Over half – 52 per cent – of private renters do not have home insurance in place, says a survey from Nationwide.

This is despite the average contents value coming to over £25,000, the survey reveals.

The lender’s data shows that accidental damage is the biggest home insurance claim it deals with.

On top of this, 19 per cent of the over 1,000 renters polled by Nationwide believe it the landlord’s responsibility to arrange contents insurance.

It also turns out that 19 per cent of renters are paying buildings insurance – which does come under the landlord’s responsibility.

Nationwide adds that landlords are beginning to act on this, however: 39 per cent require contents insurance from their tenants and 67 per cent ask for proof of this before a tenancy agreement can be signed.

A lack of home insurance could therefore mean that many of the two million renters without insurance are in breach of their contract.

Nationwide head of general insurance Darren Black says: “It’s concerning that many renters don’t have contents insurance and are living under the mistaken belief that their landlord has cover in place to protect their belongings if they are lost, stolen or damaged.

“When finances are tight, insurance can seem like an unnecessary expense, but without it you could end up losing everything you own.

“The majority of home insurance claims are for accidental damage, particularly at the moment when many of us are spending much more time at home.”