Landlord insurance: what you need and what you can skip
Ordinary home insurance does not cover a tenanted property: letting without telling your insurer usually voids the policy. Landlord insurance is the replacement, and it is a menu rather than a single product.
The core covers
- Buildings: the structure, rebuilt at reinstatement cost. Usually a mortgage condition and the one cover nobody should skip. Leaseholders check the block policy first.
- Landlord contents: your items in the property, carpets, curtains, appliances, white goods. Tenants insure their own belongings.
- Property owners' liability: injury claims arising from the property. Typically bundled at £2m to £5m and worth having at any price offered.
The optional layer
Rent guarantee covers arrears and often legal costs of possession, priced on referencing quality: insurers require a properly referenced tenant, which aligns incentives nicely. Legal expenses covers disputes beyond arrears. Loss of rent after insured damage, and malicious damage by tenants, vary by policy: read the exclusions rather than the headline.
Keeping the cover valid
Disclose accurately: occupancy type, HMO status, void periods. Comply with policy conditions on inspections, unoccupancy limits between tenancies, and safety certificates, because a claim is the moment paperwork gaps become expensive. An up-to-date compliance file is also an underwriting asset.
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Start my agreement →Frequently asked questions
Is landlord insurance a legal requirement?
No statute requires it, but mortgage lenders require buildings cover and letting on a home policy without consent typically voids it. Practically, buildings plus liability is the floor.
Does landlord insurance cover unpaid rent?
Only with rent guarantee cover added, which depends on full referencing of the tenant. Standard landlord policies do not cover arrears.