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Best Landlord Insurance for UK Property Owners 2023

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Written by, Marija Petkova

Updated June, 23, 2023

1. Alan Boswell Group

  • Unlimited buildings insurance
  • Insurance from £99
  • Liability insurance up to £5m

2. Aviva

  • Unlimited buildings & contents cover
  • Responses in under 2 hours
  • Loss of rent cover

3. Direct Line for Business

  • Up to 15 properties under one policy
  • Dedicated claims handler
  • Boiler cover as standard

4. AXA

  • 24/7 emergency helpline
  • Premiums from £141/year
  • Cables & underground pipes cover

5. Saga

  • Legal advice helpline
  • Up to £100,000 in legal expenses cover
  • Flexible cover options

6. British Gas

  • Rent loss cover up to 3 years
  • Liability cover up to £10m
  • 10 properties in one policy

7. More Than

  • £189 average annual premiums
  • 4 individual helplines
  • Malicious damage as standard

8. HomeProtect

  • Live-in lodger insurance
  • Outbuildings covered
  • Award-winning provider

9. Compare My Insurance

  • 200+ partners
  • Public & employers’ liability
  • Up to 40% lower premiums

10. Adrian Flux

  • Competitive premiums
  • Insurance for student lets
  • Discounts on combined cover

11. Let Alliance

  • Nil Excess Emergency cover
  • 90 days unoccupancy cover
  • Discounted multi-property quotes

Landlord insurance can help reduce some of the risks involved when renting out property. 

Below you will find a list of the best landlord insurance companies in the UK as well as some tips to keep in mind when choosing the right policy for your needs.

Detailed Reviews

1 . Alan Boswell Group

Best Overall
  • Rating: 9.9/10
  • Maximum cover: Depends on insurer
  • Liability cover: Up to £5m
  • Optional extras: Legal expenses, rent guarantee insurance & home emergency cover
  • The Alan Boswell Group is a specialist landlord insurance company, operating for over 40 years. They offer several types of landlord insurance products, including combined buildings and contents insurance (or separate policies), alternative accommodation, loss of rent, malicious damage cover and more. 

    There are plenty of optional extras too—from up to £100,000 in legal expenses cover to rent guarantee (up to £2,500 per month should tenants default on payments) and home emergency cover.

    The company also provides multi-property landlord insurance, covering your entire portfolio from Airbnb and holiday homes to flats and commercial properties.

    Pros
    • Award-winning insurer 
    • Various property type coverage
    • HMO Insurance
    Cons
    • Policies underwritten by separate provider

    2 . Aviva

    Best for Contents Insurance
  • Rating: 9.8/10
  • Maximum cover: Unlimited (buildings & contents)
  • Liability cover: Up to £5m
  • Optional extras: Accidental damage cover
  • Aviva, one of the biggest home and life insurance providers in the UK, offers unlimited buildings and contents coverage for landlords, as well as liability and rent loss insurance. Trace and access cover is available tooin case of a water leak, you can claim up to £5,000 for any damages caused by locating and repairing the leak. 

    Landlords can also purchase extra accidental damage cover providing additional protection for sanitary fittings, glass on furniture, non-portable home entertainment equipment and other items that are not typically included in standard contents insurance.

    Pros
    • Liability insurance up to £5 million
    • No admin fee for changing policy details
    • Up to £1,000 for lock replacement
    Cons
    • Malicious damage by tenants isn’t covered

    3 . Direct Line for Business

    Best for Flexible Coverage
  • Rating: 9.8/10
  • Maximum cover: Contact provider
  • Liability cover: Up to £2m
  • Optional extras: Emergency cover, legal expenses, rent guarantee, loss of rent, accidental damage, employers’ liability, theft by tenants, terrorism cover & malicious damage by tenants
  • A household name in the home insurance market, Direct Line for Business has been offering top-rated landlord coverage at affordable premiums since 2007. 

    Direct Line’s landlord insurance policy is one of the best landlord building insurance in the UK. It includes several cover types as standard, such as alternative accommodation, carpets and rug cover and up to £2m in public liability insurance. Moreover, this award-winning insurance product also includes boiler cover, while home emergency cover and rent guarantee insurance can be purchased as optional extras—in this case, there is no limit to the number of claims and no excess insurance to pay.

    Pros
    • Up to £100,000 in alternative accommodation cover
    • No interest on instalment for new customers
    • Plenty of premium add-ons
    Cons
    • Buildings- or contents-only is standard, combined costs extra

    4 . AXA

    Best for Commercial Properties
  • Rating: 9.8/10
  • Maximum cover: Up to the buildings sum insured for the property; up to £75,000 contents cover
  • Liability insurance: up to £10m
  • Optional extras: Accidental damage cover, contents cover, loss of rent, subsidence, employers' liability insurance
  • If you are looking for to protect your investment, Axa’s landlord insurance is one of the top options to consider. This insurer covers up to 10 properties and includes glass replacement (for windows, doors and partitions), trace and access cover and alternative accommodation insurance as standard. It also provides up to £10 million in liability coverage

    Should you need more than the essentials, you can tailor the policy by adding extras, which range from up to £75.000 contents insurance (for residential and up to £50,000 for commercial properties) to subsidence cover and accidental damage insurance.

    Pros
    • Up to £10m liability cover
    • No monthly interest
    • Best commercial landlord insurance in the UK
    Cons
    • Cancellation fee applies

    5 . Saga

    Best for Over 50s
  • Rating: 9.6/10
  • Maximum cover: Buildings cover up to £500,000, contents cover up to £50,000
  • Liability insurance: Up to £2m
  • Optional extras: Home emergency cover
  • Saga is a specialist insurer for UK residents over 50. Their standard landlord insurance product provides buildings cover (including loss or rent and liability insurance) and contents insurance (with flexible levels of coverage), plus accidental damage cover. 

    A unique feature of Saga is that they offer legal expenses coverage as standard in addition to unlimited legal advice which can prove invaluable when dealing with tenant agreement infringements or eviction. 

    For an additional price, Saga will throw in home emergency coverage that can help if you are faced with blocked drains, burst pipes, or pest infestations.

    Pros
    • Alternative accommodation cover
    • Malicious damage cover as standard 
    • Optional cover for hot water system/boiler
    Cons
    • No commercial landlord insurance 
    • No multi-property insurance

    6 . British Gas

    Best for Liability Cover
  • Rating: 9.6/10
  • Maximum cover: Contact provider
  • Liability insurance: Up to £10m
  • Optional extras: Accidental damage, rent loss, employers’ liability, contents cover
  • Even though British Gas is best known as an energy supplierin fact, it is one of the biggest providers in the countrythe company also offers a comprehensive landlord insurance policy that includes buildings insurance, alternative accommodation and liability cover up to £10 million as standard. You can also add up to ten properties under one policy and pay no interest on monthly instalments.

    Landlords have a choice of optional extras as well, ranging from accidental damage and rent loss insurance (up to 36 months) to contents insurance up to £50,000.

    Pros
    • 0% interest on monthly instalments 
    • Plenty of optional add-ons
    • 24/7 claims line
    Cons
    • Accidental damage cover costs extra

    7 . MORE TH>N Business

    Best for Value
  • Rating: 9.5/10
  • Maximum cover: Contact provider
  • Liability insurance: Up to £5m (for commercial properties)
  • Optional extras: Landlord contents cover, loss of rent & home emergency cover
  • More Than landlord insurance is one of the rare insurers in the UK that includes malicious damages and accidental damages cover as standard. This not only gives you added peace of mind but makes this one of the best value landlord insurance policies. 

    Their buildings insurance also covers properties (externally and internally) against floods, fire, vandalism, and theft. Contents insurance is an optional add-on and comes with four levels of coverage to choose from, as is loss of rent, alternative accommodation and home emergency cover (up to £1,000).

    Pros
    • 15% multi-property discount (for commercial properties) 
    • Competitive prices
    • 5-star Defaqto-rated
    Cons
    • No liability coverage for residential properties

    8 . Homeprotect

    Best for Residential Properties
  • Rating: 9.4/10
  • Maximum cover: up to £1m; up to £7,500 for contents cover
  • Liability insurance: up to £5m
  • Optional extras: Home emergency cover, legal expenses cover & lost keys cover
  • Homeprotect offers several customised insurance products, i.e. landlords can choose buildings- or content-only insurance, or a combination of both. If you opt for the latter you can upgrade the standard policy with home emergency, legal expenses and lost key cover. 

    The stand-alone buildings insurance, on the other hand, includes loss of rent and damages to outbuildings in addition to damages caused by a vehicle collision.

    Homeprotect has a separate product for live-in lodgers that can cover up to £25,000 in legal expenses and up to £500 for home emergencies, such as burst pipes or blocked drains.

    Pros
    • 24/7 claims line
    • Up to £30,000 loss of rent cover 
    • ​​Public liability cover up to £5 million
    Cons
    • No insurance for multiple properties

    9 . Compare My Insurance

    Best Online Broker
  • Rating: 9.4/10
  • Maximum cover: Depends on insurer
  • Liability insurance: up to £5m
  • Optional extras: Contents cover
  • Compare My Insurance is a commercial insurance broker, founded in 2008. Since then the company has been offering bespoke insurance products for all types of landlords and tenants. Compare My Insurance partners with 200+ of the UK’s largest underwriters, allowing you to find the cheapest premiums and most suitable policy for you in a matter of minutes. 

    Their partners offer full buildings coverage, including loss of rent, loss of licence protection and glass and lock replacements. They also provide specialist insurance for landlords of unoccupied properties, protecting them against theft, accidental damage and damages to fixtures and fittings.

    Pros
    • Unoccupied landlord insurance policies
    • Loss of rental income covered 
    • Works with the UK’s most trusted underwriters
    Cons
    • Doesn’t sell policies directly 

    10 . Adrian Flux

    Best for Legal Expenses
  • Rating: 9.2/10
  • Maximum cover: Depends on insurer
  • Liability insurance: NA
  • Optional extras: Loss of rent, contents insurance, home emergency cover & legal expenses cover
  • Adrian Flux, one of the UK’s biggest specialist insurance providers, has recently launched a new product ensuring landlords won’t have to foot a huge legal bill when and if they have a dispute with tenants. You can choose the basic or premium level, which includes up to £1,000 coverage per month for loss of rent and up to £50,000 for contract breaches, tax disputes, and identity fraud. 

    In addition to legal expenses coverage, Adrian Flux provides several discounts on top of already competitive pricing and works with 40+ underwriters to cater to all types of landlords and tenants, including students, professionals, and asylum seekers.

    Pros
    • Claim lines are open 24/7
    • Pay by direct debit 
    • Up to £100,000 in legal expenses cover
    Cons
    • No information on liability insurance 
    • Cancellation fees can be costly

    11 . Let Alliance

    Best for Multiple Properties
  • Rating: 9.2/10
  • Maximum cover: up to £2 million
  • Liability insurance: up to £5m
  • Optional extras: Home emergency cover
  • Known for offering market-leading and innovative insurance products, Let Alliance has a great deal for clients with large portfolios. Namely, landlords with more than 3 properties can benefit from a 5% discount or a generous 10% for those with huge portfolios of 30+ houses. 

    Their competitively-priced standard landlord cover comes with up to 20% cover for loss of rental income, trace and access and malicious & accidental damage cover, at no extra charge. 

    Emergency coverage is purchased separately and includes 24/7 coverage and up to £500 in damages per claim.

    Pros
    • Trace and Access up to £5,000
    • Keys and replacement locks 
    • 4.9 Trustpilot rating
    Cons
    • Customer service takes longer to reply

    The Best Landlord Insurance in the UK in 2022: What You Need to Know?

    Before you take out an insurance policy, you need to make sure that you understand what landlord insurance typically covers and how much it costs. 

    What is landlord insurance?

    Landlord insurance is an insurance product specifically tailored to help reduce the risk of financial loss when renting out a property. It typically covers the landlord against any damages to the building and furniture and fixtures provided. 

    Do I need landlord cover if I have homeowners insurance?

    In essence, yes. Even the best homeowners insurance companies offer separate products for landlords, designed to cover landlord-specific risks, such as liability insurance and loss of rental income in addition to buildings and contents coverage. 

    What types of landlord insurance are available? What does landlord insurance cover?

    Landlord cover usually includes several different types of insurance:

    • Landlord building insurance provides cover for damages to the property’s structure including walls, the roof, floors, and fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen.
    • Landlord contents insurance: This is sometimes sold as a standalone policy or in combination with buildings insurance and covers against damages to furniture and other items you leave on the property. It does not cover the personal belongings of the tenant. 
    • Landlord rental protection insurance, or rent guarantee insurance, will cover any loss of rent when a tenant is not able to live in the property. 
    • Landlord liability insurance covers costs if someone is injured on your property and you are deemed liable.
    • Accidental damage provides cover if the property is damaged accidentally by the tenants. 
    • Landlord unoccupied property cover offers protection while the property is vacant.
    • Home emergency cover provides 24/7 coverage against potential issues with the property’s essential services, such as burst pipes, roof leaks, electricity issues, infestations and more. This is typically sold as an optional extra. 

    Bear in mind that you can always choose insurance that covers just one type of risk or go for a comprehensive policy and select add-ons such as alternate accommodation or home emergency cover.

    What is not included in landlord insurance?

    Most insurers will not cover damages caused by 

    • General use or poor upkeep/craftsmanship 
    • Deliberate damage caused to the property by tenants
    • The property of the tenants (tenants need to take out their own contents insurance to protect their belongings)
    • Damages caused by dogs or cats. You could include pet damage as an optional add-on, although it is likely to cost you more. 

    How much does landlord insurance cost?

    There is no definitive answer as your premiums are calculated depending on several factors such as: 

    • The property’s age, structure, number of rooms, and roof structure; 
    • The location as homes situated in areas with high crime rates or flood risks tend to pay higher premiums;
    • Your claims history. Landlords who have made several claims in the past usually pay more for insurance;
    • The number and type of tenants. Sometimes insurers will charge you more if you are renting out the property to risky tenants like students; 
    • The type of policy you choose. Bundling several types of insurance into one is often available at a discount. On the other hand, getting add-ons will cost extra;
    • Security measures. Installing smart controls and cameras leads to lower premiums.

    How can you save money on landlord house insurance?

    There are a few ways to save money when purchasing landlord insurance:

    • Compare landlord insurance quotes: Shop around before signing on the dotted line. You can compare landlord insurance in the UK online or by calling the insurers directly and getting a quote. 
    • Pick your tenants wisely: The cost of insurance will be influenced by the type of tenants residing in your property. 
    • Choose only the extras that are absolutely necessary: For instance, home emergency cover usually comes with many exclusions and if the home is in good shape, it may not be absolutely necessary.
    • Take care of your property: Premiums are lower on properties that are regularly maintained. What’s more, even the best landlord’s insurance in the UK does not cover damages caused by general wear and tear, so keeping the home in good shape is a must. 
    • Don’t make a claim unless you have to: The more claims you make, the higher your premium will be. 
    • Pay once a year: Monthly instalments tend to add up and actually cost more than a yearly payment. 
    • Try not to leave your property vacant: If there aren’t any tenants in your building, you’ll need extra coverage, which can be expensive to add.

    Wrapping Up: Is It Worth Having Landlord Insurance?

    Landlord insurance is not a legal requirement, but it is a necessity. Renting out properties comes with a lot of risks—tenants could damage the home or it could be unoccupied for several months, resulting in financial losses. 

    So, if you are getting into the property market, think about what kind of landlord insurance you need, compare quotes and get coverage for your property. It may not eliminate all the risks involved in letting property, however, it will give you peace of mind. 

    FAQ

    Is it a legal requirement to have landlord insurance in the UK?

    No, taking out landlord insurance isn’t obligatory in the UK, though if you’re taking out or switching to a buy-to-let mortgage, the lender will probably ask you to take out a policy as part of the mortgage deal.

    What is covered in landlord insurance in the UK?

    Landlord insurance in the UK provides standard buildings and contents coverage, as well as liability cover in case someone is injured on the property. There are additional extras to choose from including loss of rent, alternative accommodation, malicious damage caused by tenants or vandalism and more.

    Does landlord insurance cover tenant rent?

    Most insurance companies offer rent guarantee policies that cover unpaid rent while the property is unoccupied due to damages or repairs. This is usually provided alongside alternative accommodation cover, i.e. paying for a place your tenants can stay while the property is uninhabitable. The best landlord insurance in the UK, though, can also provide coverage if the tenant defaults on payments.