Accidental damage Home Insurance

At John Lewis, we've been helping customers create their dream homes for over 150 years, so we know how important your belongings are to you. From the kitchen table where you gather as a family, to the children’s tablets which they use to learn and relax, it’s these things that make a house a home.

Now, with many of us working and socialising at home with the family close by, there’s more opportunity for spills, breakages and other accidental damage to your home and the things in it. That's why John Lewis Home Insurance customers with Bronze, Silver, or Gold policies can choose flexible Accidental Damage add-ons for contents and buildings. These are designed to cover you for any accidental loss or damage to your belongings and your home respectively.

• Accidental damage cover for buildings or contents - choose either or both add-ons depending on your needs
• Add cover at any time so if things change halfway through the policy, it’s no problem
• No admin fees – it’s completely free to make changes at any time
• Fair, transparent pricing – you only pay for what you specifically need, with no hidden extras in the final price
• No unnecessary renewal hikes because we really do value your loyalty

So what do we mean by accidental damage? We mean damage to your home or to objects in your home caused by the policy owner or their family. In our Bronze, Silver and Gold policy documents you’ll see it defined as ‘damage or loss of function caused by a sudden, unforeseen and unintentional event.’

With our Accidental Damage Home Insurance add-ons for Buildings or Contents, you’re covered for a range of major and minor home disasters. Whether it’s putting your foot through the ceiling or dropping something heavy on your brand new butler sink, we can cover you for instances that happen more than you'd imagine.

Accidental Damage cover is not included as standard with our Bronze, Silver and Gold Home Insurance policies, so you may choose to add this cover on. We offer two separate types of accidental damage add-on, one for contents and one for buildings.

For Specialist Home Insurance customers, cover against accidental damage is included as standard.

This depends on your home set-up, but if you have a busy family life accidental damage insurance can be handy because you’re covered for breakages caused by exuberant children.

Likewise you’re covered for grown-up mishaps such as the dreaded red wine on the new carpet. And if you’ve spent time choosing a nice new kitchen or bathroom, it might be reassuring to know your new sinks and mirrors are covered. Not to mention the fancy new light fittings you’ve been keen to show off to the neighbours. 

As with any insurance, a good rule of thumb is to weigh up the cost of the cover against the cost of repairing or replacing the items yourself.

We offer two separate Accidental Damage add-ons to our Bronze, Silver or Gold policies, giving you the flexibility to choose the level of cover that's right for you: 

Accidental Damage cover for Contents

Accidental Damage cover for Buildings

Here’s an overview of what they cover:

Our Accidental Damage for Contents add-on gives you peace of mind for anything that’s accidentally damaged in transit during a house move.

So if you’re moving within the British Isles and you use a professional removal company, we’ll safeguard your belongings while they're in transit.

With both of our Accidental Damage add-ons, you’re covered for most loss and damage but you're not covered for anything that happens:

•   While you’re away for more than 60 days in a row and your home is left unoccupied

 

•  If your home is lent, let or sub-let to anyone other than your family

 

•  As a result of water entering your home other than by storm or flood

 

•  Due to a mechanical, electrical or electronic fault or breakdown

If you’re working from home in a clerical role, you’re covered. But if you’re using your house for any other business purposes, you’ll need separate business insurance.