Landlords legal insurance

Legal expenses insurance is an optional coverage that landlords can add to their insurance policy. It protects against legal costs arising from disputes related to rental properties. 

This can cover costs associated with legal action and court proceedings involving tenants, such as: 

• Eviction processes – covers legal costs for evicting problematic tenants or squatters 
• Rent disputes – financial protection for legal proceedings to recover unpaid rent or resolve conflicts over rental terms 
• Property damage claims – coverage for legal expenses when pursuing compensation from tenants for damages beyond wear and tear, not covering the cost of repairing the damage itself 
• Defending tenant claims – protection against legal costs incurred while defending against lawsuits or claims made by tenants, such as allegations of unlawful eviction or breach of contract. 

Landlords legal expense insurance can offer peace of mind, saving you from bearing the brunt of costly legal fees

As a policy optional extra to our landlords insurance, landlords legal expenses coverage can protect you against the cost of legal action involving tenants. 

This insurance is underwritten by ARAG, a UK-based legal expenses insurance provider. ARAG can cover up to £100,000 for legal expenses. 

Let’s consider an example of how this might work. 

Example: Repossession of property from tenants 

A landlord needs to evict a tenant who has repeatedly violated the lease agreement, causing disturbances and damaging the property. 

The landlord serves an eviction notice, but the tenant refuses to leave, so the landlord files for eviction in court.

Hiscox legal expenses insurance can cover the cost of pursuing this up to £100,000, including solicitors’ fees, court costs, and any additional expenses associated with the eviction process, but not including repair to the physical damage.

The policy will not cover: 

Civil claims or civil and criminal appeals where the lawyer ARAG appoints for you does not believe you will be more likely than not to win your case 

Claims reported to ARAG more than 90 days after the date you should have known about the insured incident

Costs or expenses incurred before ARAG has agreed to cover your claim Legal problems that started before the date your cover begins. 

Please refer to the policy documents for the full details of inclusions and exclusions of this cover. Policy documents are available when purchasing online. 

Alternatively, contact our customer services team or call us on 0800 280 0355, 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, for more information.

Certain legal cover and support come as standard with Hiscox landlords insurance, without purchasing any optional extras, for example: 

• Legal documentation – access to legal documents related to managing rental properties, such as lease agreements and eviction notices 
• Legal helpline – provides 24/7 access to legal advice and support for property-related legal issues 
• Representation costs – covers the expenses of hiring legal representation for disputes or claims related to the rental property 
• Property owners’ liability – protects landlords against claims of personal injury or property damage suffered by third parties on the rental property 
• Legal fees – covers the costs of legal proceedings, including solicitors’ fees and court costs, if a tenant or third party sues the landlord.