'I lost everything in a house fire while my flatmate made £5,000 - What I wish I knew'

31-year-old Dan is urging all renters to insure their homes after a catastrophic fire engulfed his uninsured London flat, leaving him and his partner Sam with nothing. In partnership with , Dan is highlighting the stark reality that 45% of UK renters don't have insurance, a mistake that cost him dearly.

The couple had recently moved into what was supposed to be an "exciting new start" when tragedy struck. While Sam managed to save his phone, Dan could only watch as their possessions were consumed by flames, with losses estimated at £2,000.

Dan recounted the harrowing experience: "We couldn’t get any of our stuff from inside, we had nothing. We got zero, the stuff that was gone was gone. We had to pay more money to facilitate getting all of our stuff out and paying for things that were damaged so we lost a lot of money. It was meant to be an exciting new start, moving to London, but within a month I was living with my boyfriend’s mum and brother."

Their flatmate, who lived just across the hall in a bedroom that was right above the blaze, also suffered damage to his belongings but was able to make a far quicker recovery. Dan revealed his flatmate was able to recoup around £5,000 thanks to having renter's insurance.

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Sara Newell, Director of Insurance at MoneySuperMarket, has brought attention to the startling number of Brits oblivious to crucial insurance they are forgoing. Highlighting their fresh research, Newell cautioned: "It’s essential that tenants check they are covered and that they have the right cover for their needs.

"Laptops and tablets, bicycles and jewellery are just some of the items that can and should be insured to avoid a dent in your budget if they happen to be stolen or damaged." The study revealed almost half of UK renters lack any form of insurance, potentially facing them with an average replacement cost of £6,000 for all lost possessions in dire circumstances.

Moreover, merely one-third of renters have taken out contents insurance, whereas a staggering 80% of homeowners have both home and contents policies. Money Supermarket spotlighted that a key reason for this disparity is the absence of a legal mandate for renters to insure their belongings, even though the typical monthly premium is approximately £8.45. This rate is nearly tripled for homeowners.