Would your home insurance cover theft from your shed or garage?

Sheds and garages are often used to store valuable belongings, from bikes and power tools to lawnmowers.

But if they're stolen, you may not be covered in the way you expect. According to Aviva, theft claims involving sheds and outbuildings averaged £4,567 in 2025, while home insurance policies can apply different limits and conditions to items kept outside the main home.

Here, Which? explains when theft from sheds and outbuildings may be covered, the limits to look out for and what to check before you need to make a claim.

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How costly can shed and outbuilding theft be?

Aviva’s £4,567 average claim figure is based on home-theft claims where the description referenced a shed, outbuilding, garage, cabin or workshop.

A quarter of people with a shed or outbuilding surveyed by Aviva had experienced a break-in or attempted break-in. Of those, around a third said burglars had also attempted to break into, or successfully broken into, their main home at the same time.

Power tools, bicycles, electric bikes and garden tools or equipment were among the most commonly stolen items.

• Find out more: Best home insurance companies in the UK 2026 

Are garden belongings covered?

Most home insurance policies cover contents and garden structures within the grounds of your property, but you may not get the same protection beyond your four walls as you do inside your home.

Buildings insurance may cover the structure of a shed, garage or outbuilding. Contents insurance is the part that may cover belongings stored inside them, such as tools, bikes or garden equipment.

When we last analysed home insurance policies, we found that some would cover up to £2,000 for the theft of a laptop or sporting gear from inside the home, but only £500 if the same items were stolen from the garden.

Some policies also include separate garden cover. This typically protects items kept in the garden itself, such as plants, ornaments and garden furniture, rather than belongings stored inside a shed or garage. Exactly what's covered varies between insurers, so check your policy wording.

• Find out more: Best contents insurance 2026

Could your payout be capped?

Even if your home insurance covers theft from a shed, garage or garden, it may not pay the full cost of replacing everything.

Many policies have lower limits for belongings kept outside the main home. This means that expensive items such as bikes, power tools, lawnmowers or garden furniture may not be fully covered if they’re stolen. 

It’s also worth checking the single-item limit. This is the maximum an insurer will pay for one item, unless you have listed it separately on your policy.

Bicycles may also be subject to separate limits or conditions. If you own an expensive bike or e-bike, you may need to add it separately to your policy to make sure it's fully covered. 

Garden cover can also vary widely. When we last analysed home insurance policies, cover for garden features such as plants, trees and ornaments ranged from £1,000 to more than £100,000.

Don’t just check whether your belongings are covered. Check whether your policy limits would be enough to replace them.

• Find out more: Best buildings insurance 2026

Could an unlocked shed affect your claim?

Yes, it could. Home insurance policies typically require you to take reasonable care to protect your belongings, especially if they're kept outside the main home.

This means that a claim may be rejected or reduced if items were stolen from an unlocked shed, garage or outbuilding. Some insurers may also ask for evidence of forced entry, such as a broken lock, damaged door or a crime reference number or police report, depending on the circumstances.  

The rules vary between insurers and policies. For example, a bike stolen from a locked garage may be treated differently from one left unsecured in the garden. 

Before you need to claim, check whether your policy has any security requirements for sheds, garages, bicycles or items kept outside. If it does, make sure you follow them.

What should you do after a shed or garden theft?

If items are stolen from your shed, garage or garden, take these steps:

1. Report the theft to the police: your insurer may ask for a crime reference number before it can process a theft claim.
2. Take photos of any damage: keep a record of broken locks, damaged doors, windows or fencing.
3. Make a list of what's been stolen: include as much detail as possible, such as the make, model, age and value of each item.
4. Gather proof of ownership: receipts, bank statements, photos, serial numbers and instruction manuals can all help support your claim.
5. Contact your insurer as soon as possible: check what evidence it needs before throwing away damaged locks, doors or other items.

It’s also worth keeping receipts and taking photos of expensive tools, bikes and garden equipment before anything happens. This can make it easier to support a future claim if they're stolen. 

• Find out more: How to find cheap home insurance