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Landlord Insurance
Cheap landlord insurance quotes
We are pleased to offer cheap property owner insurance quotes: Insurance is available for residential and commercial property throughout Great Britain. This includes cover for a single house or an HMO (Home of Multiple Occupation). Most diverse types of tenants are acceptable: Professional/ retired (i.e., the tenancy agreement is between the landlord and the tenant), council or housing associations (where the agreement is between the landlord and the organisation, who have control of occupancy) or students. We cover property let to asylum seekers and refugees. We also cover vacant property - whether between tenancies, being refurbished or if you are in the process of selling it.
It is not mandatory to have property owner insurance, unless with a mortgage, but we recommended it
It is not compulsory to have property owner insurance, but we recommended that you effect cover. There is no legal requirement to have cover on any house but an interested third party (e.g., a mortgage lender) may insist on landlord insurance. You must take it out as a condition of providing the finance, since the house is the collateral and, were it destroyed, there would be no means of recuperating the money advanced should you default. To that extent landlord insurance is compulsory (but the duty arises through civil/ contract law rather than in the avoidance of criminality). The policy must note the interest of the lender (or anyone else who has a financial interest e.g., joint owner) and the insurance provider will contact them if you fail to renew, or you cancel the policy.
What exactly does Landlord Insurance cover: a simple guide for the property owner?
A standard property owner insurance will provide cover for the following. Usually, the insurance splits the cover into distinct subsections so that it is readily comprehendible. A cheap policy may offer reduced cover to minimise costs, so the best advice for a landlord is to check their insurance cover matches their needs - or contact us with any queries.
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Insurance for the building itself: - also fixtures and fittings as well as outbuildings on the premises. See details of the specified perils covered (below).
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Landlord contents insurance is a suitable option if needed. e.g., If you let the house furnished, or if it is a holiday home. Note that the policy does not cover contents belonging to the tenant. The tenant will need their own policy (for which we are happy to quote). The policy will not cover precious items such as valuables/ jewellery i.e., something that you can easily remove from the premises. Insurance may cover some items in the house belonging to the landlord (typically domestic appliances) either in the contents section or the buildings section. The general rule is that if you can easily remove the device i.e., not built-in, then the contents section covers it – otherwise the buildings section covers it. Insurance policies may provide a (small) amount of contents cover as standard, partially to avoid problems with deciding under what section you should make a claim.
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3. Property owner's liability Insurance: - covers loss or damage caused by the negligence of the landlord e.g. if a chimney-stack collapsed damaging a car, and it was found that the landlord had failed to undertake regular checks or had been advised it was in a dangerous state and did nothing then the landlord would be covered against the losses that had ensued.
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4. Insurance against Loss of Rent: - covers loss of rent if the house is uninhabitable following an incident that the policy covers. Decent policies provide this cover as standard. This does NOT mean that the policy covers loss of rent due to the unwillingness of the tenant. Loss of rent insurance in such circumstances may be purchasable under a landlord insurance policy, but it is normally provided under separate cover. If required, we can extend loss of rent cover to commercial properties as well as extend the cover for other eventualities other than simple consequential to damage to the property.
As well as the landlord insurance, it would be wise to take out: -
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Landlord Legal Expenses Insurance: policy cover varies widely - This is a typical policy (briefly)
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Tenant eviction - recovery of the house on behalf of the landlord and removal of the tenant (usually only if the owner has taken references)
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Property Infringement - action against nuisance or trespass of a person or organisation infringing the landlord's right to the house
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Criminal prosecution defence - legal costs incurred by the landlord defending prosecution against breaches of various laws relating to the duties of a landlord
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A legal helpline to give advice on any legal problem under UK law. Note that advice is NOT assistance, although if it relates do an event covered under the policy
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Rent Guarantee Insurance: - This does cover loss of rent due to the unwillingness of the tenant to pay. Premiums depend on the monthly amount insured. This may be available depending on circumstances and the type of tenant in the house. References have to be taken before cover can be confirmed..
What events does landlord insurance protect against?
“Landlord Insurance” typically provides protection against: -
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Fire, smoke, lightning, explosion and earthquake
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Storm or flood
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Riot, civil commotion, strike, Labour or political disturbance, malicious persons or vandals
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Subsidence or heave of the site beneath the buildings or Landslip causing the buildings or part of it to collapse.
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Escape of water or oil from any fixed water or heating installation or domestic appliance.
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Freezing of domestic water and heating installations resulting in damage thereto.
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Theft or attempted theft.
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Impact involving an aircraft, aerial device or anything falling from them or by a train, vehicle or animal
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Breakage or collapse of satellite dishes, receiving aerials, and their fittings or masts
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Falling trees, branches, telegraph poles or lamp posts including the cost of removing any that cause damage to the property
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Accidental damage to underground pipes and cables supplying the building
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Accidental breakage of fixed glass, solar panels, ceramic hobs or tops in fixed units and sanitary ware
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Damage caused by forced access to attend a medical emergency or an event that would result in damage to the house by one of the above causes
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Cover of property from exchange of contracts until completion
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Cost of replacing locks and keys to external doors, alarm systems or safe due to the keys being accidentally lost or stolen
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Trace and access to find cause of damage of property due to an escape of water
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Cost of reinstatement to comply with EU and Public Authority bye-laws
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Any newly acquired and or newly erected buildings that aren't otherwise insured
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Unauthorised use of electricity, gas or water
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Removal of bee, wasp, and hornet nests
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Costs incurred removing property illegally deposited in or around the property
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Costs incurred following damage in respect of the removal of tenants debris
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Accidental damage for occupied shops/ offices and professiona/ retired tenants.
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Assured Shorthold tenancy Agreement between Landlord and tenant - tenant pays in full from income
The most common tenancy for the new landlord - and the cheapest/ safest. We call this a 'professional let'. It is the cheapest option. -
Assured Shorthold tenancy Agreement between Landlord and tenant – The tenant receives benefits to assist them in paying the rent: e.g., by universal credit or by the DSS. They key point is the Landlord controls who occupies the house. We call this a 'subsidised let'. we rate this the same.
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DSS lets - the contract is between the Landlord and another agency - which has control over who occupies the house
Tenants may change regularly and short term. We call this a 'DSS referral. The lack of control is a factor in the increased premium -
Student lets: - houses let to one or more students.
Students may only be in for a year and the house may be vacant when they are down. We call this a 'Student let. The landlord will have to make regular checks if the house is vacant between terms. -
Bedsits and Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)
Multiple tenants may cause multiple problems especially if they are in for short period. We differ between landlord insurance for professional bedsits - when the landlord controls the tenants, bedsits where occupancy is under the control of a third party and HMOs - property occupied by multiple families on a regular basis. HMOs need a licence from the local council. -
Houses occupied by asylum seekers.
Tenants may change regularly and short term. We call this a 'Landlord Insurance for Asylum seekers. Note that we only accept risks where the agreement is between the landlord and a suitable approved agency - charities are not acceptable. This occupancy is not available online -
Holiday Homes. We accept cover for holiday homes both when used for pleasure and for business purposes.
We cannot, however quote, on this scheme for holiday homes used by the proposer and/ or their family. -
The insurer will deal with your claim fairly and promptly
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They will acknowledge your initial notification of the claim and send you a claim form or advise you the action you need to take
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They will keep you informed on the status of your claim from time to time
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4. Once underwriters agree the claim, they will settle the claim promptly in accordance with the appropriate Basis of Settlement set out in the policy
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They will give you an explanation of the reason why they turn down the claim or any part of it.
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After a claim they will guarantee any permanent work carried out by a supplier they have provided for 12 months after completion of the work.
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Top picture attributed to rightmove
Even with the best “landlord insurance” there are limitations, conditions, and exclusions. For full details it is best to read the policy document, although the IPID gives a brief summary of cover.. It is important that the landlord realises that an insurance policy does NOT provide cover against everything, nor is it a maintenance contract: if loss or damage has occurred because of an event not listed under the policy then it will not be covered. The quotation will include any endorsements that would apply to the policy.
How do I compare landlord Insurance products against each other?
To compare landlord insurance, cheapest isn't always best: A cheap landlord insurance is obviously attractive since the landlord saves money: however not all policies appear on price comparison sites – the policies we offer do not: this is why you should contact us.
How can I get cheap landlord Insurance without sacrificing cover or claims service?
The best Landlord Insurance can also be cheap! A conscientious tenant is hardly any more likely to make a claim than the landlord him (or her) self. Since the expected losses due to insured perils are similar, premiums can be as cheap as a normal buildings’ insurance. Some landlord insurance providers, only offer cover if the house is occupied by the tenant under an assured short-term tenancy agreement: this keeps claims down and the premium cheap. (This is about to change) We offer cover for all types of tenants, including - students/ refugees/ asylum seekers and cover not only single buildings but also Homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). The premiums to cover these occupants are not so cheap as the claims made are more often.
Summary of Excesses that apply under the policy - subject to underwriting
The excesses depend on whether the property is commercial or residential. A typical policy has the following excesses.
| Peril | Residential | Commercial |
| All Other | £100.00 | £250.00 |
| Subsidence | £1000.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Flood | £100.00 | £500.00 |
| Escape of Water | £250.00 | £250.00 |
| Malicious Damage | £100.00 | £250.00 |
| Theft | £100.00 | £250.00 |
In areas of high theft or flood risk underwriters may increase the excess to £2,500.00 and, if necessary, exclude the peril. Underwriters may increase the excess for residential property other than occupied through a retired/ professional: for example, to £250.00: damage by the tenant to £500.00 and exclude accidental damage cover.
How does the cost of landlord insurance vary with the type of tenant in the building?
With our “landlord insurance,” we can cover many tenancy types. The premium quoted will depend on exactly the tenancy type and the nature of the agreement.
What if I need to insure more than one house/ office/ shop/ commercial unit?
There are no problems if you need to insure more than one house: (or more than one shop/ office or combination). We provide multiple property insurance policies for property owners owning more than three properties. These benefit from reduced prices and ease of administration. Properties may be added on mid-term.
What if I live outside the UK?
Provided you have a UK agent and provide contact details, we can provide cover (subject to other underwriting criteria). English law will apply.
Houses of non-standard construction/ increased flood or subsidence risk.
For some types of property, landlord insurance can be difficult to obtain. Even in areas of increased flood or subsidence risk we can provides quotes and (usually) cover. The cover provided will depend on submission of a proposal form to underwriters and we cannot guarantee that we can provide cover for subsidence or flood. If we can, then underwriters may apply an increased excess.
Subject to referral to the underwriters of our landlord insurance, we may cover houses of non-standard construction i.e., other than built of brick/ stone and roofed with tiles or slates. (Under policy terms the owner may have to inspect older flat roofs to ensure they remain in good condition).
Claims Statement
Insurance by county in England, Wales and Scotland
We can quote for landlord insurance in the following counties: Avon, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Borders, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Central London, Cheshire, Cleveland, Clwyd, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Dyfed, East Sussex, Essex, Fife, Gloucestershire, Grampian, Greater Manchester, Gwent, Gwynedd County, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Highlands and Islands, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Lothian, Merseyside, Mid Glamorgan, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Powys, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, South Glamorgan, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Strathclyde, Suffolk, Surrey, Tayside, Tyne and Wear, Warwickshire, West Glamorgan, West Midlands, West Sussex, West Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
Cover in Northern Ireland is available if you call us: Our direct line for landlords’ insurance is: 01388 607140
Insurance in the cities
We can quote for Landlord Insurance in any UK city. These are: London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield, Bradford, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Wakefield, Cardiff, Coventry, Nottingham, Leicester, Sunderland, Newcastle upon Tyne, Brighton, Hull, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Swansea, Southampton, Salford, Aberdeen, Westminster, Portsmouth, York, Peterborough, Dundee, Lancaster, Oxford, Newport, Preston, St Albans, Norwich, Chester, Cambridge, Salisbury, Exeter, Gloucester, Chichester, Winchester, Carlisle, Worcester, Bath, Durham, Lincoln, Hereford, Inverness, Stirling, Canterbury, Lichfield.
Rates for Landlord Insurance depend on the postcode. Insurers rate different areas differently. You will obtain quotes from several different companies by contacting us directly.
Miscellaneous Information
Travel Insurance
As well as landlord insurance we offer travel insurance with a range of policies. Customers can either obtain a travel insurance quotation online (Quote 'PORTWOOD10 for an extra discount) or find out more about travel insurance for the over 65 (with medical conditions), the over 70 (with medical conditions), the over 75 (with medical conditions) or the over 80 (with medical conditions). Alternatively we have a range of policies available that aren't quotable online and which we are only too pleased to discuss to enable the most suitable policy to be selected: these include long or extended stay travel insurance, backpacker travel insurance, annual (or multi trip) travel insurance.
Caravan insurance
Quotes are available for caravan insurance for both static and touring models including some twin-axle models such as Hobby and Lord Munsterland caravans. Please call us on 01388 607140 for a free no-obligation quote.
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