Residential
Your rental accommodation is an investment worth protecting. If you let one property or a whole portfolio, you’ll need more than just home insurance to protect you
Compare landlord insurance. 10% of customers pay just £116* per year
*According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid up to £116.02 a year for a standard buildings cover policy when paying annually, between Jul 21 and Dec 21
Find cheap landlord insurance quotes available through major insurers including:
There are many risks associated with renting out a home, which is why Landlord Insurance is specially designed to protect and help landlords handle those risks. Landlord insurance is what covers you against any damages to the building itself including any fixtures or furnishing you’ve provided. Regardless of who your tenants are, accidents can always happen, so you need to make sure you’re covered
Read more in our guide on What is Landlord Insurance?
Landlord insurance covers a range of different types of properties including:
Your rental accommodation is an investment worth protecting. If you let one property or a whole portfolio, you’ll need more than just home insurance to protect you
Whether you rent out offices, shops or warehouses, we’ve got you covered with commercial landlord insurance policies
Multi-property insurance insures landlords with a portfolio of properties. This ensures landlords can have one single policy with the right level of cover in place for each individual property
With landlord insurance, you’re covered for plenty of risks – but there are a few things that aren’t generally included. Here’s what you’ll be insured against:
Disasters
You’re covered against flooding, storms, and subsidence, along with damage from fire and explosions
Deliberate vandalism
Your insurance will cover the costs if your property is damaged by vandals or burglars, or in a riot
Burst pipes and boiler trouble
Insurance can also help out if water escapes in your property, or if the hot water boiler breaks down
Other issues
If you need to replace your locks, or a tenant loses their keys, insurance has you covered. It’ll even meet the costs of alternate accommodation
General wear and tear
Ordinary wear and tear to your building and fixtures isn’t included. You’re also not covered for damage caused by poor craftsmanship
Deliberate damage by your tenants
If someone you rent to deliberately causes damage to your property, most insurers won’t let you claim – so vet your tenants carefully
Your tenants’ property
Your insurance won’t include any furniture or possessions that belong to your tenants, only you – so they should consider taking out their own contents cover
Animal damage
Many insurers won’t cover you for damage caused by dogs or cats, or pests such as rats. You might be able to include pet damage as an add-on – but it’ll likely cost you extra
When you buy landlord insurance you’ll be able to take out the following types of policy:
Buildings insurance covers the structure of your property, including the walls, roof, floors and extensions as well as permanent fixtures like bathrooms and kitchens
Contents insurance covers the furniture, rugs and curtains you provide in the property – but not any contents belonging to your tenants
Also known as rent guarantee insurance. Rental protection covers any rent lost if the tenant is unable to live in the property as a result of physical damage
Covers any costs you might have to pay if a third party suffers injury or damage on your property and it’s deemed to be your fault
Employers’ liability insurance covers costs you may need to pay if people you employ in your property suffer injury or damage as a result of your negligence
Insurance cover for your property while it’s unoccupied, for example if you’re waiting for new tenants to move in
Landlord insurance isn’t required by law, but it’s strongly recommended for anyone who lets a property out.
Standard home insurance policies don’t offer the necessary protection landlords need should something go wrong in their property – whether accidental or deliberate. A standard home insurance policy may even be invalidated if you let your property out to tenants and you find yourself having to make a claim.
Additionally, if you’re taking out a buy-to-let mortgage your lender might require you to have landlord insurance in order to qualify for the loan.
The cost of your landlord insurance will depend on a number of different factors, including:
Insurers take into account how old your property is, how many rooms it has, how its roof is structured, and more to judge what kind of risk it presents
Your location matters too – if you’re in an area with high crime rates or a greater likelihood of flooding, you’ll usually pay more for cover
If you’re letting your property out to students, you may have to pay more for cover as insurers are likely to consider these tenants as a higher risk
A combined buildings and contents policy may be cheaper overall than buying them separately, but it’s good to compare your options to be sure
You might find that paying an annual lump sum up front works out cheaper than spreading the cost over monthly instalments
A history of previous claims on your landlord insurance policy will make you a higher risk, so insurers will likely charge more in premiums
"Getting landlord insurance doesn’t need to be expensive – you can get rewarded by your insurer with lower rates if you have the right security measures in place from the get-go. Fit a burglar alarm and make sure all locks are in good working condition. Also make sure you properly vet any tenants before you take them on. You can also limit your risk by not allowing pets in your property since many insurers don’t cover them.
"
- Dave Merrick, Head of Commercial
Comparing landlord insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket and our preferred partner SimplyBusiness is the easiest way to find an affordable deal on cover. Here's how it works:
Pop in details like your address, property type, and any extra policies you want and you’ll get a landlord insurance quote
You’ll be able to see and compare the policies on offer from our preferred landlord insurance providers
Once you’ve chosen your policy and received a quote, you can call or apply directly online with the provider to get covered
Landlord insurance isn’t legally required in the same way car insurance is – however it’s still a wise investment to make as property repairs can become expensive.
A standard home insurance policy might not cover you if you rent your property out to tenants and you aren’t living there. This is because tenants present a different, and usually greater, risk to the property – and therefore to the insurer:
Tenants aren’t invested in the property, so they may not care as much about its condition
They may not notice certain maintenance issues that could grow if left unattended
They may cause accidental or even malicious damage to the property
They may hold you, the landlord, liable if they get hurt in the property
Landlord insurance caters to these specific situations that won’t usually be covered by standard home insurance.
When you sign up to your landlord insurance policy, you should receive a booklet that outlines the detail of your policy, which usually comes with a claims form. You can claim by filling it out and mailing it to your insurer, though they may also be able to handle your claim online or over the phone.
You might need contents insurance as a landlord if you’re supplying furniture, fixtures and fittings for your tenants. For example, a landlord contents policy can help with freestanding sofas and beds, floor coverings and electrical appliances. You can generally expect the following to be covered either as standard or with an add-on:
Furniture such as sofas and cabinets
Kitchen appliances like ovens or sinks
Curtains
Carpets
Paintings and pictures
Light fixtures
Outbuildings such as sheds or outhouses
Gardens and any contents in the garden
Communal areas, if you’re letting your property out to multiple tenants
You might also be able to claim for alternative accommodation for your tenants if any damage to your contents renders the property uninhabitable.
Most insurers offer the option of adding multiple properties to your policy, and you may even be able to get a discount on your premiums as a result. However you may find that you need separate policies for each property, so it’s always better to compare your options before committing to a provider to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
Landlords are generally able to claim a tax deduction for the running and maintenance costs of their property, which includes landlord insurance, as well as:
General maintenance and repairs
Council tax
Water, gas and electricity
Maintenance services like and gardeners
Letting agent fees
Property management fees
Accountant fees
The first £1,000 of your property rental income is your property allowance, and therefore it’s tax free. Your total rental income added together, minus all your allowable expenses (including landlord insurance) will give you your profit or loss.
For profit margins of £1,000 or less, you just need to claim for your allowance.
For profits of between £1,000 and £2,500 you need to contact the HMRC to ensure you’re paying the correct tax
For profits of between £2,500 and £9,999 after expenses, or £10,000 or more before expenses, you’ll need to report the income on a self-assessment tax return
If you live in the property and you are renting a room out, you should clarify whether the agreement is that they are a tenant or a lodger. Essentially, if you’ve agreed you cannot enter their room without their permission this would make them a tenant – and therefore you’d need landlord insurance to be properly covered.
If they’re a lodger then you should be able to get an extension on your home insurance policy that will cover you for housing a lodger.
As a landlord there’s always a risk that a tenant might refuse or not be able to pay rent. While this can cause problems, there are things you can do to protect your rental income – you can see what your options are with our guide to rent guarantee insurance.
Rental guarantee insurance usually covers six or 12-month periods, though an excess of one month’s rent is not uncommon.
As a landlord there’s always a risk that a tenant might refuse or not be able to pay rent. While this can cause problems, there are things you can do to protect your rental income – you can see what your options are with our guide to rent guarantee insurance.
Rental guarantee insurance usually covers six or 12-month periods, though an excess of one month’s rent is not uncommon
Finding the right policy for your properties and your own individual needs is crucial. Take a look at our landlord insurance guide to make sure your policy covers all the bases.
When you’ve decided on the level of cover you need, find the best landlord policy for your requirements via our preferred provider. MoneySuperMarket has teamed up with Simply Business, who offers an external landlord insurance comparison service. Simply Business is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference 313348)
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