Whether you own or rent your home it is important that you have adequate insurance cover for your belongings and, if you do own your home, for the property.
Contents insurance
Tenants' contents insurance scheme
If you are a Council tenant you can take insurance through our Tenants' Contents Insurance Scheme.
We are unable to offer this insurance for private owners so this cover would need to be arranged through either an insurance broker or insurer of the homeowner's choice.
We have partnered with Thistle Tenant Risks to offer a Home Contents Insurance Scheme designed specifically for tenants living in social housing.
All of our tenants are eligible to apply.
Why you need contents insurance
As your landlord, we cover the buildings insurance for your home. However, under your tenancy agreement, you are responsible for insuring your own contents. It is 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 can protect your personal belongings against risks such as fire, theft, water damage, and many more household risks. It can give you peace of mind knowing your items are covered if something unexpected happens.
What contents insurance covers
The scheme is designed to meet the needs of social housing residents looking to purchase home contents insurance.
The policy can help cover items such as:
- furniture
- carpets
- curtains
- clothes
- bedding
- electrical items
- pictures and ornaments
Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply.
Policy information
For full details about what the policy includes, please read the Insurance Product Information Document (PDF 58 KB) and the Policy Wording (PDF 524 KB).
Why you choose our pay-as-you-go Home Contents Insurance Scheme
Reasons why you should choose our pay-as-you-go Home Contents Insurance Scheme:
- Protection for your belongings – Covers loss or damage caused by 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 that you are legally responsible for. There is no cover if your home is unoccupied for more than 60 days in a row.
- Optional outbuilding cover – Add protection of up to £3,000 for theft or attempted theft from contents in sheds, outbuildings and garages that form part of your home.
- External glazing – Covers damage to external glazing for which you are responsible.
- Lost or stolen keys – 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.
- No special locks – You do not need to have special door or window locks, as long as your outside door locks, that is fine.
- No excess – There is no excess to pay when you claim.
How to apply for contents insurance and the cost
You can electronically complete the PDF application form below, which includes additional information and details on the cost of insurance.
If you’re completing the form on a mobile phone or tablet, you may need to download and open it using a PDF viewer app, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, to fill it in.
Apply for the Home Contents Insurance Scheme (PDF 477 KB)
This PDF may not be fully accessible for people using screen readers. Please contact us if you need this information in an accessible format.
If you prefer, you can also contact us using the details below and we will post an application pack to you.
Please also read the Thistle Customer Information Document (PDF 101 KB).
These documents provide important information about:
- your rights
- how your insurance is managed
- key details about the insurance cover
Please note that this insurance we provide is on a non-advised basis. This means we give you the key information you need, but we will not recommend which cover to choose.
You decide what best suits your needs.
How to make a claim
You can register a claim at Thistle Insurance Services: Home contents claims portal.
For tenants unable to register a loss online, call MPL Claims Management Limited on 0345 060 0030.
How to make a complaint
We always aim to provide the best possible service, but if you have any questions or concerns about this insurance, or the handling of a claim, please follow the Thistle Insurances Services Complaints Procedure (PDF 112 KB).
For additional information visit our complaints handling procedure.
How to contact us
If you are unsure whether this insurance policy is right for you, please telephone 01563 554400 (option 4), or email rentaccounting@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.
We will be happy to help.
East Ayrshire Council is 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 Number 00338645. Registered office: Rossington’s Business Park, West Carr Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW. Thistle Insurance Services Ltd is part of the PIB Group.
Thistle Insurance Services: Data Protection Privacy Policy
Buildings insurance
Council tenants
If you are a Council tenant you do not need buildings insurance as we already have insurance in place which covers the building. This will normally also be the case if you rent from another landlord but you should check with them.
Homeowner
If you own your home you will need to have buildings insurance to cover:
- the structure
- fixtures and fittings of your home:
- roof
- walls, ceilings and floors
- doors and windows
- fitted kitchens
- built-in cupboards
- bathroom suites
You may need to pay extra to cover outdoor structures such as sheds and garages. We are unable to offer this insurance for private owners so this cover would need to be arranged through either an insurance broker or insurer of the homeowner's choice.
A comprehensive buildings insurance policy should cover the full cost of repair or rebuild in the event of:
- fire
- lightning
- aircraft
- storm tempest flood
- burst pipes
- explosion
- earthquake
- riot civil commotion
- impact damage
- subsidence
Carefully read your policy documents and make sure you know what is covered, as well as what is excluded under the policy.
Living in an area of risk
If you live in an area at risk of subsidence or flood, check what the policy wording states in relation to losses arising from either of these risks.
You might also want to check that your buildings insurance policy provides you with alternative accommodation if your home becomes temporarily uninhabitable.
Council blocks of flats where some properties are privately owned
In the event of any damage from storms, fire, lightning, earthquake and so on, private owners should advise their own buildings insurer that their property has been affected.
Most policies have a time limit in which to notify the insurance company that an event has occurred. The time limit will be stated in your policy.
Any damage to contents should be claimed under the owner/occupier's own household contents insurance.
Emergency repairs
In terms of the Deed of Conditions relative to private property in a block, the Council reserves the right to instruct common emergency repairs. The repair costs would then be apportioned to any owners within the block who would be invoiced for the work done.
Due to the urgent nature of this repair work, the Council does not require to provide prior notice.
Insurers may request that the owner obtains independent quotes for work required to common areas within the block which have been affected by any of the above perils. The Council's position in relation to this is detailed below.
Third party quotations
Where the Council retains an ownership interest in the block of properties of which your insured property forms part, it has legal responsibility to its tenants and an ongoing statutory responsibility as owner to ensure effective management of its property assets.
We are therefore not in a position to instruct contractors on the basis of alternative third party quotations which is in contravention of its standing orders, nor in a position to delegate responsibility for instruction of repairs and the management of contracts impacting on its property to a third party. We will not consider alternative quotations from any third party for common works.
Policy excess
Please remember that it is likely you will have a policy excess which as an owner you will be responsible for paying.
The excess will vary from one insurer to another, so again, you must check your policy document to find out what level of excess applies.