Do you need Accidental Damage Cover? What it covers and what you need to consider

What does accidental damage insurance protect? Your TV? Mobile phone? Carpet? This article explains what’s included in accidental damage cover and suggests when it may be worth taking out a policy to protect your home and belongings.

You’re probably aware of the importance of having home insurance in place, whether you own or rent your home. However, a home insurance policy doesn’t automatically cover all the different types of damage that can occur within your property.

This is where accidental damage insurance comes in. Accidental damage is an optional cover that protects you if an unintentional incident causes physical damage to something in your home.

This article will explore accidental damage cover in general terms. You should always review your own policy details to understand what is and isn’t covered by your policy.

What is accidental damage in home insurance?

Home insurance exists to cover damage caused by events including fires, storms, flooding, burst pipes and theft. Accidental damage cover is designed to protect you when accidents occur, such as spillages or items being knocked off shelves.

While most insurance companies have slightly different definitions of what accidental damage is, a claim normally needs to fulfil certain conditions to qualify. It must be for a single, unexpected, non-recurring event that has resulted in damage.

What counts as accidental damage?

Accidental damage has to be caused by a single and unintentional incident, such as spilling food or drinks on your sofa or knocking your TV over while cleaning.

Because it needs to happen unexpectedly, accidental damage does not cover breakages resulting from wear and tear or gradual deterioration. Nor does it cover electrical or mechanical breakdowns. So your laptop will be covered if you drop it and crack the screen while at home, but not if it suddenly stops working after years of service.

Accidental damage from pets is rarely included as standard, though it might be included if you pay extra for extended protection. Some policies will kick in if your four-legged friend accidentally knocks something over. However, damage resulting from chewing, scratching, vomiting, tearing or fouling will most likely be excluded, as it isn’t considered “accidental”.

Many insurance providers exclude accidental damage from pets entirely. It’s important to read through your policy documents thoroughly to make sure you understand what’s covered before making a claim.

Most accidental damage cover protects against DIY mishaps – for example, if you spill paint on your floor while repainting your walls, however they don’t provide protection for damage arising from faulty designs.

In addition, accidental damage insurance only covers incidents that happen within your property. This means your portable electronics, including mobile phones and laptops, won’t be covered while you’re out and about. For damage to items outside the home, you’ll need Personal Belongings cover.

What does accidental damage cover include?

Much like home insurance, accidental damage cover is split into buildings and contents.

• Accidental damage buildings insurance covers incidents that result in damage to your building’s or garden’s structure or permanent fixtures. For example, if a heavy flowerpot falls and cracks your floor.
• Accidental damage contents insurance covers damage to belongings, such as furniture in your home or garden and technological devices.

You can choose whether to add accidental damage cover to your contents or your buildings insurance, or to both.

Accidental damage buildings insurance

What is covered?

• DIY mishaps such as spilling paint or drilling through a water pipe
• Smashed windows
• Damage to doors, solar panels and greenhouses
• Breakage of kitchen units and built-in appliances
• Broken bathroom fittings
• Cracked wall tiles, floors and ceilings
• Damage to cables, pipes and drains

What isn’t covered?

• Accidental damage from paying guests or tenants
• Deliberate damage caused by you or someone you know
• Home repairs, renovations or building works done by paid professionals
• Properties unoccupied for longer than 60 days
• Damage resulting from poor maintenance
• Pet damage
• Pest infestations

Accidental damage contents insurance

What is covered?

• Spills and stains on carpets
• Damage to furniture and shelves
• Cracked screens, spills, and drops of tech devices including TVs, mobile phones, laptops, iPads, handheld games consoles and smartwatches
• Broken jewellery
• Garden furniture damage
• Pictures falling off the wall

What isn’t covered?

• Tech devices including laptops and phones that are damaged outside the home – for this you need Personal Belongings cover
• Accidental damage caused by paying guests or tenants
• Electrical or mechanical breakdowns
• Pet damage

Read more on what is and isn’t covered by accidental damage insurance.

Top claim types

We spoke to LV=, who provide Home Insurance for Age UK Trading customers to find out more about the types of claim that are usually made against accidental damage cover.

Under standard accidental damage cover the top claim in 2025 was for Breakage of fixed glass such as a window or induction hob, paying out on average £734. This is followed by Damage to underground services such as pipes and cables which paid out £1,488 on average. The third most common accidental damage claim type in 2025 was Emergency access, for example where emergency services are called and have to break a window or door to get in. This type of claim paid out £1,503 on average.

Under enhanced accidental damage cover the top claim type in 2025 was Spillage which paid out £1,016 on average in 2025.

Do you need accidental damage cover?

The short answer is no: it’s an Optional Cover. However, accidental damage is one of the most common reasons for home insurance claims, and without the right level of protection you may find your claim is rejected.

But accidents can happen easily. Accidental damage insurance may be particularly beneficial for those that sometimes knock things over or often have grandchildren to stay. It can also be helpful if you’re embarking on a DIY project: standard home insurance does not include cover for DIY home renovations.

For landlords, accidental damage cover added to your home insurance doesn’t cover breakage caused by tenants. You need to purchase landlord insurance instead. Accidental damage is usually an optional add-on to such policies and protects you from accidental damage caused by you, your tenants or a guest.

If you’re renting, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to have buildings insurance in place. However, your landlord’s policy will not cover your personal belongings and you could be liable to cover any accidental damage you cause to your landlord’s property or fixtures.

Accidental damage insurance for tenants is typically referred to as tenants’ liability insurance or renters’ liability insurance and can save you from having to pay for repairs yourself. To cover your own belongings, you’d also need to take out a separate tenants’ contents policy.

Could accidental damage home insurance be worth it?

Whether accidental damage cover may be worth it largely depends on the items you have in your home that would be impacted by unexpected incidents.

Many home insurance policies include a small element of accidental damage cover, which means your electronics could be covered even if you don’t pay extra. On the other hand, if you worry about knocking over a prize piece of glassware or porcelain, full accidental damage insurance might be worth considering.

It’s best to assess the value of your belongings and whether you can afford to replace them or repair damage to your property if something happens.

Accidents can happen at any time – and for many people accidental damage insurance may be worth taking out because it can offer reassurance. But insurance companies interpret accidental damage very differently, so it’s important to make sure you understand what’s covered before you pay extra, as adding accidental damage cover will increase your annual premium. You also need to consider the excess you’d be willing to pay in the event of a claim.

Furthermore, accidental damage insurance normally covers guests as long as they’re not paying to stay with you. But if you have particularly active grandchildren, for example, it’s worth making sure you have the right policy for your individual needs.

How to claim on your accidental damage insurance

If an accident happens in your home, first do everything you can to prevent further harm to your belongings or property. You should also document the damage by taking clear photographs. It’s best to do this from several different angles to ensure your claims handler will be able to see the damage properly.

Before contacting your insurer, make sure you have your policy number and documents to hand, as well as any relevant receipts or warranties for the items that have been damaged.

Be prepared to give your insurance company as much information about the incident as possible. Don’t forget to hold on to all of your damaged items until the claim has been resolved, in case your insurer needs to inspect the damage. Once your provider has approved the claim, you can start repairs and recycle or throw away anything that is broken.

Check out our full article for more details on how to make a home insurance claim.