Home Insurance
Your complete guide to home insurance
Get the right buildings and contents cover to protect your home, belongings and finances if you need to make a claim.
What’s in this guide?
Part 1
How home insurance works in Ireland
What is home insurance?
Home insurance is a policy that can protect your home, belongings or both if they are damaged, lost or stolen.
A policy can cover the structure of your home, your personal possessions, or a combination of both. This usually depends on whether you choose buildings insurance, contents insurance, or combined buildings and contents cover.
Home insurance can help cover the cost of repairing damage, replacing belongings or rebuilding your home after an insured event, such as a fire, storm, flood, escape of water or burglary.
The exact protection depends on your insurer and policy, so always check what’s included, what’s optional and what’s excluded before you buy.
Do you need home insurance in Ireland?
Home insurance is not a legal requirement in Ireland like car insurance, but it can offer important financial protection if your home or belongings are damaged, lost or stolen.
If you have a mortgage, your lender will usually require you to have buildings insurance in place. This protects the structure of the property if it is damaged or needs to be rebuilt.
If you own your home outright, buildings insurance is optional, but going without it could leave you facing major repair or rebuild costs yourself.
If you rent, you usually won’t need buildings insurance because this is normally your landlord’s responsibility. However, you may want contents insurance to protect your own belongings.
What does it cover?
Home insurance can protect your home and belongings if they are damaged, lost or stolen after an insured event.
Depending on your insurer and policy, it can usually cover:
For example, if there was a fire in your home, your policy could pay to repair the damage to your property and replace damaged belongings.
What does home insurance not usually cover?
Home insurance doesn’t protect you against every eventuality. Exclusions vary by insurer, but it usually won’t cover:
You may also need to pay extra for cover against flood, subsidence, accidental damage or other specific risks, depending on your property and policy.
Part 2
Types of home insurance in Ireland
There are two main types of home insurance. Buildings insurance and contents insurance protect different parts of your home. You can buy them separately or choose a combined policy that includes both.
For the structure of your home
Buildings insurance
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your property and permanent fixtures and fittings.
- May cover walls, roof, floors and ceilings
- May cover fitted kitchens and bathrooms
- May cover garages, sheds, boundary walls and gates
- Usually needed if you own your home
- Often required by mortgage lenders
For the belongings inside it
Contents insurance
Contents insurance covers the personal belongings you keep in your home.
- May cover furniture, appliances and clothes
- May cover jewellery, electronics and valuables
- May cover theft, fire and water damage
- Useful for homeowners and renters
- High-value items may need to be listed separately
Other types of home insurance
Depending on your situation, you may need a more specific type of home insurance.
What extras can you add to your policy?
You can add many optional extras to your home insurance policy, but each could make your premium more expensive. Extras you could consider include:
Some policies include emergency home assistance which covers out of hours repairs. For example, if your boiler broke down, the call out fee and labour would be covered.
If you need a general boiler care plan, our guide to boiler servicing plans explains all.
Which home insurance cover do you need?
Choosing the right home insurance depends on whether you own, rent or let out your home. The best cover for you might change depending on whether you’re a:
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Homeowner with a mortgage Buildings insurance is usually required by your lender, and contents insurance can protect your furniture, appliances, clothes and valuables.
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Homeowner without a mortgage Buildings insurance may not be required, but it can protect you from large repair or rebuild costs. Contents cover can also protect your belongings.
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Apartment owner Buildings insurance may be arranged through your management company, but you should check what the block policy covers and consider contents cover for your belongings.
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Tenant or renter Your landlord is usually responsible for insuring the building, but you may want contents insurance to protect your own possessions.
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Landlord Standard home insurance may not be enough if you rent out a property. Landlord insurance can cover rental properties, landlord-owned contents, liability and loss of rent.
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Holiday home owner You may need specialist cover if the property is left empty for long periods, used seasonally or rented out as a short-term let.
Part 3
The cost of home insurance
How much does home insurance cost in Ireland?
Home insurance costs vary depending on your property, where you live, the level of cover you choose and your claims history.
Home insurance can cost, on average, around €400–€600 a year, though quotes may be lower or higher depending on the property and policy details.
Premiums can vary widely depending on your property, location, rebuild cost, contents value, excess and optional extras.
The best way to understand what you could pay is to compare like-for-like quotes, using the same buildings cover, contents cover, excess and optional extras.
For example, a small apartment with contents-only cover will usually cost less to insure than a large detached house with buildings and contents cover, high-value items, accidental damage and home emergency cover.
What affects the price of home insurance?
The cost of your home insurance depends on the property, the cover you choose and how likely the insurer thinks you are to claim.
Common factors include:
What is underinsurance?
Underinsurance is when the amount insured on your policy is less than the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home, or replacing its contents.
For buildings insurance, your cover should be based on your home’s full rebuild cost, not its market value. If your home is underinsured, your insurer may reduce the amount it pays if you make a claim.
For example, if your home should be insured for €400,000 but you only insure it for €300,000, you may only be insured for 75% of the true rebuild cost. That could affect how much your insurer pays towards a claim.
You can reduce the risk of underinsurance by reviewing your buildings and contents cover regularly, especially when:
The SCSI House Rebuild Calculator can help estimate the cost of rebuilding your home for insurance purposes. It is designed as a guide, so you may need professional advice for unusual, period or high-spec properties.
What is the average clause?
Some home insurance policies include an average clause. This means that if your home or contents are underinsured, your insurer may reduce your claim in proportion to the amount of cover you had.
For example, if you insured your home for 75% of its rebuild cost, your insurer may only pay 75% of an eligible claim.
Check your policy documents or ask your insurer whether an average clause applies.
How to avoid underinsuring your home
To avoid being underinsured, make sure your cover reflects the real cost of rebuilding your home and replacing your belongings.
Part 4
How to get cheaper home insurance
You don’t always need to reduce your cover to lower your home insurance premium. The key is to compare policies carefully, avoid paying for cover you don’t need, and make sure your home is insured for the right amount.
1. Shop around
Renewal quotes are not always the cheapest, so compare quotes from different insurers and brokers before accepting.
2. Choose the right excess
Increasing your excess - the amount you pay when you claim - will make your monthly premium lower. It will also make any claim more expensive.
3. Pay upfront
Paying upfront can be cheaper than paying monthly, which may include interest or extra fees.
4. Get a multi policy discount
If you have another insurance policy, you could bag a multi policy discount when you buy home insurance from the same insurer.
5. Only add extras you need
Optional extras like accidental damage, home emergency or legal expenses can increase the cost.
6. Improve your home security
Secure locks, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and a burglar alarm may help reduce risk.
For more tips, read our guide to 7 ways to save money on your home insurance.
How to compare home insurance quotes
When comparing home insurance, don’t just choose the cheapest price. A cheaper policy may have a higher excess, lower cover limits or fewer benefits.
Before choosing a policy, compare:
- Buildings cover: Make sure the sum insured reflects your rebuild cost, not the market value.
- Contents cover: Check whether your belongings are covered for the amount they would cost to replace.
- Excess: Compare how much you would need to pay yourself if you made a claim.
- Optional extras: Check whether accidental damage, home emergency, legal expenses or valuables cover are included.
- Exclusions: Look for limits around vacant periods, flood risk, subsidence, wear and tear or high-value items.
- Payment terms: Paying monthly may cost more than paying annually.
Read the policy documents before you buy, so you know what is included, what is optional and what is excluded.
Should you use an insurance broker?
Plenty of insurers offer home insurance in Ireland, but a broker can help you compare quotes and find suitable cover more quickly.
This can be useful if your home is harder to insure, for example if it is older, has a history of flooding, has unusual features, or you need specialist cover.
Not every broker compares the whole market, so it can still be worth checking quotes from more than one broker or insurer before choosing a policy.
Before accepting a renewal quote from your existing insurer, compare your options. You may be able to find cheaper cover elsewhere, but make sure you’re comparing similar cover limits, excesses and exclusions.
Getting the right cover
To get the right home insurance for your needs, follow these three steps:
- Work out what cover you need by checking your rebuild cost, contents value and any optional extras that matter to you.
- Choose an excess you can afford and weigh this against the cost of the policy.
- Compare home insurance quotes from different insurers or brokers to find suitable cover at a competitive price.
Home insurance guide FAQs
Can I get home insurance if my home has had subsidence?
You may still be able to get home insurance if your home has had subsidence, but you may need specialist cover.
Tell insurers about any previous subsidence, structural issues or claims, as this can affect your quote and what is covered.
Can I get home insurance if my home has flooded before?
Yes, but it may be harder or more expensive to get cover if your home has flooded before or is in a high-risk flood area.
Some insurers may apply higher excesses, exclude flood cover, or ask for details of any flood prevention work.
Does home insurance cover garden items?
Some policies cover items kept in your garden, shed or garage, but limits and exclusions can vary.
Check whether garden furniture, tools, bikes, plants or outdoor equipment are included, and whether they need to be locked away.
Do I need to tell my insurer about renovations?
Yes, you should tell your insurer before starting major renovations, building work or structural changes.
Renovations can affect your level of risk, and your insurer may need to update your policy or apply extra conditions while work is underway.
Can I insure a vacant property?
You may need specialist unoccupied property insurance if your home will be empty for longer than your policy allows.
Tell your insurer if the property will be vacant for a long period, for example during renovations, between tenants or after moving out.
Does home insurance cover students living away from home?
Some policies may cover a student’s belongings while they are living away from home, but this is not always included.
Check the policy limits, exclusions and whether cover applies in student accommodation or rented housing.
Can I change my home insurance after buying a policy?
Yes, you can usually update your policy if your circumstances change, for example if you renovate, buy expensive items, work from home or rent out a room.
Your insurer may adjust your premium or cover based on the change.
What documents do I need to make a home insurance claim?
You may need photos of the damage, receipts, valuations, repair estimates, Garda reports for theft, and any correspondence linked to the claim.
Contact your insurer as soon as possible and check what evidence they need before arranging repairs.