Buildings insurance
Buildings insurance will cover the structure of your property. If the building is damaged by fire, flood, or vandalism, your policy will cover the cost of repairs.
Compare landlord insurance from £130 per year1
By comparing landlord insurance policies from top providers you can quickly find our best deal and save money. Our providers include:
1Source: Simply Business. 10% of customers paid up to £130.48 a year for a standard buildings cover policy when paying annually, between January 22 and June 22, 2023
2Correct as of September 2023
Landlord insurance offers specialised policy options to protect against potential risks, including property damage, liability, and loss of rental income.
With landlord insurance, owners can ensure they have the necessary financial support to manage claims and make repairs promptly, minimizing any delays in restoring the property to its proper condition.
Understand everything you need to know about landlord insurance in our comprehensive guide
Landlord insurance isn’t required by law, but it’s strongly recommended for anyone who has a rental property or a portfolio of properties. Standard home insurance won't cover a property that's rented out, and if you’re taking out a buy-to-let mortgage, your lender might require you to have landlord insurance to qualify for the loan.
Not only can Landlord insurance protect your building and any contents that belong to you – including fittings and fixtures – but it can even include cover for unpaid rent and protection for your unoccupied properties.
For more information about the benefits of landlord insurance, you can read our guide 'Do I Need Landlord Insurance?'
The core types of cover that you can get from a landlords insurance are buildings insurance – or fixtures and fittings insurance if you don't own the building – and contents insurance. You can also get combined buildings and contents cover for a fully comprehensive policy.
Buildings insurance will cover the structure of your property. If the building is damaged by fire, flood, or vandalism, your policy will cover the cost of repairs.
This insurance covers fixtures and fittings rather than the whole building. It will pay out to cover repairs to fitted kitchens, bathrooms, or wardrobes
Contents insurance will cover any belongings that are kept on the property. For landlords, this usually covers items like whitegoods or maintenance tools.
As well as simple buildings and contents cover, landlord insurance can offer a range of extra protection that either comes as standard or can be optionally added to your policy
This will cover any accidental damage that is caused by your tenants, such as broken windows or stained carpets
Also known as rent guarantee insurance, this covers lost rent if tenants don't keep up with payments
This will cover your legal costs if a third party suffers injury or damage on your property and seeks compensation
Your insurer will help you arrange and cover emergency call-outs for issues such as burst pipes or broken electrics
Your insurance can cover a range of legal costs relating to your property, including rent recovery and tax affairs
If damage to your property prevents you from renting it out, your insurance will cover lost rent payments
Landlord insurance can cover unoccupied properties for up to 60 days and sometimes longer
If you rent out a commercial property, your landlord insurance can provide tailored cover to protect the building
With specialist 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 alternative 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
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
Whether you rent out offices, shops or warehouses, we’ve got you covered with commercial landlord insurance policies
Multi-property insurance will insure a portfolio of properties. This ensures landlords can have one policy with the right level of cover for each property
"If you’re renting out a property, then it’s inevitable that something will get damaged. Your tenants are living their lives in your property, and so even the most reliable will end up scratching some paintwork, or leaving a few dents or scrapes. If you have full landlord insurance then you will be covered, giving you peace of mind. You could even be covered for things like loss of rental income.
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At MoneySuperMarket, landlord insurance starts at just £1303 per year. However, the cost of your policy will depend on various factors, such as:
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
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 your premiums as an annual lump sum 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
MoneySuperMarket makes it easy to compare policies from multiple providers in one place, saving you the time and hassle of researching each provider individually.
By comparing policy quotes and features MoneySuperMarket makes it easy to match our best deals with prices to fit your needs and budget, saving you money on your insurance premium.
With a wide range of policies available, you can find taxi insurance that meets your unique needs and provides the coverage you need to protect your investment.
There are a few steps that you can take prior to apply for a policy that can help you save some money.
Comparing quotes is one of the first ways you can save money on your policy. There is a lot of choice out there when it comes to providers, so make sure you get a good view of your options
Increasing your voluntary excess will reduce the cost of your landlord insurance policy. However, you should avoid increasing your excess to a point that it becomes unaffordable
Rebuild cost isn't the same as market value. By calculating how much it would cost to rebuild your property, you can avoid over-insuring yourself and get better value for your cover
Providers may reduce the cost of your policy if you are taking proper steps to secure your property. This includes installing burglar alarms, CCTV, and upgrading the locks on doors and windows
There are some pieces of basic information that you should have before collecting quotes or applying for a policy:
You will need to provide some basic details about your property, such as the address, when you purchased it, when it was built, and whether the property is commercial or residential
If you currently have tenants living in the property, you will need to provide basic details. This can include their employment status or any background checks you may have carried out on them
You will need to provide details about the cover you want. You will need to choose a level of cover as well as any optional extra cover, such as contents insurance
If you have an existing insurance policy, you will need to provide information about it, including whether you have made any previous claims on your policy
Comparing landlord insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket is the easiest way to find affordable cover tailored to suit you. 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
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 malicious or accidental 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.
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.
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.
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.
Loss of rent will protect the income you receive from your tenants if they have to move out due to an insured event. This can include such events as a fire, flood, or robbery. As well as compensating you for the loss of rent, this insurance will also help you cover the cost of alternative accommodation for your tenants.
Legal expenses are not usually covered as standard with landlord insurance. Instead, this cover is offered as an optional extra that you can add to your policy for an additional cost. It will cover you for any legal fees related to your property. This can include such issues as contract disputes and debt recovery.
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.
Under old rules for landlords, it was possible for buy-to-let property owners to claim as much as 40% or 45% tax relief. However, these rules started to be phased out in 2017, and since 2020, buy-to-let landlords can receive a tax credit worth a flat rate of 20% of their mortgage interest payments.
Learn more about this in our guide on buy-to-let tax relief
In 2022, stamp duty changed to a 0% stamp duty rate for all properties under £250,000, which was previously £125,000.
Buying a second property also means that you'll pay a 3% SDLT surcharge, which affects most landlords and buy-to-let property owners as most of them already own their own homes. This means that DSLT surcharges can increase up to 15% for properties valued above £1.5 million.
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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