What is Landlord Insurance?
A combination of different covers can make up landlord insurance. They vary from insurer to insurer, and good ones are tailored to the individual landlord so that the policies reflect the needs of their individual properties and tenants. Essentially, landlord insurance protects a landlord from potential financial loss when an unpredictable incident occurs and acts as a safety net to ensure no extra, out-of-the-blue costs. However, it can be arduous to establish what is covered and what prices to expect, we explore exactly what is landlord insurance below.
If you would like to read more information or learn more about the pricing of business landlord insurance, you can do so here.
What is Landlord Insurance?
A combination of different covers can make up landlord insurance. They vary from insurer to insurer, and good ones are tailored to the individual landlord so that the policies reflect the needs of their individual properties and tenants. Essentially, landlord insurance protects a landlord from potential financial loss when an unpredictable incident occurs and acts as a safety net to ensure no extra, out-of-the-blue costs. However, it can be arduous to establish what is covered and what prices to expect.
What Types of Accidents Does Landlord Insurance Cover Against?
1. Injuries Caused by The Property
Landlord liability insurance is mutually beneficial for both the landlord and the tenants (as well as their guests). When an accident arises that injures a third party, insurance compensates the landlord for financial costs like legal fees and ensures that the third party’s treatment is paid for. For example, if a tenant fell down the stairs because they were wooden and slippery, or their friend visited and tripped on the uneven stoop, any pain medication that they may need as a result would be covered by the insurance.
For more severe injuries, the tenant may even wish to sue the landlord, in which case the legal fees would be covered too. Liability insurance is helpful because it covers the injuries of guests, builders, and members of the public in addition to the tenants.
2. Damage To Belongings
Landlord liability insurance covers the injuries sustained by the tenant and any of their items that were damaged as a result of renting the property. For example, if the tenant’s daughter fell from the decking in the garden, which was too high off the ground, they may break their tablet because of this accident.
Consequently, the tenant may demand that they be recompensated. They hold the landlord liable for unsafe decking measurements, and the accident would not have occurred if they had fixed this safety hazard. If the landlord is found to be responsible for not fixing this issue sooner, the insurance company will reimburse the tenant for the reparation of the tablet.
3. Building Damage
A crucial part of landlord insurance is building insurance, which finances the infrastructure and fixtures should they be destroyed in a natural disaster. For example, if one of the rented properties was near a lake that burst through the dam and made its way into the house, the exterior of the building could be eroded as well as damage to the windows and doors. Similarly, if a fire occurred outside or even due to a lighting strike, the burnt structures would be removed and replaced. Vandalism is usually also covered, so the cost of replacing any broken lights or hiring a painter to spray over graffiti would be included.
Accidental damage that destroyed the building is also part of landlord insurance due to natural disasters. For example, if one of the tenant’s children broke a window inside the house from playing with a football inside or drew on the wall as toddlers do, the insurance company would be responsible for reimbursing the tenant for a replacement. This type of cover is beneficial because tenants spend more time in the property than landlords do, suggesting that they are more likely to break something than anyone or anything else.
4. Contents Damage
Powerful floods and large fires can ruin the foundation of the home, but they can also cause damage to the furniture and fittings inside of it. This includes the sofas, tables, chairs, television, wardrobes, shelves and lamps. Most of these materials are not fire-resistant, and electronic equipment is damaged instantaneously when coming into contact with water, suggesting that it is wise to get them insured. Furthermore, when an accident like this happens, often the majority of the contents inside can get damaged, and the landlord cannot afford to replace all of these things immediately. Hence, landlord insurance is the optimal option.
Accidental damage can also apply to contents, just like it can buildings. As a tenant resides in the property most of the time, there is more chance of them unintentionally breaking something because the furniture surrounds them. There is no way to prevent such incidents, even when extremely careful. If the sofa gets ripped or the rug is stained, the insurance company would recompensate the landlord to replace them, as it is their property. Unfortunately, tenants are responsible for obtaining separate insurance to protect their belongings.
Which Factors Influence the Premium?
Landlord insurance is difficult to average because there are various policies involved at varying levels of coverage, which are based on the types of properties rented. Nonetheless, some essential factors influence the premium price significantly.
-
Claims History
Landlords with no claim’s history or a few separate occasions are more likely to have a cheaper premium. This is because having a long history indicates that you will file a claim over numerous minor accidents to the insurer. Therefore, there is more of a risk for them to ensure you, as they will be providing pay-outs more frequently.
A way to combat this is to avoid making claims with previous insurers unless they are significant, fixing the accidents out of your profits unless it is significant enough to report. Additionally, opting for a higher excess before the insurance policy starts helps to imply to the insurance company that you will only be reporting worthwhile accidents, as the landlord would be paying more money before the claim is validated.
2. Level of Coverage
As stated previously, landlord insurance can include multiple policies. This includes landlord liability, buildings, contents, accidental damage, loss of rent, and alternative accommodation insurance. The more policies added to the insurance, the more expensive the premium will cost, as more accidents would be included making the cover more comprehensive. Unless you are a landlord with multiple buildings and many tenants, the minimum coverage is encouraged to waste money.
With this being said, it is more cost-efficient to have a higher level of coverage as you develop your properties and gain more tenants because the risk increases proportionately with development.
What is Landlord Insurance – To Conclude
In conclusion, landlord insurance safeguards a landlord from financial harm when a variety of incidents happen, allowing for protection against any additional expenses that could come unexpectedly and, as a result, be detrimental. Moreover, the tenants can have peace of mind knowing that they too will not suffer loss.
Find out more about the importance of insurance here.
Other useful links about Business Insurance:
Building Insurance for Landlords
Landlord Contents Insurance
UK General Landlord Insurance
Remember to Compare Your Business Costs is here to help your business every step of the way from business advice, or saving you time and money on your business purchases such as:
Ally Cox is a dedicated Copywriter and Blogger for CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk. In under two years, the platform achieved the esteemed accolade of ‘Website of the Year’. Since its award-winning debut, Ally has been instrumental in fostering organic growth for the website, expanding its offerings to encompass comparisons across a diverse range of over 20 products to help serve all your business needs.