Sainsbury's: 'Students should not neglect home contents insurance'

Home insurance provider Sainsbury's Finance has shown that the average student 'digs' will contain around £3,500 worth of belongings and it is warning university-goers to keep their stuff safe.
Research by the firm found that the average student 'digs' has £3,548-worth of equipment in it, from TVs and iPods to laptops and DVD players, which makes university accommodation and shared housing ripe for thieves.
One-third of undergraduates claim to have no home contents insurance on the gadgets however and Sainsbury's believes that this figure is worrying, especially since they can even be covered under their parents' policies.
Sainsbury's is offering protection for items up to £5,000 away from home under its current contents insurance product.
Ben Tyte, home insurance manager for Sainsbury's, said: "With an estimated one in three students falling victim to some sort of crime each year, it's worrying that so many students go off to university without any insurance cover in place for their possessions.
"However, before splashing out on insurance, students should certainly check to see if their parents' household contents insurance policy might provide cover whilst they're studying away from the family home," he added.
Recent research from Saga showed that university leavers are returning back to their parents' house after finishing their studies to save money on food, energy bills and home contents insurance.
According to the report, 31 per cent of over-50s parents have welcomed their adult children back into the home, with 78 per cent saying they enjoy seeing them around the house again.
Written by Barbara Wintergreen
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