No for damp. Damp isn't something Contents Protection pays for: Wigwam's policy excludes atmospheric or climatic damage, which is why everything should go in clean and fully dry. Burst pipes and water leakage are different: they are listed as covered. Our flood guide says the policy excludes mould and damp damage, so mould from damp isn't paid either. The policy wording isn't published, so ask on 0800 2545585 whether mould that grows after a covered leak is paid. If you've found damp or mould already, photograph it and write to us asking us to notify a claim.
Which damp is which
The line falls between moisture that builds up from the air and water that arrives in an event. Our guide to climate-controlled storage puts the first plainly: "So if damp reaches your belongings, that is not a claim the policy will pay." Our Contents Protection page lists the second, starting with "Physical loss or damage caused by burst pipes or water leakage", alongside fire, storm and "Theft involving forcible entry or exit".
| Where the moisture came from | What we publish | Still to confirm on 0800 2545585 |
|---|---|---|
| Humid air settling on cold surfaces (condensation) | Excluded: atmospheric or climatic damage | Nothing: plan on it not being paid |
| Things that went into the unit damp | Excluded: damp reaching your belongings is "not a claim the policy will pay" | Nothing: dry everything first |
| Rust or corrosion from damp air, such as on tools or drum hardware | Rust isn't named; damp from the air is excluded | Whether rust is excluded by name |
| A burst pipe or water leaking into your unit | "burst pipes or water leakage" listed as covered | Whether mould that grows afterwards is paid |
| Storm | "storm" listed as covered | Whether mould that grows afterwards is paid |
| Flood water getting into the unit | Not on our Contents Protection list; two of our guides say flooding is excluded and one says the policy covers "fire and flood damage" | Whether flood is covered: ask on 0800 2545585 |
| Water seeping slowly through a wall or floor | Not stated | Whether it counts as leakage or as excluded damp |
| Rain driven in during bad weather | Storm is listed; climatic damage is excluded | Which it counts as: describe what happened and let the insurer decide |
| A leak from something in your own unit, such as a fridge | Not stated separately from "water leakage" | Whether leaks from your own appliances are covered |
Telling them apart isn't always easy. Condensation, the most common kind of damp according to GOV.UK, tends to show where the air is still, such as in corners; water coming in more often leaves a "tide mark" on the walls (rising damp), or damp patches on inside walls (penetrating damp), as Bradford Council describes them. Shelter notes that it often takes an expert to be sure, so photograph what you see and leave the ruling to the insurer.
Deciding whether to take our cover
Contents Protection is Wigwam's own policy, underwritten by RSA under its "Self Storage Customers' Goods" scheme. The Summary of Insurance isn't published online; you're given it when you take the cover, and you can ask for a copy on 0800 2545585. It has the exact wording, so read its exclusions before you rely on the cover.
Our insurance FAQ says "All customers require contents protection for their stored goods", and the choice is to "accept our contents protection cover, or arrange insurance at your own expense". If you use your own policy, "we will refund you the Goods Protection charges in full once proof of cover is supplied within 14 days of your move-in". Ask your own insurer the same damp and mould questions before you rely on it.
Our guide to climate-controlled storage says the policy settles on a New-for-Old basis with a £50 excess. The rate isn't published: the charge is based on the replacement value you declare and shown on your quote. Declare the full replacement value of everything in the unit (clause 31); how much contents cover you need explains why under-declaring cuts a claim.
Our terms bar "items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis" (clause 18(j)), so these can't go in the unit at all. We can give you the Summary of Insurance, but "We do not give any advice concerning insurance cover given by any policy" (clause 31); an independent insurance broker can advise on whether it suits you.
Instruments, electronics and business stock
Metal hardware, amps, vinyl, paper and cardboard stock all suffer from damp air, and that damage falls under the atmospheric or climatic exclusion. Whether electrical or mechanical breakdown, such as an amp that won't power up after a damp winter, is covered isn't published; ask on 0800 2545585 before you store equipment you'd need to replace. Keep electronics and paper stock off the floor in closed boxes with silica gel, and see do I need a dehumidifier in a container unit? for rust and condensation.
Storing for a relative and visiting rarely
Damp that builds up between visits is the excluded kind, so the protection is how the things go in and how often someone looks. Clause 26 advises you "to inspect the Unit before storing Goods and periodically during the Storage Period". If you can't get there, agree who will look in, and make sure they know to photograph anything they find.
Found damp or mould already?
- Photograph everything first: the items, the floor, the walls and ceiling of the unit, and any sign of where water came in.
- Keep everything, even what looks ruined, until the insurer says you can dispose of it. Only move things to stop further damage, such as lifting wet items off the floor and away from dry ones.
- Tell us. Our terms ask you to "inform Us of any damage or defect immediately it is discovered" (clause 24), so ring 0800 2545585 or tell the site, and ask us to look for a leak.
- To claim on our Contents Protection, write to us asking us to notify a claim (clause 48 of our terms). We pass it to our insurer, and you give us, the insurer or its loss adjuster the information and evidence reasonably needed. What the insurer pays for your goods comes to you, less anything owed on your account. A phone call alone doesn't start the claim; the written request does. With your own policy, claim with your insurer directly.
How soon a claim must be made isn't published; ring 0800 2545585 as soon as you find the loss and ask. If the damp came from a leak, say so in your written request and include your photographs of where the water came in. How do I make a claim? covers the rest, and who is responsible for mould? explains where the risk sits under our terms.
Keeping damp out
We don't offer climate-controlled storage, so the temperature and humidity inside our units aren't regulated. Put everything in clean and completely dry, off the floor, under breathable covers rather than sealed plastic, with gaps from the walls, and defrost and dry anything that holds water. Our guide to stopping clothes going musty in storage covers it step by step.
If you have a question about the cover before you decide, call us on 0800 2545585.
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