Burglary Insurance
Protects businesses and property owners against loss of or damage to insured property, stock, cash and valuables resulting from burglary or housebreaking, subject to policy conditions.
Get a Quote NowWhat's Covered
Forcible & Violent Entry
Loss or damage caused by forcible and violent entry into the insured premises, including broken doors, windows, walls, grilles and locks, subject to evidence of the break-in.
Stock & Merchandise
Goods, merchandise and trading stock stolen during a burglary, whether the premises are a shop, a supermarket, a pharmacy or a locked storeroom behind the counter.
Cash in the Safe
Money and documents stolen from a safe or strongroom at the insured premises, where the safe itself has been forced, subject to an agreed cash limit on the policy.
Equipment & Office Assets
Computers, printers, furniture, fittings, tools and other business assets stolen during a break-in, provided they are declared and listed at the correct values.
Transit of Goods
An extension protecting goods while they are being moved to or from the insured premises, so your stock is not suddenly unprotected between the lorry and the shop floor.
Damage to the Premises
Damage to doors, windows, locks, walls and security fittings caused during the burglary itself, so you can secure the building again immediately after the incident.
Why Burglary Insurance Matters
Break-Ins Are Common and Fast
Burglars in and around Kenyan trading centres often strike after hours and are gone in minutes. By the time you arrive in the morning, the stock is sold and the trail is cold.
Stock Is Your Working Capital
For a shop or pharmacy, the goods on the shelves are the money you were going to earn next month. Replace them out of pocket and you may not restock at all.
Theft Without Forced Entry Is Excluded
A clean job with no broken lock, an inside job or a swapped key is usually outside a burglary policy. That is exactly why formal cover, plus honest security, matters.
Security Conditions Protect Your Claim
Insurers expect grilles, strong doors, locks, alarms or guard arrangements. Meet those conditions and a valid claim is straightforward; ignore them and it becomes a fight.
Cash Losses Hit Immediately
Money kept on site, in a till or in a weak safe disappears with no record. A cash-in-safe extension gives you a defined limit to keep the business liquid after a raid.
Reopening Speed Decides Survival
Shops that can replace stolen stock quickly keep their customers. Those that sit empty for weeks lose the footfall permanently to the shop two doors down.
How It Works
Survey the Premises
We review how the premises are secured: doors, grilles, locks, safe, lighting, alarm and any guarding, and note what needs to change for the policy conditions to be met.
Declare Values & Limits
You declare the value of stock, equipment and any cash held on site, set an agreed cash limit, and choose extensions such as transit or damage to premises.
Cover in Force
The policy runs for twelve months at the declared address, protecting against covered burglary losses while you trade normally and keep your security in order.
Lodge a Claim
Report the burglary to the police immediately, obtain an OB report, notify us the same day, and submit the list of stolen items, valuations and photographs of the forced entry.
Types of Burglary Cover
Match the cover to what actually sits inside the premises, from shop stock to office equipment to household belongings.
Shop Burglary Cover
Built for retailers, pharmacies and supermarkets who hold stock on site. Covers stolen goods and the damage done to the premises during the break-in.
- Stock, goods and merchandise on declared value
- Damage to doors, windows and locks
- Optional cash-in-safe limit
- Security conditions clearly stated upfront
- Ideal for high-street and mall traders
Office & Commercial Burglary
Protection for offices, clinics, professional practices and commercial units where the main exposure is equipment, furniture and documents rather than stock.
- Computers, printers and office equipment
- Furniture, fittings and fixtures
- Documents and records related losses where covered
- Suitable for single offices or multi-site portfolios
- Can sit alongside fire cover on one programme
Home Burglary Cover
Protection for householders against break-in losses at home, usually added as an extension to a householder or fire package policy for personal belongings.
- Household goods and personal belongings
- Appliances, electronics and furniture
- Theft with forcible and violent entry
- Optional all risks cover for portable items
- Package pricing with fire and other extensions
Who Is This For
Retail Shops & Supermarkets
High-street shops, malls and supermarkets holding saleable stock overnight are classic burglary risks and stand to lose the most without cover.
Pharmacies & Clinics
Pharmacies hold high-value medicines and controlled products that are attractive to thieves. Burglary cover replaces the stock and secures the premises again.
Offices & Professional Practices
Law firms, salons, clinics and consultancies carry equipment and cash on site. Cover protects the tools of the trade and the assets inside the unit.
Homes & Warehouses
Homeowners insuring household goods and businesses storing stock in godowns and warehouses can both be covered, with warehouse values declared separately.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Claiming theft with no evidence of forced entry
Burglary cover is triggered by forcible and violent entry. A door unlocked with a copied key or an inside theft with no break-in is normally excluded, so your claim will fail.
Leaving stock in weak, visible storage
Goods stacked behind a thin door or plywood wall invite attack, and insurers may argue you failed the security conditions. Strong storage protects your stock and your claim.
Under-declaring stock values
Stating a lower figure to save premium means the average clause reduces your payout proportionally. Declare the realistic peak value of stock held on site at any one time.
Not reporting to the police
Almost every burglary claim requires a police OB report obtained promptly. Without it the insurer has no independent confirmation that a genuine break-in occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does burglary insurance cover theft without forced entry?
Usually no. The standard trigger is forcible and violent entry. Theft by an employee, a swapped key or an unforced entry is generally excluded unless a specific extension applies. This is the single most common reason burglary claims are declined.
What proof do I need for a burglary claim?
You will need a police OB report, photographs of the forced entry, a list of items stolen with values or purchase invoices, and details of your security arrangements. The faster you report, the stronger your evidence.
Are cash and documents covered?
Cash can be covered up to an agreed safe limit when the safe itself is forcibly opened. Documents and records may be covered for the cost of re-creating them in some wordings. Always confirm the limits that apply to your policy.
What security measures does the insurer expect?
Typically strong doors, functioning locks, window grilles or shutters, adequate external lighting, and sometimes an alarm or guarding, depending on the location and the value of goods. The exact conditions will be listed on your schedule.
Is goods in transit covered?
Not automatically. Transit of goods is an optional extension that protects stock while it is being delivered to or collected from the premises. If you move valuable stock regularly, it is worth adding.
Can I cover stock and equipment under one policy?
Yes. A commercial burglary policy can include stock, equipment, furniture and an agreed cash limit under one sum insured, so a single break-in claim covers everything taken or damaged.
Does home insurance cover burglary?
A householder or property owner package usually covers burglary of household goods as an extension of fire cover. High-value portable items such as laptops and jewellery are often better handled under an all risks policy.
How is the premium calculated?
Premium reflects the sums insured, the goods held, the location and its crime profile, the security in place and the extensions chosen. Better security and a higher cash-limit excess will generally reduce the rate.
Real Talk
A break-in takes ten minutes. Restocking from your own pocket can take a year, and for many small traders it never happens at all. The shelves stay half empty and the customers quietly stop coming.
Burglary cover is cheap relative to what sits behind your door. The policy will not stop the thieves, but it decides whether you open the gates on Monday with goods on the shelves or with an excuse for your regulars.
Lock up, declare your values, and sleep properly.
Burglary insurance products are offered by licensed insurance companies. Coverage, limits, exclusions, and premiums vary by insurer, premises, security arrangements and declared values. The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute a quotation or binding offer. Please contact us for personalised quotes and advice tailored to your specific premises.
Secure Your Business Tonight
From shop stock to office equipment to the cash in the safe, get burglary cover that matches what you actually hold on site. One policy, real protection.
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