Office contents insurance
What office contents insurance covers, typical UK costs in 2026, and how hybrid working changes what you should be insuring.
Office contents insurance is contents cover written for a low-hazard, IT-heavy environment. It is usually one of the cheaper covers a business buys, because an office carries far less fire and theft risk than a kitchen or a workshop — but it is also the cover most often left at a sum insured set when the business was half its current size.
What an office actually needs covering
- Desktops, laptops, monitors, servers and network equipment.
- Desks, chairs, storage and meeting room furniture.
- Fit-out and partitioning — often the largest single item in a leased office.
- Printers, AV equipment and kitchen appliances.
- Any physical records or files you could not simply reprint.
Hybrid working has changed the question
A meaningful share of an office’s contents now spends part of the week somewhere else. A standard contents policy covers items at the premises; a laptop damaged at an employee’s home or on a train is not automatically covered. If your team works hybrid, ask specifically about cover for equipment away from the premises — sometimes an extension, sometimes a separate all-risks section.
Do not confuse contents cover with cyber cover
Contents insurance replaces a stolen laptop. It does not respond to the data on it, the breach notification costs, or the business interruption that follows a ransomware incident. For an office-based business, cyber is usually the more likely large claim of the two.
What it costs
Office contents typically sits at the lower end of the £100–£400 a year range for a small business, because the risk profile is favourable. The main variables are your sum insured, the security of the building, and whether you are in a multi-tenanted property where you have less control over access.
Office contents insurance: frequently asked questions
Is office contents insurance worth it for a small team?+
For most offices it is one of the cheapest covers on the schedule, and replacing a room of IT equipment out of cash flow is not something most small firms want to do. The more useful question is whether your sum insured is current — offices routinely grow their equipment and never update the figure.
Are staff laptops covered when working from home?+
Not automatically. A standard contents policy covers items at the insured premises. Equipment away from the office usually needs an extension or an all-risks section. With hybrid working now normal, this is worth confirming in writing rather than assuming.
Does my landlord’s insurance cover my office contents?+
No. Your landlord insures the building structure. Your equipment, furniture and any fit-out you paid for are yours to insure. Many leases also require you to hold contents and liability cover to a stated minimum, so check the terms.
Cover usually bought alongside this
How this page is produced
Written by My Energy Deals Ltd and reviewed by Arkwright Insurance Brokers Limited (FCA firm reference 434855).
mybusinessdeals is an introducer, not an insurer and not an FCA-authorised broker. This page is general information about types of cover, not a personal recommendation or advice on which policy to buy. Any policy is arranged by, and you contract directly with, our FCA-authorised partner or their panel. Premium figures are indicative market ranges, never a quote.
Last reviewed 3 September 2026.
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