The 1985 Family Expenditure Survey asked householders if they paid insurance premiums on home furniture and contents, and 76.5 percent said they did. While 90 percent of homeowners had a contents insurance policy, this figure dropped to just under 60 percent for tenants of local authorities and down to 36 percent for householders living in furnished rented accommodations. A relatively high proportion of uninsured households was observed in areas with high burglary rates. Factors contributing to the decision of whether to insure included cost, risk perception, lifestyle, and apathy. There are several ways to encourage the purchase of household burglary insurance policies. One way is to negotiate with the insurance industry and encourage them to explore strategies for attracting groups which do not tend to purchase policies. Another way is to provide a subsidy for low-income households, recognizing that some householders believe premium costs are prohibitive. An additional way is to establish government-funded schemes to private insurance coverage, such as national insurance, either for low-income groups or for the population as a whole. 3 tables, 17 references.