What is accidental damage in buildings insurance?
Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (external link), landlords are responsible for maintaining the structure and exterior of their property. Regardless of your due diligence, accidents can happen. Accidental damage cover can financially safeguard you against unplanned and unforeseen mishaps affecting your property, helping you stay legally compliant.
What’s covered under accidental damage buildings insurance?
Accidental damage buildings insurance can cover the cost of repairing or replacing the physical structure and fixtures of your property when it’s damaged unintentionally or unexpectedly. This includes the property’s walls, roofs, floors, fitted carpets, and foundations.
Buildings insurance typically does not include accidental damage to fitted carpets. It’s covered as standard with your Hiscox landlords insurance policy.
Accidental damage typically covers repairs, or replacement, of any element of the buildings, including:
- Windows and doors
- Permanent fixtures like bathroom fittings and kitchen units
- Pipes, cables, and drains
- Walls, floors, and ceilings.
Accidental damage is usually an optional add-on to landlords buildings insurance. Hiscox automatically includes it within your landlords insurance policy.
What’s not covered under accidental damage buildings insurance?
Hiscox accidental damage buildings insurance does not cover damage caused by the following:
- General wear and tear – natural deterioration is part of owning property.
- Neglect or poor maintenance – landlords are expected to perform regular maintenance to keep their property in good condition.
- Gradually operating causes – like rust or corrosion that occurs slowly over time.
- Rot, fungus, and mould – which can be caused by moisture and other environmental factors.
- Deliberate acts – which can be protected separately through optional malicious damage cover.
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.
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What is landlords liability insurance?
Responsible landlords pride themselves on providing quality housing, but mishaps can happen. Learn more about landlords liability insurance and how it can protect you against significant financial loss if an unexpected incident occurs.
What is malicious damage, and how can landlords protect their property?
You cannot predict malicious damage. However, understanding what it is, how to potentially prevent it, and who is responsible for covering the costs associated with it can help you protect your property. Read more in our FAQ guide.
What are a landlord’s repair obligations?
Landlords and tenants share the responsibility of maintaining a rental property, but landlords are primarily obliged to ensure the property remains safe and habitable. Learn more about a landlords repair obligations in our guide.
Disclaimer:
Our FAQ pages provide general information and background around the topic covered. FAQ pages are reviewed and monitored periodically by our insurance experts. But the content is not intended to be read as advice and any material is for general information purposes only. If you would like advice for any content, please seek professional assistance.