Paranormal protection: Does your home insurance cover ghostly damage?

Households have been told to check the fine print of their home insurance policies this spooky season, to make sure they are covered in the event of paranormal activity.

A recent survey by Quotezone.co.uk discovered 80% of people are unaware their home insurance could protect them from damage by paranormal activity.

One in four of those surveyed said they know someone who has seen a ghost. With so much alleged paranormal activity present in UK households, the insurance experts are urging everyone to check they are completely covered in case of unexpected bumps in the night.

From mysterious creaks to shattered windows, toppled furniture and broken lamps – it’s sensible for haunted Brits to make sure their homes are protected.

The spooky-related small print relates to accidental damage, which is commonly offered by insurance providers as an add-on to standard policies and covers homeowners for unintentional damage to homes or their contents.

This can cover homeowners for things like spilling red wine, dropping a laptop, knocking over a TV and, apparently, damage by clumsy ghosts.

Homeowners should check to make sure they’ve opted for accidental home and contents damage to be included in their home insurance – a warning as many are now opting for more basic policies in a bid to combat soaring home insurance costs, which may not include accidental damage as standard.*

Greg Wilson, CEO and home insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk said: “With 23% of people surveyed admitting they believe in ghosts, and 43% saying they know someone who has seen a ghost – research on this controversial topic is well worth looking into.

“Homeowners need to be careful and read their policy details, insuring it covers home and contents from accidental damage – noting extras like broken mirrors and glass are often not included as standard.

“No matter what you believe this Halloween, it’s sensible to have the most comprehensive policy possible and accidental damage is ideal to protect your belongings from mishaps.  It doesn’t have to be expensive either, shop around to find a competitive product or add it as an extra to your existing policy.

“We urge all homeowners to be completely up to date on their policy and make sure they understand all terms and conditions, to avoid being left vulnerable if something were to give you a fright.”

References:

*https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2024/5/home-insurance-premiums-rise-but-remain-below-historic-peaks/