What Does Landlord Insurance Cover?
Landlord insurance typically covers buildings insurance (structural damage), property owner liability (injury claims), and loss of rent (if the property becomes uninhabitable). Optional extras include contents cover, accidental damage, legal expenses, and home emergency call-outs.
Standard home insurance becomes invalid once tenants move in. Landlord insurance fills that gap with cover designed for the specific risks of letting property.
This guide breaks down what a typical policy includes, what you can add, and where the common exclusions sit.
Landlord insurance typically covers buildings damage, property owner liability, and loss of rent as standard. Optional extras like contents cover, malicious damage, and legal expenses let you tailor the policy to your tenants and property type.
Compare landlord insurance quotes to build the right cover for your let.
What is typically included in a landlord policy?
Most policies start with buildings insurance, property owner liability, and loss of rent. These three form the core of almost every landlord policy.
| Cover Type | What It Protects | Standard or Optional? |
| Buildings insurance | Structure, walls, roof, and permanent fixtures | Standard |
| Property owner liability | Legal costs if someone is injured on the premises | Often standard |
| Loss of rent | Income lost if the property becomes uninhabitable | Often standard |
| Landlord contents | Furniture, appliances, and white goods you own | Optional |
| Accidental damage | One-off damage caused by tenants or guests | Optional |
| Legal expenses | Defending claims from tenants or third parties | Optional |
| Home emergency | Urgent call-outs for boiler failures, burst pipes | Optional |
Buildings insurance
This is the foundation of any landlord policy. It covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding after fire, flood, storm, subsidence, or vandalism.
If your rental property has a mortgage, your lender will require buildings insurance as a minimum. Without it, you risk breaching your loan terms.
Property owner liability
If a tenant, visitor, or contractor is injured on your property, liability cover pays for legal costs and compensation. Claims can reach six figures in serious cases.
Liability extends to communal areas, outdoor paths, and shared stairways. The GOV.UK landlord responsibilities page sets out your legal duties as a property owner.
Loss of rent
If an insured event like a fire or flood makes your property uninhabitable, loss of rent cover replaces your rental income while repairs are carried out.
Some policies also cover alternative accommodation costs if your tenancy agreement requires you to rehouse the tenant.
What optional extras can you add?
Optional add-ons include contents cover, accidental and malicious damage, tenant default, legal expenses, home emergency, and employers’ liability.
Contents and damage cover
If you let furnished, contents cover protects furniture, white goods, and appliances you own. Accidental damage covers one-off incidents like a tenant putting a foot through a floorboard.
Malicious damage is separate from accidental. It covers intentional destruction by tenants and is worth adding for high-turnover lets.
Legal expenses and tenant default
Legal expenses cover helps with eviction proceedings, deposit disputes, and tenant claims. DSS landlords and those with student lets may find this particularly useful.
Tenant default insurance covers missed rent payments. Most insurers require you to have referenced the tenant before this cover activates.
Home emergency
This covers urgent call-outs for boiler breakdowns, burst pipes, and electrical failures. It is especially useful if you self-manage and do not have tradespeople on standby.
What is not covered by landlord insurance?
Landlord insurance does not cover tenant belongings, routine maintenance, wear and tear, damage caused by neglect, or properties left empty beyond the policy’s void period limit.
Tenant possessions
Your policy only covers items you own as the landlord. Tenants need their own contents insurance for personal belongings.
Maintenance and wear
Gradual deterioration like worn carpets or flaking paint is not covered. If a boiler fails because it was never serviced, your insurer can reject the claim.
Unoccupied properties
Most policies stop covering properties left empty for more than 30 days. If your property has long void periods, you may need unoccupied property insurance.
Negligence
If damage happens because you ignored a known issue, such as faulty wiring reported by the tenant, your insurer can refuse the claim.
Remember that insurance does not replace your legal duties. You still need to meet obligations like tenancy deposit protection, gas safety certificates, and electrical inspections.
What does cover look like in practice?
Insurance only proves its worth when something goes wrong. Here are two common scenarios and how the right policy responds.
Burst pipe in a top-floor flat
A pipe bursts overnight and water pours through the ceiling. The kitchen is damaged and the tenant has to move out while repairs are done.
Buildings insurance covers the pipe repair and structural damage. Loss of rent cover replaces your income until the tenant moves back in.
Tenant injury on a loose handrail
A tenant falls on the stairs after grabbing a handrail that had been loose for weeks. They fracture their wrist and seek compensation.
Property owner liability covers your solicitor fees, defence costs, and any settlement. Without it, you pay out of pocket.
How do you choose the right level of cover?
Start with your property type and tenant profile, then add cover for the risks that matter most. The cheapest policy is rarely the best value.
A single buy-to-let let to professionals needs different cover from a block of flats or a student HMO. Match the policy to the risk, not the other way round.
If you manage multiple properties, a portfolio landlord or multi-property policy bundles everything under one plan with one renewal date.
Always check your insurer is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and that the policy meets your mortgage lender’s requirements.
For a broader overview of landlord insurance, read our guide: what is landlord insurance?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Not usually, as boiler breakdowns are classed as maintenance issues. You need home emergency cover as an add-on for call-out and repair costs.
No, accidental damage is often an optional extra. Check your policy wording, especially for tenant-caused damage.
It depends on the insurer. Some exclude pet damage entirely, while others cover it if the pet was declared and authorised in the tenancy agreement.
No, your policy only covers items you own. Tenants need their own contents insurance for personal possessions.
No, insurers do not allow retrospective cover. You must have the policy in place before an incident occurs.
No, loss of rent cover applies when the property becomes uninhabitable due to insured damage. It does not cover voluntary tenant departures or lease breaks.
Only if your policy includes legal expenses cover. This is usually an optional extra that helps with eviction proceedings and deposit disputes.