Landlords Insurance

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Low cost landlords insurance quote for buildings and contents insurance in the UK.
   
   
 

Landlords insurance houseWe are an insurance broker specialising in insurance for property owners. We understand how frustrating it can be searching for a comprehensive policy whilst still paying a reasonable premium which is why we use a panel of insurers to make sure you pay a competitive price for your landlords insurance and receive the cover you would expect from such a policy. Instead of having to search around for hours on the internet filling out multiple forms and calling insurers you can get an instant online quotation from a panel of well known insurers such as MMA Insurance.

For the safety and peace of mind of our clients we only use insurers which have been authorised and regulated.  As a responsible landlord you will understand the importance of placing the protection of your properties in the hands of a solid insurer or broker with a well known background for providing superb service.

While we offer policies from a range of insurers, each policy will differ slightly in cover which is why it is essential for you to read the keyfacts and quote detalis of a buy to let insurance policy before proceeding with any cover. The keyfacts document for an insurer will outline the main insurance cover provided, general exclusions and such like.

Cover Details 

Generally landlords building insurance will provide cover for your let property against perils such as the following:

Peril Example
FireA faulty electrical heater which was in use by the tenant overheated and caused a fire in the property.
LightningLightning could hit the roof of your let property and cause serious damage and water could leak into the property causing further damage.
EarthquakeWhilst earthquakes may not be a major common problem in the UK they are still a peril which as a responsible landlord you will want to insure your let property against.
ExplosionExplosions can often result in thousands of pounds worth of damage. A faulty cooker which was leaking gas until an explosion can cause unimaginable damage.
StormAs the weather in the UK becomes more unpredictable many landlords are seeing an increase in damage to their properties caused by storms such as strong winds knocking tiles off the property roof.
FloodWith the increase of global warming problems many consider the risk of flood to be ever increasing which is why it is crucial to protect your property against this peril.
SubsidenceSubsidence on your let property could result in underpinning being required or at worst the whole property falling down which is obviously a huge risk to leave uninsured.
Property owners liabilityBeing a landlord has many responsibilities and if your tenant injures themselves within your property they may hold you responsible which is why it is so important to have a policy which provides you with property owners liability cover.
Escape of waterAs a landlord you have to leave your property in the hands of the tenants and accidents do occur, for example if the tenant is running a bath and forgets to turn the taps off then water could escape and damage the ceiling.
Riot/Civil CommotionWith the recent change to legislation with regards to public houses staying open for longer hours some people have noticed an increase in intoxicated persons becoming violent and therefore the risk of riot is considered to be higher by some now meaning its an important peril to protect your property against.
Malicious Persons/VandalsWith the increased problems of vandalism such as graffiti it is even more so important to have cover for your let property agaist such perils.
Theft or attempted theftMany landlords may not realise the importance of having theft or attempted theft cover since the contents in the property are often owned by the tenant. However if a person is trying to break into the property they could cause huge amounts of damage to the property in the process, for example if they forced a PVC door.
Falling trees or branchesWhile it may not be too common for a tree to fall and cause damage to your property it is still important to have landlords insurance cover in place to protect your investment against such perils.
Falling Aerials/Satellite dishesThe falling of an aerial can cause damage to the roof which can be costly to repair so there is an obvious advantage to having this peril insured.
Collision involving aircraft, vehicles or animalsVehicles loosing control can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to your property and with a high count of uninsured drivers it is imperative to have cover in place to protect your buy to let property.
Ground Heave/Land slipThe cost of solving ground heave or landslip problems for a let property can often be thousands of pounds and as a responsible landlord you will want to protect your investment(the let property) against this peril as soon as possible, failure to have a landlords insurance policy in place could cause you a huge financial loss.

Landlords insurance

Additional cover

 The policies we offer usually provide additional cover which many insurers would actually charge extra for. Some examples of such cover is shown below.

  • Accidental breakage of fixed glass, solar panels, ceramic hobs and sanitary fittings.
  • Accidental damage to underground services(for example a lorry parking on the drive of the property and the weight causing damage to a sewage pipe going to the public mains)  which extend from your home to the public mains for which you are legally responsible.
  • Loss of rent or alternative accommodation upto a maximum of 20% of the building sum insured for a maximum period of 12 months. For example if there was a fire at the property and the tenant wasn't paying rent.

Usually we can provide additional cover such as accidental damage for the building caused by the tenant. For example if the tenant was to go into the loft of your let property and accidently put their foot through the ceiling or if they were hammering a nail into the wall to place a picture on the wall and accidently hit a pipe. We also provide public liability insurance which can be useful for those who are in trades such as carpentry.

Landlords insurance

When arranging your landlords contents insurance it is important to remember that generally the only contents that will be covered are those that are in the property for use by the tenant, for example white goods such as a dishwasher. Any contents which you leave in the property purely for storage will generally not be covered, nor would valuables be covered. One important thing to be aware of is that generally insurers will consider items such as curtains and carpets to be contents and not provide cover for these under a buildings only insurance policy, this confusion can often lead to a landlord being under the impression that they are insured for the full risks of the property when infact they are not.

Property owners liability 

Some landlords are put off the idea of letting their property because of the liability risks, for example if the tenant falls and injures themselves in the property and holds the landlord responsible. Whilst a responsible property owner will take steps to reduce the risk, such as regular maintenance of the property and safety checks there will always be risks which the tenant can fall fail too which is why its of absolute importance to make sure your policy includes property owners liability. As standard all the insurers we deal with provide this cover as standard upto a limit of £2,000,000.

Landlords insurance Quote

  • Buildings Sum insured & Contents Sum Insured 

There are several factors which can have an effect on the cost of your landlords insurance policy. The most obvious factors which will effect the premium are the building sum insured (more information can be found on the landlords building insurance page) and the content sum insured. Obviously the higher the sums insured the higher the premium will be. When insuring the property it is important to insure it for the rebuild value and not the sale price which is often much higher and therefore could result in you paying a premium higher than you need to. It is crucial to remember that you must insure your building for the full reinstatement value. You can obtain an instant online quotation for landlords building insurance on our website today which will provide quotes from a wide range of insurers to make sure you pay a competitive premium. Some property owners make the mistake of only insuring a property for a certain amount which they consider is the highest they'd ever need to claim for, this is incorrect and the property should always be insured for the full rebuild value.

 

  • Property location 

The location of your property is one of the main rating factors which will effect the cost of your let property insurance policy. Insurers place each postcode area into different risk structures, for example a property which is located in an area well known as a flood risk or high crime area may be put in a higher risk tier than a property in a quiet  country town. While insurers may apply a load to the policy if the property location  is known as a high flood risk area this doesn't mean that you do not need to disclose any previous or expected flood risks, this is considered a material fact which you must disclose before proceeding with a policy. 

 

  • Tenant type

The type of tenant you have in your let property can have a major effect on the premium you pay, for example some insurers may apply a load to the premium upto 50% if the tenant type was asylum seekers aposed to professional working people. We have made every attempt possible to place insurance with a range of insurers to offer the widest choice and lowest premiums regardless of tenant type and number which is why we can provide landlords insurance for DSS(council benefit recipients), students, professional working people, retired persons and asylum seekers. The amount of tenants you have in the property can also have an effect on the premium or excess you pay, for example 4 unrelated DSS tenants could have an increased excess compared to a standard £100 policy excess which you would usually have on a policy which was providing cover for a property let to a professional family.

 

  • The age of the property 

Some insurers will apply a discount to the premium based on the age of the property, for example a property which was built in the last few years may result in a lower premium being paid than a property which was built 100 years ago. 

  •  Property construction 

Most insurers we place cover with will require the building to be of standard construction which generally means that the property is built solely of brick,stone or concrete and is either flat roofed or roofed with tile, slate or concrete. While it is very rare that a property does not meet this requirement we can often still provide cover after sending full details over to insurers for them to manually look over and consider the risk. Some examples of properties which may not meet this requirement would be a conversion or a wooden frame property.

  • Cover type

The cover type that you choose can also have an effect on the premium you pay, for example standard cover will usually produce a lower premium than if you were to opt for increased cover such as accidental damage for the building. When you consider the small difference in premium between standard cover and accidental damage cover it usually seems to be a wiser choice to go for the increased cover to provide extra protection for your property against any accidental damage to your property caused by the tenant.

  • Commercial use

If part of the property is used for commercial business, for example a flat above a shop then the premium you pay can be effected. Many insurers will not want to insure a property which is located above a commercial business which makes use of heat, for example a takeaway restaurant. A property located above a commercial business could be considered an increase risk against theft damage, for example if someone was to break into the residential property to try gain access to the business premises.

  •  Claims history

Your claims history can have an effect on the premium you pay for your landlord insurance, just like car insurance many insurers will apply a discount if you have made no claims in the last 3 years although the difference in premium is usually not as extensive as with car insurance. Some insurers will require a quotation to be referred to them before providing a guaranteed quotation, for example a large fire claim may force a quotation to be referred as aposed to a small accidental damage claim. Some of the insurers we place cover with apply upto a 30% discount based on your claims history, for example if you had no claims in the last 3 years then the insurers we deal with may be able to provide a quotation with a 30% discount which is obviously a large saving on your premium.

 

Landlords insurance excess 

We understand that the last thing a landlord wants is a large excess to pay when they need to claim which is why we provide landlords insurance policies with insurers offering excesses as low as £100 for all claims except subsidence which is a standard £1,000 excess. There are several factors which can effect the premium you will have on your policy, for example if you had a property let to several DSS benefit recipients then the excess may be increased as the risk is could be considered slightly higher than a property let to one professional person. The location of your property may also effect the excess on the property, for example if the area your property is located in is known to be a high flood risk then the insurer may impose an increase excess for any flood claims.

Non Disclosure 

 When arranging your insurance policy it is important to disclose any material facts which could effect the cost of your insurance or the status of the quotation. For example if you know the area your property is located in has a high record of vandalism then you should disclose this material fact before proceeding with any insurance. Failing to disclose any material fact or insuring your building and/or contents for a lower sum than is accurate could result in a claim being repudiated and possibly denied. 

Claims process 

Making a claim on your landlords insurance couldn't be easier, usually all we will require to start the claims process is two comparative estimates and a short claims form to be completed. In some cases a loss adjuster may be appointed to visit the property and assess the claim.