Aviva home insurance review

Aviva has 15 million UK customers, and offers home cover as separate buildings or contents policies, or both combined.

Here’s what else we think you should know about Aviva home insurance.

Who is Aviva?

As the largest general insurance provider in the UK, Aviva offers an extensive range of financial products including home, car, van, motorbike, travel, pet and life insurance.

While Aviva has roots as far back as 1696, it was essentially created when Norwich Union and CGU plc merged in 2000. Although known as CGNU after the merger, the name Aviva was adopted a short time later in 2002.

The Aviva Group is made up of several businesses, including Aviva Insurance Services UK Ltd and Aviva UK Digital Ltd, amongst others.

• Who underwrites the home insurance from Aviva?

  Home insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ltd.

  Aviva Insurance Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

What are Aviva’s cover options?

Aviva offers contents-only and buildings-only policies, but these can also be combined and tailored with optional extras.

In addition to Aviva’s standard policies, there is AvivaPlus. This is a pay-as-you-go monthly deal which works like a subscription. You have to pay by credit or debit card and can make changes or cancel any time with no fees. There are three tiers of cover with AvivaPlus, and it’s only for combined buildings and contents. Existing AvivaPlus customers have a renewal price guarantee – they’ll be offered at least the same deal as an equivalent new customer each year. But this was phased out for new customers in 2021, as the financial watchdog plans to implement this approach as a rule for all insurers.

What is covered under my policy?

Depending on whether you choose to cover your building, contents or both, Aviva’s home insurance cover includes:

• Damage to your property (including water damage and fire)
• Damage to your possessions, with no limit to the overall amount
• Cost of alternative accommodation (including loss of rent)
• Liability protection for injuries or property damage
• Alternative accommodation, if the damage is covered by your insurance

Optional extras

Aviva offers increased protection that can be added to a home insurance policy, including:

• Protected no claims discount
• Accidental damage cover
• Legal services cover
• Home emergency cover
• Accidents and theft away from home cover
• Bicycle cover

What is my excess?

Your insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount.

You’ll find details about your excess, such as general or subsidence excess, in your Aviva home insurance policy document.

How much is this going to cost me?

There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of your Aviva home insurance premium, including:

• The cover you choose. You can choose to cover your contents or your building separately, or opt for a combination of the two.
• Your sum insured. The greater the amount you wish to insure your home or contents for, the more you can expect to pay for cover.
• Your home. The age of your home and the materials from which it is constructed can influence its ability to withstand damage.
• Where your home is located. Certain risks, for example, storm and theft, are more prevalent in certain areas, and insurers will take this into consideration when calculating your premiums.
• Security. Security measures such as an alarm system and deadbolts can act as a deterrent to thieves and therefore reduce the cost of your cover.

What is the claims process for Aviva?

You should call the Aviva claims line on 0800 158 4091. Alternatively, you can make a claim online via the Aviva website.

Aviva recommends that you have the following information to hand before making a claim on your home insurance:

• Your policy details and personal contact details.
• The date of the incident.
• Details such as the cause of the incident.
• The value of any lost or damaged items being claimed for.
• Names and addresses of any other people involved or responsible for the incident, including details of injuries.

You may also need to provide the following additional information:

• Original purchase receipts, invoices, manual booklets or photographs, bank statements, utility bills, plans or deeds of your property.
• Purchase dates and location of lost or damaged property.
• Confirmation from a suitably qualified expert that the damaged property you intend to claim back for is beyond repair.

It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.

Aviva pros and cons