Residential landlord insurance

If you’re letting your property, a standard home insurance policy is unlikely to provide sufficient cover to protect against all the potential risks involved with renting a property to tenants. For this reason, you’ll likely be looking for residential landlord insurance online.

For example, a residential landlord policy will provide additional protection for risks like malicious damage by tenants and loss of rent. This will protect you against the heightened risk of having someone else living in your property, as well as protecting your rental income.

Residential landlord insurance will protect your buildings against a number of risks. Cover can include:

Landlord buildings insurance

Your buildings covered for up to £1 million - including cover for fixtures and fittings - against a range of perils including fire, theft and flood.

Landlord contents insurance

The items that you supply for your tenants from £5,000 up to £60,000, such as white goods and furniture, including occupiers’ liability up to £2 million.

Malicious damage

Malicious damage caused by your tenants and guests is included as standard up to £25,000.

Loss of rent

Compensation for loss of rent as a result of an insured event.

Property owner’s liability

Up to £5 million cover for property owner’s liability included as standard

Extended unoccupancy period

The standard unoccupancy period of 90 days is extended to 120 days for student properties.

Temporary accommodation

Up to £3,000 for your tenants' alternative accommodation costs; following a loss or damage covered under the buildings section of the policy that has made the property uninhabitable.

Keys and locks

The cost of replacing keys and locks to an external door of your property following loss or theft of tenant’s keys

Trace and access

Cover to find the source of leaking water from any fixed water or heating installation up to £7,500.

Underground drains, pipes and cables

Accidental damage to underground drains, pipes, cables and tanks providing services to or from your property for which you are legally responsible

You can also add cover to your landlord’s residential property insurance to protect against accidental damage caused by you or your tenants

If you require additional cover for your residential property, we can provide buildings and contents accidental damage cover. This protects your property against accidental damage caused by you or your tenants.

You can also add legal cover to your policy. This will provide up to £50,000 cover and specialist advice for legal disputes for you and your property.

Home emergency is also an optional cover that can be added to your buildings policy. It protects your property against the loss of essential services.

When looking for residential landlord insurance quotes, you’ll probably notice that no two are the same. This is because rental properties come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important that you find an insurance policy that meets your specific needs.

With over 25 years’ experience, we have a number of flexible insurance options for landlords, whether you own a residential or commercial property, or even a portfolio.

Cover for student lets

With over 25 years' experience in the landlord market, our landlord insurance provides extended unoccupancy cover when your property is let to students.

Additional cover options

Need to add cover to your policy? Our team of consultants are on hand to make sure your policy is tailored to your needs.

Portfolios and blocks of flats

Are you a freeholder of a block of flats, or simply own multiple residential properties that you want covered on one policy? Speak to our specialist team on 0333 234 0039.

Non-standard rental properties

Has your rental property previously suffered from flooding or subsidence, or is your property unoccupied? Howden provide cover for non-standard properties.

Not sure what types of landlord insurance there are, or just want a bit more information before you get your residential landlord insurance quotes? Find out more in our guides.

Your easy guide to residential landlord insurance

What types of landlord insurance are there?

Can I insure multiple properties on one policy?

What insurance do I need for a furnished property?

What landlord liability insurance do I need?

Find out more

If you’re a residential landlord with a single property, then residential landlord insurance will likely be the most suitable cover for your property.

If you have a non-standard property (such as a property undergoing renovation or that is unoccupied), you may require specialist cover to protect your property against all perils. So check with your insurer to find out what’s covered.

If you have multiple properties, it may be easier for you to add these to a multi-property landlord insurance policy. This will allow you to keep all of your properties covered under the same roof, with the same renewal date which will ultimately cut down on your paperwork.

Residential landlord insurance provides you with financial protection for your rental property. Could you afford to reinstate your property if it were damaged in a fire or flood? Would you be happy to pick up the costs for malicious damage to your property, caused by tenants or their guests?

If not, you’ll probably want to invest in residential landlord insurance. This cover can protect your buildings and contents against a range of risks, plus you have the option to add on additional elements of cover, such as accidental damage.

Residential landlord insurance gives you and your tenants peace of mind if things go wrong.

A building valuation will provide an accurate reinstatement cost for your property giving you the information you need to request the right amount of cover from your broker.

BCH is a RICS-regulated company that provides building insurance rebuilding cost valuations via desk-based e-valuations or site-based reinstatement cost assessments (RCA).

Find out more about a building insurance valuation service today.