: https://thistle-wr-policyholderportal.co.uk/

To change or cancel a Home Contents Insurance Policy or inform us of a change in your circumstances

To cancel or change your Home Contents Insurance Policy please contact the Council's Insurance Team.

You will be asked to supply the following information:

• Your Full Name
• Your Full Address
• Details of the amendments you want to make

IMPORTANT: The basis of your Home Contents Insurance contract is the information you have supplied, including the declaration which you will have checked and signed to confirm the information you have provided on your application is correct.

Should any of the information you have provided on your application change you must inform us of these changes in circumstances, as they could affect the validity of your insurance cover. For example, you should inform us of the following:

• You change your address
• You leave your home unoccupied for more than 60 days
• Add significantly to the value of your belongings
• Criminal record

Replacement policy documents

Tenants who have joined the Home Contents Insurance Scheme receive a letter containing details of their insurance cover. If this letter has been lost a new copy can be requested by contacting the Council's Insurance Team.

What to do if you have a complaint

It is always the intention to give you the best possible service but if you do have any questions or concerns about this insurance, or the handling of a claim, you should follow Thistle Tenant Risks complaints procedure.

A copy of Thistle Tenant Risks complaint's procedure is available here: Thistle Complaints Procedure (PDF, 120 KB)

For additional information, view our complaints page here: Complaint or compliment.

Basildon Borough Council working in partnership with Thistle Tenant Risks which is a trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Thistle Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Firm Reference Number 310419. Registered in England under No. 00338645. Registered office: Rossington's Business Park, West Carr Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW. Thistle Insurance Services Ltd is part of the PIB Group.

Our Data Protection Privacy Policy is online at https://www.thistleinsurance.co.uk/Privacy-Policy