16th January 2023
Self storage insurance is a type of specialist insurance product. It is designed to cover your personal belongings and business items while they are in self storage. There are a few specific risks that your possessions in self storage could be open to. The self storage insurance will protect you, financially, from these potential and specific risks.
There are different levels of self storage insurance policies. You could have an insurance that just covers the belongings while they are in storage for example. Alternatively, the self storage insurance could cover your belongings while they are in transit to the storage unit.
Generally speaking, self storage insurance will be required by all reputable self storage facilities. In this blog post we look into what self storage insurance is, why you need it, what it includes and how much self storage insurance can cost.
What Is Self Storage Insurance?
If you place personal or business belongings in storage, you will need to take out self storage insurance. There are many self storage companies out there. The more reputable and professional of them will require that you have self storage insurance in place to enable you to rent a storage unit for your storage needs. You will need to decide the level of self storage insurance you need for your possessions to ensure you have the cover the need.
What Does Self Storage Insurance Cover?
Self storage insurance will cover the protection of your possession from theft while they are in storage. In addition to this, more self storage insurance policies will also provide cover in the case of fire damage or vandalism and any subsidence damage. Your self storage insurance is like to cover your belongings for any water damage, whether that is from storms, floods or sprinklers. Many self storage insurance policies will also cover insect of vermin damage to your belongings in storage.
However, every insurance provider and self storage policy is different. It is extremely important that you do your own research and make sure you have the right level of self storage insurance and cover for your storage and protection needs.
Why Do You Need Self Storage Insurance?
When you store your possessions at home, whether that’s in the loft, the garage or the spare room, they are normally covered by your home insurance policy. The same goes for your business belongings that are stored in filing cupboards, the meeting rooms or broom cupboard for example. The items stored on your business premises will be covered by your business insurance. However, your home and business insurance policies may have exclusions or inadequate cover limits for items and belongings placed in self storage. This is why you need self storage insurance.
The thing about self storage insurance is that it covers your belongings against the specific risks they could face in a storage unit. By having a dedicated self storage insurance policy you’ll know that you are getting the best possible cover for your belongings in storage.
Insurance is one of those things that is only ever needed in worse case scenarios. Some people opt out of insurance because they believe that nothing bad will ever happen to them. However, things do happen. Buildings do burn down. Thefts do take place and floods can destroy buildings too. This is when you need an insurance policy that covers your belongings in self storage. There can be a mentality of “it’ll never happen to me” so people don’t get self storage insurance. But when it does happen, these people are left with nothing, while wishing they had paid a few pounds a month after all. While the insurance pay-out will never bring your prized possessions and belongings back, it will support you financially.
What Isn’t Covered By Self Storage Insurance?
As with all types of insurance, there will be certain things that are covered but there will also be limitations. It is important to do your own research as each insurance policy and insurance provider will vary. They will have slightly different policy conditions and different levels of cover too.
That said, there are some things that are pretty much universal and seen in all self storage insurance policies. Some of these things that you will see in all self storage insurance policies that they will not cover are as follows:
- There will be no insurance cover for storage units that contain dangerous contents. These dangerous contents include things like flammable liquids and toxic chemicals, for example.
- No insurance cover is offered to storage units that contain any form of currency. This includes things like cash, coins, credit cards, cheques, vouchers, bank drafts, lottery tickets and similar.
When you take out a self storage insurance policy you need to ensure that you clarify with the insurance provider exactly what is covered. This is just as important as clarifying what isn’t covered within the insurance policy. Make sure you check the wording of the self storage insurance policy before signing it. This will ensure that you know exactly what you are and are not covered for before agreeing to anything.
Is Self Storage Insurance Compulsory?
While it is not compulsory to have self storage insurance for your belongings, it is highly recommended for your own protection. That said, the more reputable and well-known self storage companies will request that you have a self storage insurance policy in place before you place your items into their self storage units.
How Much Do Big Yellow Charge For Self Storage Insurance?
When we last checked, Big Yellow were charging from around £5 for the cost of contents protection for your items that are placed in storage. This is through their Enhanced Liability Service and offer £3,000 of cover for just £5 per week.
Do Self Storage Companies Include Insurance?
Many self storage companies do not provide insurance for your belongings while they are in their self storage facility. Instead, you will need to take out your own insurance cover. This can be done by asking for recommendations from the self storage company. Alternatively, you can shop around. The most important thing to do is to do your own research and check the small print. This will ensure that you get the right self storage insurance provider and insurance policy for your needs.
Want to know more about insurance for the belongings that you place in our self storage units in Darlington or Peterborough? Call our team now. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have and recommend the right self storage insurance provider for your needs.
