Compare landlord insurance

Renting out a property? Compare landlord insurance policies to find the best protection for your investment.

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Danny Butler

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Why do I need landlord insurance?

There are a lot of costs to consider when buying and managing an investment property, so why should you pay out even more by buying landlord insurance? There are several reasons why it’s worthwhile:
  • It protects you against risks typically faced by landlords. As a landlord, you’re exposed to a range of risks that don’t affect ordinary homeowners. The best landlord insurance provides the financial protection you need to look after your investment property.
  • It provides peace of mind. In some cases, the security deposit won’t be enough to cover you for tenant-related losses. Landlord insurance is designed to guarantee that you won’t be left out-of-pocket when something goes wrong with your property.
  • Cover is available for short-term rentals. Landlord insurance doesn’t just cover long-term tenancies; there are also policies available to cover short-term rental arrangements, such as renting out your property through websites like Airbnb.
  • Mortgage requirement. If you have a buy-to-let mortgage your lender might require you to have landlord insurance in order to qualify for the loan.

What does landlord insurance cover?

Landlord insurance offers a broad range of protection across three critical areas: loss of rental income, damage to the building and damage to contents.

Loss of rental income

Landlord insurance protects you against the loss of rental income due to the following events and circumstances:

  • Absconding tenant. This refers to a tenant moving out without giving proper notice, or if they move out at the end of the lease and leave rent unpaid.
  • Defaulting tenant. You’ll be covered if a tenant fails to pay their rent and is either issued with a termination notice, or has their lease terminated by court or tribunal order.

Damage to building

If there is loss or damage to your building caused by tenants, their family members or guests they invite onto the property, landlord insurance will offset the cost of repair or replacement. Cover is included for the following:

  • Insured events. Just like a regular home insurance policy, landlord insurance provides cover against events such as fire, flood, storm and water damage. It includes demolition, removal of debris and rebuilding costs.
  • Accidental loss or damage. Your building is covered against sudden and unexpected loss or damage.

Contents

Landlord insurance also provides protection for the contents you own, or for which you are legally responsible, in your investment property, including the following:

  • Accidental loss or damage. You’re covered for sudden or unexpected loss or damage to contents.
  • Intentional and malicious damage. Protection for damage caused by a tenant or by any unknown person.

What additional benefits are available?

As well as the items listed above, landlord insurance policies offer a range of additional benefits to suit a landlord’s needs. These include the following:

  • Legal expenses. If the insurer has accepted a claim for loss of rent, your policy can cover the legal expenses you incur when attempting to reduce your loss, or if you have to organise a legal defence.
  • Representation expenses. If your property manager represents you in court or at a tribunal hearing, your insurance covers their representation fee.
  • Legal liability cover. You’re covered for legal liability if you’re at fault when a tenant or another party dies or suffers a bodily injury at your property, or when someone else’s property is damaged.
  • Replacement of locks. If a tenant is evicted by court order and you need to change the locks, landlord insurance can cover this cost.
  • Removal of tenant’s possessions. If a tenancy has ended and you’ve made an insurance claim for loss of rent, your policy may cover the cost of removing the tenant’s possessions from the property.

How much does landlord insurance cost?

There is no blanket answer to the question of how much you can expect to pay for cover. The cost of landlord insurance is influenced by a number of factors, including the following:

  • The type of property you own. The size of the house will affect the cost of cover. For example, a four-bedroom house will typically cost more to insure than a two-bedroom apartment.
  • Where the property is located. This can affect the likelihood of you needing to make a claim. For example, your home may be found in an area prone to severe storm and rain damage, or you may live in a high-crime area where there is an increased risk of theft or burglary.
  • The site itself. Other unique factors about your property will also be taken into account. For example, if it’s located in a flood-prone area or surrounded by tall trees, your premiums could be higher.
  • The value of your building and contents. How much would it cost to rebuild your property and to replace all the contents that are the landlord’s responsibility? The higher this figure is, the higher your landlord insurance premiums will be.
  • How secure your property is. Does the property have any security features to deter thieves and burglars, such as a state-of-the-art alarm system? If so, this could lower your premiums.
  • The age and construction of your property. The insurer will consider how old your property is and the materials used in its construction when determining how likely it is to withstand damage.
  • Your claims history. If you’ve previously made multiple claims on your landlord insurance policy, you can expect an increase in the cost of cover in the future.

Find out how you can find the cheapest landlord insurance that’s right for you.

For an accurate guide to the cost of cover, compare landlord insurance quotes from multiple insurers.

Do I need landlord insurance for a leasehold property?

If your investment property is leasehold, it’s important to be aware of what situations are covered by your freeholder’s building insurance and what’s covered by your landlord insurance. Generally, buildings insurance will be managed via the freeholder, although the costs for the insurance may well come from the service charge that you pay as a leaseholder. However, you will need to have a landlord insurance policy when you let it out if you want to protect yourself against loss of rent, and damage to the building and your possessions.

Did you know?

If you own a property as a freehold, it means that you own the building and the land it stands on outright, in perpetuity. It is your name in the Land Registry as “freeholder”, owning the “title absolute”.

A leasehold can be considered a long-term lease from the owner of the land. In the UK this usually occurs with blocks of flats. The lease can be for as long as 999 year or as short as 40 years. Once elapsed, the lease must be extended at a price or the property is returned to the owner.

This means that when purchasing a leasehold property you must consider how long is left on the lease and how this may affect selling the property on when you’re ready.

What will the freeholder’s buildings insurance cover?

  • The building and any of its structural improvements
  • Fixtures which form part of the building
  • Outbuildings
  • Common areas
  • Fences and gates
  • Fixed swimming pools
  • Playing surfaces, such as tennis courts
  • Above-ground and underground services
  • Lawns, trees, plants and gardens

It also covers contents located in a common area, such as:

  • Carpets
  • Furniture and furnishings
  • Blinds and curtains
  • Light fittings
  • Portable appliances
  • Temporary wall, floor and ceiling coverings

However, the exact list of items and areas covered varies between insurers, so check the policy’s product disclosure statement (PDS) for full details of the cover provided.

What exclusions should I be aware of?

When you compare the best landlord insurance policies, make sure you take a close look at the list of general exclusions. These are situations and events which the insurer will not cover, such as:

  • Any intentional act committed by you, your family or anyone acting with your consent
  • Water entering the building through an opening made to renovate or extend the property
  • Poor housekeeping by your tenants, such as unhygienic or untidy living habits
  • Rust, wear and tear, mould or mildew
  • The lawful seizure of your property
  • Loss or damage caused by insects or vermin
  • Repairs carried out by the tenant with your consent
  • If you breach the lease agreement
  • Loss or damage that arises due to keys being provided for property inspections
  • The tenant using the property for trade, manufacturing or childcare with your knowledge or consent
  • The lawful seizure of the property
  • If the property is vacant, is not advertised for sale and no effort is being made to either prepare the property for a new tenant or find a new tenant

Read the terms and conditions of your insurance policy closely for a full list of general exclusions.

How to choose the best landlord insurance policy

Landlord insurance may seem complex and confusing, but keeping a few simple tips in mind can make it a whole lot easier to select the right cover:

  • Check that pet damage is included. Not all policies cover damage caused by pets owned by tenants or their guests. Check the fine print to find out whether or not this is the case.
  • Cover while untenanted. It’s also a good idea to check whether you will still be covered if the property is left untenanted for an extended period. You may have to satisfy specific conditions to ensure that cover remains in place, such as actively seeking a replacement tenant.
  • Building-only vs combined cover. If you’re renting out a fully furnished property, contents insurance is a must. However, if your property is unfurnished, you may decide you don’t need it. Just remember that carpets, curtains, internal blinds and a range of other items are only covered by contents insurance, so you may still be better off with a policy that provides combined building and contents cover.
  • Shop around. Compare several landlord insurance policies to see how they stack up against each other. Obtain quotes for each suitable policy so you can select the best one available.

Do policies cover me against damage caused by tenants’ pets?

Landlord insurance is not designed to cover damage caused by tenants’ pets. However, you can still find a limited level of damage cover, and liability cover for injuries caused by animals kept on the premises.

Generally you are limited to specific types of damage cover, and insurance for damage caused by pets that are deceptively kept on the premises in breach of the tenancy agreement.

For the most part, landlord insurance is not designed to protect against damage caused by pets outside of liability cover, which can insure against injuries caused by pets to visitors. However, there are specialist landlord insurance policy providers that cover accidental pet damage as a standard part of their policy.

Our top landlord insurance tips

Remember these simple rules to ensure that you get the most from your landlord insurance policy:

  • Get a signed agreement. Many insurers will not provide cover if you do not have an official lease in place that you and the tenant have both signed. Make sure you have a written agreement before a tenant moves in.
  • Buy cover before your tenant moves in. Make sure you purchase cover before your tenant actually moves into your property. If they have already moved in and fall behind on rental payments before you buy a policy, your insurer probably won’t provide any cover.
  • Conduct regular inspections. Regular property inspections are essential not only to minimise the risk of tenants damaging your property, but to also back up any claim you make on your policy.
  • Keep detailed reports. Completed entry and exit reports with supporting photographs will protect you if any damage arises.
  • Check exactly what’s covered. If you choose a landlords insurance policy that also covers some of the contents of the property, look closely at the fine print to see exactly what is included. For example, check what fixtures and fittings are listed. Most policies offer protection for damage to items such as pipes and cables, fixed appliances, sheds, exterior blinds and awnings, and in-ground swimming pools.

A list of landlord insurance providers

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Frequently asked questions

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

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