Landlords: Getting the most suitable cover
March 11, 2026You might be a full-time landlord, run a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), or have found yourself as an “accidental landlord” with a single property you wondered what to do with. In any one of these roles, you will have discovered that appropriate landlord insurance plays an important role in protecting your property.
So, let’s take a look at what landlord insurance typically involves and explore what you may need to consider to get the most suitable cover.
Safeguarding the building and its contents
Property is an asset. At the core of landlord insurance is protection against the structure and fabric of the building.
To arrange suitable cover, envisage a worst-case scenario in which the whole property is destroyed and the remains must be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. That rebuild value represents the total building sum insured – the maximum settlement due from your insurer in the event of a total loss, subject to policy terms and conditions. This amount should also allow for associated fees, such as solicitors, surveyors and site clearance.
A valuable tool for any landlord looking to calculate that likely rebuild cost is the free (at the time of writing) Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) developed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Your mortgage and your insurance
It is also important to note that if you have a mortgage on your let property, then typically it may be a condition of your mortgage agreement that you have appropriate buildings insurance cover in place. Failure to do so could see you in breach of your mortgage contract.
Protect the contents you own
While calculating the total building sum insured, don’t forget to assess the value of the contents you own and wish to insure in the let property.
There may be any number of items you provide in the let property, but the contents may typically include such things as carpets, curtains, and other furnishings.
Suitable landlord insurance may have standard (or optional) contents cover, depending on the policy selected. Insurance for contents owned by your tenants will, of course, be their responsibility to arrange.
Don’t let landlord liability insurance be an expensive oversight
When deciding on suitable landlord insurance, you may also want to pay close attention to the level of landlord liability indemnity incorporated into the package of cover.
This is insurance that indemnifies you against claims by tenants, visitors, passers-by or members of the public who are injured or have their property damaged in connection with your let property. Claims – especially those involving physical injury – may be significant, so you may want to ensure an adequate level of cover. Indemnity limits of at least £2 million are commonly available.
Understanding cover for loss of rental income
In the event of an insured incident, your let property may become temporarily uninhabitable pending repairs and reinstatement.
If your tenants cannot live there, you cannot collect the rent – and stand to lose this valuable stream of income. Therefore, some landlord insurance policies may typically include provision for the payment of compensation for your loss of rental income or the cost of alternative accommodation for your tenants pending repairs to your let property.
There are typically limits to the time for which such compensation is due or for the total amount payable. These limits might help you decide a suitable level of compensation for your needs.
Further reading: Landlord insurance and having the correct sum insured.
Optional elements of residential landlord insurance
While residential landlord insurance typically includes core protection such as buildings cover and property owners’ liability, many policies offer optional elements that allow landlords to tailor cover to their individual circumstances.
One extension is rent guarantee insurance, which may provide financial support if a tenant falls into arrears, subject to eligibility criteria and policy conditions. This is often arranged alongside legal expenses cover.
Legal expenses insurance can assist with the cost of pursuing or defending certain legal matters connected with a tenancy, such as rent arrears recovery or possession proceedings, within the limits set out in the policy.
For landlords letting furnished properties, accidental damage cover may be available to protect fixtures, fittings and landlord-owned contents against unintended damage caused by tenants. Some providers include this element of cover as standard.
Some policies also offer (standard or optional) cover for malicious damage by tenants, which may apply where deliberate damage is caused to the insured property, again subject to specific terms and conditions.
Where appropriate, landlords may also consider extensions for home emergency assistance, which can provide access to urgent repairs following events such as plumbing or heating failures, or increased limits for loss of rent, depending on the level of protection required.
The availability and scope of optional elements can vary between insurers and according to the type of tenancy.
As always, policy terms, conditions and exclusions apply, and documentation should be reviewed carefully before arranging cover.
Finding the most appropriate landlord insurance
From the moment you begin your search for landlord insurance, you are likely to find a wide range of policies and options available. Comparing cover can therefore take time, particularly when you are considering the level of protection required and how it fits within your budget.
At Alan Blunden Insurance Brokers, we can assist by helping you review the available options and explaining the differences between policies, so you can make an informed decision.
If you would like to discuss your requirements or request a quotation, please feel free to call a member of our team on 01702 826060, or get an online landlord insurance quote here.