Housr supports students with navigating university life by finding and helping to manage their accommodation needs. Through the Housr app, students can find accommodation and housemates, plus manage property maintenance and bill payments from their smartphones. The business partners with UK landlords and letting agents to provide students with access to over 40,000 rentable properties in cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds.
The partnership will see Gallagher providing personal belongings cover from its insurer partners to help students protect their laptops, tablets, TVs, phones, and other valuables for theft and damage caused by fires and floods. The insurance is purchased and provided by Housr as a value-add, free benefit to all students who use its bill management service, which enables them to split household bills equally between everyone who lives in the accommodation. With the majority (81%) of students saying they have considered dropping out of university due to financial struggles1, having personal belongings insurance in place could help them avoid having to pay out for costly repairs or replacements should something happen to their valuables.
With recent figures revealing that 57% of students have reported having a mental health issue2, it has never been more important for young people to have access to wellbeing and support. The partnership between Gallagher and Housr will see students being provided with wellbeing resources and tools designed for young people including support and counselling on a range of issues such as mental health and wellbeing, debt management, budgeting and legal issues pertaining to consumer rights and property. Gallagher will provide these resources through its partnerships with specialist third-party providers of wellbeing and mental health services.
Gallagher is one of the leading providers of specialist insurance and risk management solutions to the education sector, insuring over a third of all UK universities and this latest agreement with Housr will see the broker expanding its support for the 2.9 million3 university students currently studying in the UK. It builds on the launch of Gallagher’s Student Assist policy which covers universities and student accommodation providers with insurance against property damage and provide their resident students with personal belongings insurance.
Olly Barrow, Account Director, Affinity Partnerships at Gallagher, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this partnership with Housr which will see Gallagher supporting university students during an important stage of their lives.”
“Whilst insurance may not be at the forefront of their minds, it is important that students consider having appropriate insurance in place if something goes wrong. Finding university accommodation, and navigating the financial challenges of studying, can be stressful and therefore having access to services that Housr provides can make the transition from home to university life much easier.”
Harry Panter, CEO of Housr, added: "In our mission to enhance student experience in the rental sector, we have a vision of a 'Housr economy' where students have access to a range of services and tools to navigate student life. This includes renting a property, managing utilities, finding housemates and having insurance in place to protect their valuables.
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Gallagher to provide students with free contents and gadget insurance. We are excited to be working with Gallagher and this marks an important step in Housr’s growth journey and its ambition to support more students across the UK.”