Home home insurance - renting a room - owner occupier

hi,

am currently renting a room in my own house to another person - do I have to change the home insurance that I have as a result? what happens if someone breaks in and some of my housemate's stuff gets knicked? if I go to make a claim would the insurance company turn me down if i havent advised them that i am renting a room? also are there any other considerations that i havent thought of? please advise....thanks!

Check your policy wording. It makes no difference with some, makes a difference with others. If someone steals his contents that is his own problem, you can't insure them as you have no financial interest in them.

you might need to notify them as they may wish to EXCLUDE theft except caused by forcible and/or violent entry, lest your tenant or any of his invitees run off with your stuff. You should also arrange to extend your policy to cover your liability to him.

Definitely go out of your way to declare it when getting quotes. Been doing the rent a room gig for the past 5 years and have changed insurer a couple of times during this time (but always got multiple quotes each year). With some, it didn't matter. With others, it made a big difference to what they quoted. In my second last year of insurance cover, I only went to renew - and only found out at that stage that they didn't cover rent a room - and in effect, had I needed to claim, I would have been shafted.
So on that basis, make sure to declare it.

I contacted my insurer when I rented out a room to a friend, it didn't change my premium, but they did add a forcible/violent entry clause for theft.