The default position in UK home insurance is brutal: damage caused by 'vermin, insects, birds or animals' is explicitly excluded from almost every standard buildings and contents policy. That covers the treatment itself, and usually the damage too — chewed pipes, soiled insulation, ruined carpets.
Where the exclusions stop
- Sudden, accidental, unforeseen damage — some 'accidental damage' add-ons cover one-off events like a squirrel falling through a ceiling.
- Escape of water — if rats chew through a pipe and cause a flood, the flood damage is usually covered even when the rats aren't.
- Fire — if rodents chew wiring and cause a fire, the fire damage is covered by buildings cover, though insurers may try to deny if maintenance was neglected.
- Specialist pest cover — Saga Home, Direct Line Plus and a handful of high-net-worth policies include defined pest categories.
What's never covered
- The pest control treatment itself.
- Slow, gradual damage (woodworm, persistent damp, ongoing rodent activity).
- Anything classed as 'wear and tear', which insurers apply liberally.
- Damage in lofts, outbuildings or garages on most standard policies.
How to claim for pest-adjacent damage
- 01Photograph the damage before any treatment or repair starts.
- 02Get a written report from a pest controller identifying species and likely entry route.
- 03File the claim against the damage cause (water, fire, accidental) — not 'pest damage'.
- 04Expect the insurer to push back. A loss adjuster will visit for anything above £1,500.
Landlord insurance is different
Most landlord policies still exclude pests, but a growing number of specialist BTL products bundle limited pest cover — typically £500–£1,500 per claim, capped at two claims per year. Worth asking for at renewal.