Landlord Liability Insurance

Landlord liability insurance is a product that will provide cover in the event a tenant or guest is injured, or a third party is damaged, and the cause is deemed to be resulting from your negligence.

The cost of landlord liability insurance varies dependant on the risk, but cover can start from as little as £56.

Liability cover is available from £2,000,000 cover but we recommend a minimum of £5,000,000 due to the increasing and unpredictable cost of injury claims.

The most important part of an insurance policy is the ‘property owners’ liability’ section. This will provide cover against claims for injuries or incidents where a person (this could be your tenant, a guest at the property, or even a passer-by) feels the cause of their injury is your negligence.

The smallest crack in a pathway could cause your tenant to trip and injure themselves. If it were deemed that you were negligent in not maintaining the pathway to an acceptable standard, the tenant would have right to claim for their injuries and inconvenience.

Claims for a broken ankle from incidents similar to the above have run into millions of pounds due to Loss of Earnings claims. We always recommend a higher level of cover due to the frequency and severity of these types of claims.

Being ‘liable’ means you are legally responsible for something. In the case of landlord insurance, this covers a wide range of topics from the upkeep of your building to your responsibility for the safety of your tenants. You are liable for anything you own or have a financial interest in, including:

• The maintenance of the building and the land in stands on.
• The electrics and plumbing at the property.
• Any fixtures, fittings, and furnishings you provide.
• Boiler maintenance.
• Gas safety.
• Smoke alarms.

This list is not exhaustive but provides an example of the main responsibilities a landlord has. It is imperative you provide a safe environment for your tenant(s).