Santander is one of the UK’s leading high-street banks, serving millions of customers with current accounts, mortgages, and loans. Like many major banks, it also provides home insurance, but it does not underwrite the risk itself.
Santander home insurance is administered and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited, one of the UK’s largest and most respected insurers. This partnership means you get the convenience of managing your policy through a major bank, backed by the claims expertise and financial strength of Aviva.
They are particularly noted for offering no hidden fees if you choose to pay monthly, and for providing exclusive cashback offers to their mortgage and current account customers.
You can get independent advice and a personalised quotes comparison of Santander’s home insurance deals from one of our expert advisers below:
Get home insurance quotes and advice today!
You can use our expert advisers to compare home insurance deals from Santander with products from other providers across the market.
They will round up personalised quotes from Santander and alternative providers and offer bespoke advice on which one to choose.
To get started, fill in our quick online form below and one of our expert home insurance advisers with be in touch today!
What type of home insurance do they provide?
Santander keeps things relatively simple with two main tiers of cover: Classic and Plus. Both are underwritten by Aviva, but they offer different levels of protection.
Buildings insurance
This covers the structure of your home (roof, walls, windows) and permanent fixtures.
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Classic Cover: Offers buildings cover up to £500,000. This is sufficient for most standard homes but may be low for high-value properties.
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Plus Cover: Offers unlimited buildings cover, removing the risk of being underinsured if your home costs more to rebuild than you expected.
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Trace and Access: Cover to find the source of a water leak is typically included (limits apply, e.g., £5,000).
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Unoccupied period: Cover usually allows the home to be empty for up to 60 days (check your specific policy wording as this can vary).
Contents insurance
This protects your household goods and personal belongings against theft, fire, and flood.
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Classic Cover: Covers contents up to £50,000.
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Plus Cover: Covers contents up to £100,000 (or higher by agreement).
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Valuables: Single item limits apply (typically £2,000 for unspecified items).
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Garden Cover: Protection for contents in the garden (e.g., BBQs, garden furniture) is usually included up to a set limit.
Combined home & contents cover
Most customers choose a combined policy to benefit from a single renewal date and potential discounts.
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Classic: Rated 3 Stars by Defaqto. A budget-friendly option covering the essentials.
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Plus: Rated 5 Stars by Defaqto. A comprehensive policy that includes higher limits and often bundles extra features.
How Santander calculates premiums
The cost of your home insurance with Santander depends on the tier you choose (Classic or Plus) and standard risk factors. Aviva (the underwriter) will consider:
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Customer Status: Santander often offers cashback (e.g., 10%) if you are an existing mortgage or current account customer (like the 1|2|3 or Edge accounts).
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Location & Property: Flood risk, postcode crime rates, and property age.
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Claims History: Your No Claims Discount (NCD) plays a huge role in the final price.
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Payment Method: Unlike many insurers who charge interest (APR) for paying monthly, Santander typically allows you to pay monthly at no extra cost (0% APR).
Pros and cons
Here are the pros and cons for Santander’s home insurance offering:
Santander Home Insurance (Aviva)
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Pros |
Cons |
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0% Interest on Monthly Payments: One of the few providers that doesn't charge extra for spreading the cost. |
Customer Service: Trustpilot reviews for the bank as a whole are poor (often 1.5 stars), though claims are handled by Aviva. |
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Unlimited Buildings Cover: Available on the 'Plus' tier, providing total peace of mind. |
Classic Limits: The 'Classic' tier has lower limits (£50k contents) which may not suit families with many gadgets. |
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Cashback Offers: Regular incentives for existing Santander banking/mortgage customers. |
Admin Fees: Cancellation fees apply if you leave the policy early. |
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Defaqto 5 Star Rated: The 'Plus' policy is highly rated for its features. |
Customer reviews
It is important to distinguish between Santander (the bank selling the policy) and Aviva (the insurer handling the claim).
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Trustpilot (Santander): The bank has a low Trustpilot score (approx. 1.5 out of 5), with many complaints focusing on banking administration, call wait times, and account freezing.
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Defaqto: The specific home insurance product (Plus tier) is rated 5 Stars, suggesting the policy wording and features are excellent, even if the bank's customer service can be frustrating.
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Claims Experience: Because claims are handled by Aviva, you benefit from their large, UK-based claims teams, which generally have better satisfaction ratings than the bank itself.
How to get a Santander home insurance quote
You can buy Santander home insurance directly online or through their app. However, going direct means you are only seeing the price Aviva is offering through Santander.
To ensure you aren't overpaying - and to see if you can get similar Aviva cover cheaper through a broker or a different brand - it is wise to compare.
Independent insurance advisers can check if the "mortgage member discount" is actually a good deal compared to the wider market.
At Money Helpdesk, our home insurance experts can help you review your options. If you are wondering whether Santander is the right choice for your home insurance, get in touch and we will review this for you.
FAQs
Yes. If you cancel after the 14-day statutory cooling-off period, you will typically be charged a cancellation fee (often around £25). You will also pay for the time you have been covered. There is usually no fee if you cancel within the first 14 days (except for a pro-rata charge for days covered).