Landlord insurance covers against risks related to your buy-to-let property and rental activity. Most policies start with building insurance and property owners’ liability insurance. You can add many other covers, such as loss of rent, tenant default or accidental damage, depending on your needs.

Different types of landlord insurance cover different risks. Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property, while contents insurance covers your contents if they’re stolen or damaged.

When you’re buying a landlord insurance policy you can choose the insurance you need based on the risks you want to cover. Most landlord insurance policies include buildings insurance or fixtures and fittings insurance, plus property owners’ liability insurance. There are lots of other covers you can add on too, covering other risks like accidental damage, loss of rent and tenant default.

Does landlord insurance cover contents?

Landlord insurance does cover contents, as long as you choose landlord contents insurance when you’re buying your policy. If you have landlord contents insurance, household items like furniture and appliances will be covered in the case of events like theft, fire or flood. Bear in mind that your tenants’ belongings won’t be covered.

Does landlord insurance cover the building?

Landlord insurance does cover the building, as long as you have buildings insurance as part of your policy. Landlord buildings insurance can cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property if it’s damaged by something like fire, flood or vandalism. If you own a flat and the freeholder is responsible for buying the buildings insurance, you can just cover your fixtures and fittings.

Does landlord insurance cover loss of rent?

Landlord insurance can cover loss of rent, but it depends on the type of cover you’ve chosen and the reason for the loss of rent. Some insurance will cover lost rent if your tenants have to move out of your property because there’s been a disaster like a fire or flood, as long as the disaster is also covered by your landlord insurance.

Loss of rent isn’t often a default landlord insurance cover: you’ll usually have to choose to add it when you buy your policy. And if you’ve lost rent for another reason – for example your tenants have failed to pay – in most circumstances you will only be covered if you have a specialist cover like tenant default insurance as part of your policy.

Does landlord insurance cover fire?

If you have landlord buildings insurance, your insurance can pay for repair or reconstruction of your building if it’s damaged by a fire. If you have landlord contents insurance, your insurance can pay to replace or repair your contents if they’re damaged by fire. Similarly, landlord fixtures and fittings insurance can cover your fixtures and fittings if there’s a fire.

Does landlord insurance cover water damage?

Water damage is generally covered by landlord buildings and landlord contents insurance, but it usually depends on how the water damage happened. Water damage caused by a flood would usually be covered, and water damage caused by a ‘sudden and accidental’ event like a burst pipe would usually be covered too. However, water damage that’s been caused over a long period of time – a pipe or appliance that’s been dripping for many months, for example – wouldn’t usually be covered. Check your policy documents if you’re not sure.

Does landlord insurance cover tenant damage?

Accidental damage insurance can cover the cost of replacing or repairing part of your rental property if an accident happens, for example if a tenant spills wine on your carpet, or makes a hole in your wall when DIY goes wrong. However, the damage must be accidental: if your tenant damages your flat on purpose, this won’t usually be covered by your landlord insurance.

Does landlord insurance cover tenants’ contents?

No, landlord insurance doesn’t cover tenants’ contents. If you include contents insurance in your landlord insurance policy, your contents will be covered, for example any furniture and appliances that you supply to your tenants. If your tenants want to insure their contents, they’ll need to buy their own contents insurance policy.

Does landlord insurance cover tenant injury?

Landlord insurance usually covers compensation claims for tenant injury. Landlord liability insurance is a central part of most landlord insurance policies, and this is the cover that can pay compensation claims and legal fees if a tenant (or someone else) suffers injury or damage and you’re held responsible. For example if a tenant tripped on a loose piece of flooring in the rental property and suffered an injury, you could be held responsible, and you could claim on your landlord liability insurance to cover the costs.

Does landlord insurance cover eviction?

Landlord insurance can cover some of the costs of evicting a tenant, as long as you have legal expenses insurance as part of your policy. This insurance can cover the cost of legal assistance if you need to evict a tenant, up to the limit of your policy. Legal expenses is included as standard with some landlord insurance policies, so check your documents if you’re not sure.

Does landlord insurance cover boiler breakdown?

Landlord insurance can cover boiler breakdown, but usually only if you choose this option when you buy your landlord insurance policy. If you’re buying your landlord insurance from Simply Business, you need to add home emergency cover to your landlord insurance in order to cover boiler breakdown. Then, if the boiler in your rental property stops working, an engineer will be sent round to help. The cost of repairing your gas boiler will be covered, minus any excess and up to the limit of your policy.

Does landlord insurance cover malicious damage?

Usually, landlord insurance will cover malicious damage caused by burglary or vandalism: landlord buildings insurance can cover your building if it’s damaged, and landlord contents insurance can cover your contents if they’re damaged or stolen. However, malicious damage caused by tenants isn’t usually covered under standard landlord insurance policies. You may be able to find a specialist cover for malicious damage.

Does landlord insurance cover plumbing?

If your property is damaged by a plumbing disaster – for example a pipe suddenly springs a leak – the damage that’s caused to your property will usually be covered by your landlord insurance, as long as you have landlord buildings insurance and/or landlord contents insurance. However, the cost of fixing the plumbing itself usually won’t be covered by your insurance. You can opt to add an extra insurance like home emergency cover to your policy, which means an engineer will be sent round if there’s an emergency like a plumbing problem or a boiler breakdown.

Does landlord insurance cover rent arrears?

Landlord insurance can cover rent arrears, but usually only if you’ve added tenant default insurance to your policy. Simply Business tenant default insurance can cover up to eight months of lost rent, once your tenants are in arrears of at least two months. The maximum amount payable is £2,500 per month, and you can only get this cover if you’ve performed credit checks and background checks on your tenants.

**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**