Home office insurance

Home office insurance, often referred to as 'working from home insurance', is designed specifically to provide cover for home based businesses.

What type of cover does a typical home office policy provide?

A standard policy will normally include cover for business contents, that is all the contents of your office or workshop, including electronic equipment such as computers and faxes.

There will also be additional covers specifically for your business, including public liability, to cover your customers or other member of the public if they are injured whilst in your home.

Business interruption protection is also a standard cover. In the event of a disaster occurring such as a fire or flood, which temporarily makes it impossible for you to trade properly, the insurer would pay for loss of income.

What optional covers are available?

With the increasing number of laptop computers and mobile phones used in business, you can now buy additional insurance that will cover these both in and out off the office. Known as all risks' cover for business equipment – this includes accidental loss or damage of your portable office equipment.

For those with offices or workshops that are built separately to the main home, but still within the bounds of the property, you can also purchase buildings insurance.

Am I already covered under my normal home insurance policy?

Even if you already have buildings and contents insurance for your house, you may need extra cover if you work from home. Most home insurance policies specifically exclude any cover for business or commercial use, so you should arrange separate working from home insurance.

In particular an ordinary home insurance policy will not provide public liability cover for anyone visiting your home in connection with your business, so separate cover is essential.

What is not covered?

As with all insurance policies there are exclusions, so it’s important to read the key facts or summary of cover before you buy.

It may be a condition of the policy that properties in certain areas have minimum security standards (5 lever mortice locks and window locks) and these will have to be in operation when the home is left unoccupied.

One other important point to check is the value of the excess. This is the amount that the insurer will deduct from your pay out in the event that you make a claim.

Get a home office insurance quote

Insure My Office provide home office insurance that extends your home insurance to cover items specifically used for your business. The policy can also cover you for public liability insurance and buildings insurance should your office be built separately to the main home.

Get a home office insurance quote