Alternative accommodation cover

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Why is alternative accommodation insurance important?

If an insured event – like a flood, fire, or storm – damages your property, it may cost more than just your builder’s fees. As a landlord, your obligation to provide alternative accommodation will depend on your tenancy agreement. This may state that you must provide alternative accommodation, if disaster strikes and the property is unfit to live in.

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What does alternative accommodation insurance cover?

Alternative accommodation cover can help pick up the cost of providing somewhere else for your tenants to stay, if a fire, flood, or other insured event causes serious damage. Some contracts state this as the landlord’s responsibility, so check your tenancy agreement carefully to get the right protection in place – you can add it to your standard landlord insurance policy, along with other popular covers, from contents to loss of rent.

  • Fire

  • Storm

  • Flood

  • Fire

    What does this cover?

    • the cost of temporarily rehoming your tenants, if fire damage makes your property uninhabitable
    • alternative accommodation until your property is habitable again, or the period of insurance ends (whichever is first)

    When would I need to make a claim?

    • for example, a kitchen fire in the flat above yours causes serious damage to your property, and your tenants need to move out while you make repairs

    What isn’t covered?

    • losses due to a tenant defaulting on their rental payments – you can add tenant default insurance to help cover this risk, when building your policy

  • Storm

    What does this cover?

    • the cost of temporarily rehoming your tenants, if storm damage makes your property uninhabitable
    • alternative accommodation until your property is habitable again, or the period of insurance ends (whichever is first)

    When would I need to make a claim?

    • for example, a storm causes serious structural damage to your property, and your tenants need to move out for a few months

    What isn’t covered?

    • losses due to a tenant defaulting on their rental payments – you can add tenant default insurance to help cover this risk, when building your policy

  • Flood

    What does this cover?

    • the cost of temporarily rehoming your tenants, if flood damage makes your property uninhabitable
    • alternative accommodation until your property is habitable again, or the period of insurance ends (whichever is first)

    When would I need to make a claim?

    • For example, sudden, heavy rainfall causes a flood on your road, and by the evening your property has become uninhabitable. You need to rehome your tenants quickly, and make a claim to help cover the cost

    What isn’t covered?

    • losses due to a tenant defaulting on their rental payments – you can add tenant default insurance to help cover this risk, when building your policy
    • flooding caused by a continual increase in the water table, over time
    • in some circumstances, you may not be able to make a claim if you don’t have certain covers in place

This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of landlord insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions

How much does alternative accommodation cost?

Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Prices start from £14.20 per month

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*The price is for building and £2 million property owners’ liability insurance only – 10% of customers paid £170.45 or less annually in 1st Jan – 31st May 2024. Equivalent to £14.20 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available, including up to £5 million of property owners’ liability insurance. These all have additional costs.

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How do I choose alternative accommodation landlord insurance?

Making sure you have the right type and level of insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.

  • What if my property is unoccupied?

  • What if my tenant’s situation changes?

  • Are carpets and curtains covered?

  • Will tenant default insurance cover me if my property becomes unoccupied?

  • What if I’m subletting my property?

  • What if I have a different type of property?

  • What if my property is unoccupied?

    If you’ve bought insurance for an unoccupied property, you’ll be asked to confirm if the property is expected to be occupied within 60 days of the policy starting.

    After this, you must contact us to confirm when the property becomes occupied – if you don’t tell us, this can cause a delay in any claims being processed.

    You should also be aware that you can’t claim for lost rent under the loss of rent section of your insurance if your property becomes unoccupied.

  • What if my tenant’s situation changes?

    If your tenant’s employment status changes – or if a new tenant moves in and their employment status is different to the previous tenant – you’ll need to tell us immediately. If you don’t, it could cause a delay in any claims being processed.

  • Are carpets and curtains covered?

    The definition of ‘fixtures and fittings’ will depend on the insurer – sometimes, it will include laminate flooring, carpets, curtains and blinds.

    It’s a good idea to check the wording in your policy to understand what’s covered.

    Read more about contents insurance for landlords and buildings insurance.

  • Will tenant default insurance cover me if my property becomes unoccupied?

    If your property becomes unoccupied, you won’t be able to make a claim for lost rent under tenant default cover.

    This also applies if your tenant falls into arrears and can’t pay their rent, but you’re not planning to evict them. You can only claim for lost rent under tenant default cover if you start repossession proceedings.

    Read more about tenant default insurance and rent guarantee insurance.

  • What if I’m subletting my property?

    It’s vital that any tenancy agreement that you have is between you and the occupant of the property.

    If the occupant of your property has a tenancy agreement with a third party (such as a letting agency or a local authority) and not you as the property owner, then your insurance policy could be cancelled and you won’t be able to make any claims.

  • What if I have a different type of property?

    You can add a range of other important covers to your landlord insurance policy, all while keeping it simple with a single premium and a single renewal date. You might consider these covers:

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How do claims work?

Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.

£51 million in claims paid out in 2023

83% of claims were settled in 2023.

The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 24/04/2024.

Example claim

Having landlord insurance with alternative accommodation cover through Simply Business has saved property owners thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.

Alexandra saved more than £19,800

Alexandra (not her real name) received a call from her tenant over the New Year bank holiday, reporting a vehicle had driven through her property’s end wall. The tenants were forced to move out while repair works were carried out, but the landlord insurance alternative accommodation cover added to her policy helped cover the costs Alexandra incurred as a result.

Insurance payout

£19,895.57

Covering the cost of impact

Insurance payout

Covering the cost of impact

Covering the cost of impact

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Alternative accommodation insurance FAQ

Whether you’re new to buying landlord insurance or you’ve been letting your property for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about alternative accommodation insurance. You can also check out our landlord insurance FAQs.

Alternative accommodation insurance is designed to cover your costs, as a landlord, if you need to provide alternative accommodation while your tenants move out due to an insured event – often a fire, flood, or storm. It usually covers the period of time until your property is habitable again, or the period of insurance ends (whichever is first). Some insurers also offer set cover periods, for example 12 or 24 months.

Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of the property including the walls, roof, and floors. Items inside the property, like furniture and freestanding appliances, are usually protected by specific ‘contents insurance’.

There’s currently no legal obligation to take out a dedicated landlord insurance policy. However, a home insurance policy won’t cover you for the specific risks you and your tenants face, and a mortgage lender will usually require you to have buy-to-let insurance in place too, before renting out your property.

Alongside optional protection like alternative accommodation insurance, popular covers include property owners’ liability and contents insurance, for accidents on your property, plus buildings cover to protect the property itself.

This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of landlord insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions.

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