Landlords insurance

Landlords insurance, also known as buy-to-let insurance, is a type of home insurance designed for rental properties. It includes additional protections tailored to the risks associated with renting out a property. 

For example, if someone injures themselves or their belongings are damaged on your rental property, property owners’ liability could cover potential legal fees and compensation costs.

Standard home insurance usually doesn’t cover things such as liability coverage for if a tenant or visitor is injured on your property. Having landlords insurance can provide financial protection and peace of mind.

Hiscox landlords insurance currently covers landlords with: 

• Rental properties across the United Kingdom, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland 
• Up to ten properties under one policy 
• Properties with a minimum letting period of six months. 

Whether you’re a seasoned landlord with multiple properties or just starting out, we provide the coverage you need to protect your investment.

Our landlords insurance can be tailored to suit your unique needs. 

Hiscox landlords insurance includes buildings insurance, property owners’ liability, and loss of rental income or alternative accommodation cover as standard. 

Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your property, while property owners’ liability can insure against claims made against you by third parties for injury or damage, and loss of rental income can cover the financial loss you might incur if your property becomes uninhabitable, and you can’t collect rent from tenants.

There are various optional extras to choose from, including contents insurance, legal expenses, and emergency call-out cover. Hiscox multi-property landlords insurance lets you cover up to ten rental properties under one policy. 

Landlords buildings insurance 

Landlords buildings insurance is designed to protect your property’s physical structure. Damage due to unexpected events such as fire, flooding, storms, and subsidence can be costly. This type of insurance can cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property if such incidents occur. 

Buildings insurance is the minimum requirement for securing a Hiscox landlords policy.

Landlords contents insurance 

Contents insurance is an optional extra to your standard landlords insurance policy that can cover the cost of repairing or replacing items you own and keep in your rental property. 

For example, if a fire breaks out in your rental property, causing significant damage to furniture, contents insurance could cover the costs of repairing or replacing these items. 

Landlords contents insurance could cover the costs of things like: 

• Sofas 
• Beds 
• Curtains 
• AV equipment, such as TVs 
• White goods, such as washing machines and dishwashers. 

Contents insurance can provide reassurance for landlords with furnished or partially furnished properties.

Contents insurance typically covers unfixed furnishings and movable items, like chairs and sofas. Hiscox landlords contents insurance also covers fixtures and fittings, such as bathroom suites and fitted kitchen units. 

Unoccupied property 

If your property is left unoccupied for extended periods, between tenancies or during renovations, there could be an increased risk of issues like theft and vandalism. 

With Hiscox landlords insurance, your property can be left vacant for up to 90 days with full coverage protection. 

Alternative accommodation and loss of rental income 

Alternative accommodation and loss of rental income coverage can provide financial security if your rental property becomes uninhabitable due to unforeseen events, such as a gas leak or structural damage. 

Alternative accommodation can help with the costs of relocating tenants to temporary housing while repairs take place. 

Loss of rental income cover protects landlords if the tenant chooses to terminate the tenancy agreement due to uninhabitable conditions. It can help cover the loss of rental income until repairs are completed (up to 12 months). 

Loss of rent insurance is included as standard with Hiscox landlords insurance. 

Hiscox offers loss of rent cover for up to 35% of the Buildings Sum Insured (BSI). 

For example, if your Buildings Sum Insured is £100,000, you would have up to £35,000 (35%) of cover. If you charge £15,000 rent annually, and an insured event renders your property uninhabitable for 12 months while repairs take place, Hiscox could cover the entire £15,000 as it is within your £70,000 limit. 

Property owners’ liability 

This type of cover protects you against bodily injury and property damage claims made by a third party as a result of your ownership of, or legal responsibility for, the insured property. 

For example, if a gas leak in your rental property causes an explosion, injuring a tenant and damaging their belongings, you might be held liable. Property owners’ liability insurance could cover any legal costs associated with defending the claim. If you’re found liable, it could also cover related expenses, such as the cost of emergency services and compensation awarded to the injured person. 

Property owners’ liability is included as standard with Hiscox landlords insurance. 

Legal protection 

Legal protection cover – also known as legal expenses liability – is an optional extra that covers you beyond your standard legal fees. It covers legal costs and expenses, including solicitors’ and barristers’ fees, court costs and opponents’ costs related to incidents such as rent recovery and squatter eviction. It will also pay the costs of appealing or depending an appeal. 

Hiscox legal protection cover is provided by ARAG, one of the UK’s leading legal expense insurers, who handle these claims. 

Coverage includes access to helplines for legal advice, tax advice, domestic assistance and a counselling service. 

The limit of indemnity stated in your policy schedule is for all claims resulting from one or more events arising at the same time or from the same originating cause. So, if something happens that causes multiple claims, they’ll all be counted under one single limit – the amount stated in your policy schedule. 

Emergency call-out 

This optional extra provided by ARAG helps ensure critical incidents are resolved quickly. 

For example, if an electrical fault leaves your tenant without power, an engineer will arrive promptly to address the situation, and their costs will be covered by your insurance. 

Hiscox offers emergency call-out coverage of up to £1,000 to make the premises habitable. 

If any lettable unit remains uninhabitable for the night following an insured event, ARAG will reimburse you if you reside at the lettable unit and any tenant for hotel accommodation costs. 

Employers’ liability 

This is an optional addition to standard landlords insurance policies. Employers’ liability (external link) may be legally required if you employ staff. 

Employers’ liability can protect you against claims made by individuals working on your rental property. For example, if a gardener trips on a faulty paving stone on your porch and gets injured, employers’ liability insurance could cover compensation costs if you’re held liable. 

Multi-property landlords insurance 

Multi-property landlords insurance lets you cover multiple rental properties under one policy. It can help streamline your finances and ease your worries, knowing your whole portfolio is covered in one place. 

Hiscox multi-property landlords insurance lets you cover up to ten rental properties under one policy and can offer up to a 20% discount for multiple properties. 

We also offer up to the following discounts: 

• 1 address: no discount 
• 2 addresses: 5% discount 
• 3 addresses: 10% discount 
• 4 addresses: 15% discount 
• 5+ addresses: 20% discount 

The actual discount received may differ based on various criteria. Some optional extras, such as contents insurance, are not eligible for the full discount, and others, including legal expenses coverage, are not discounted at all. You can contact our customer services team for more information.

Our landlords insurance does not cover claims, losses or investigations arising from: 

• General wear and tear – caused by natural aging and deterioration 
• Gradually operating causes – including damage caused by inherent defect, rot, fungus, mould, vermin or infestation 
• Deliberate or malicious acts – by any tenant or anyone acting on the tenant’s behalf, unless inspections are carried out at least every six months (or as frequently as the tenancy agreement permits). 

Please refer to the policy documents for the full details of inclusions and exclusions of this cover. Policy documents are available when purchasing online. You can also contact our customer services team for more information.

Hiscox can offer protection with customisable coverage to suit your unique needs. Whether you need standard coverage or additional safeguards like emergency call-out services, our team can build your perfect policy. 

A dedicated, UK-based Claims Underwriter is assigned to all claims as standard. They’ll manage your claim from start to finish, ensuring minimal disruption to you and your tenants. 

With our industry expertise and dedicated customer support, you can rest assured that your investment is in safe hands.