Home insurers paid out £4,350 for the average theft claim in the first three months of this year.

This was the highest amount for theft-related claims since the Association of British Insurers began its records in 2017, it told This is Money.  

The average sum paid out for theft claims was 14 per cent higher than last year's average of £3,800, according to the ABI.

The ABI could not confirm why the average claim amount had risen, but the amount it costs to replace items does increase over time due to inflation.

Before signing up to a home insurance policy, always check that it covers stolen items and damage caused during a theft from your home and any outbuildings. 

If the theft happened because you left a window or door open, or kept a spare key in an easy-to-find place, then you may not be covered. 

Also check that the amount you are insured for is sufficient to replace all of your belongings, if you needed to.

Separate data from garage door company Garolla last month showed that garage thefts rose by 13 per cent annually across Britain from 2022 to 2025.

Two in five garage thefts reported were 'unforced', meaning the door was left open at the time of the offence, according to a Freedom of Information request of police data by Garolla.

Elsewhere in its findings, the ABI said that home insurers paid out £846million in property claims in the first quarter of 2026, with weather-related incidents a driving force.

The average claim overall came in at £6,340 for the period, and was the highest ever recorded since the ABI started its analysis. The figure has risen 20 per cent from the same point a year ago. 

The average claim for weather-related home damage reached £6,040 by the end of the quarter, up 38 per cent compared to the same period last year when it was £4,390.  

In the period, the average household subsidence claim rose by 9 per cent year-on-year from £16,295 in 2025 to £17,820 in the first quarter of 2026. 

A crack in the wall or ceiling is usually caused by natural shrinkage in cold conditions and swelling in hot weather, and such movement is normal for the majority of homes. 

But, if the spaces between these cracks grow to at least 3mm in width you may have subsidence. 

Other tell-tale signs to raise concern is if this wider crack is diagonal and wider at the top than the bottom – and visible from both outside and inside of the house.

Subsidence can be more visible near doors and windows as the frames start to warp and any wallpaper hung on walls might also crease up where the wall meets a ceiling. 

Chris Bose, director of general insurance policy at the ABI, said: 'With record Q1 average payouts for extreme weather events, we continue to see the impact of adverse weather on people's homes. 

'Stronger action from Government is still needed to ensure new homes aren't built in high-risk flood areas and that properties are designed to withstand climate risks.'

Home insurance premiums fell for the fourth consecutive quarter, the ABI added. It said the average combined buildings and contents premium fell a further £5 to £375 for a year. 

The ABI said the average combined premium was now 5 per cent or £22 lower than the same period last year, when it stood at £396.