Is rising damp covered by buildings insurance?

No, rising damp is not covered by any insurance policies. Read about rising damp in more detail.

Does buildings insurance cover roof repairs?

The roof is considered part of the fabric of the building, so it is covered by your building insurance.

Do you offer cover for students and housing benefit tenants?

Yes, students and tenants on housing benefits can be accepted on to your insurance policy.

Is building insurance compulsory for landlords?

Landlord insurance is not a legal requirement. However, there are circumstances where you will be required to have it. Firstly, it may be a prerequisite of a mortgage offer that you hold valid landlord insurance for the length of your mortgage. Secondly, if you directly employ a cleaner or handyman for your property or portfolio then you may require employers’ liability. Our insurance experts will take the time to understand your circumstances and advise you of your legal obligations.

Will my premium go up if I make a claim?

Premiums can go up and down and there are many factors that will affect this. As we are independent we are not tied to any insurance provider and will ensure you have the best value and quality products at each renewal.

Do I need to get tenant references for landlord insurance?

While we recommend tenant referencing, it is not a requirement of our landlord buildings and contents insurance products. However, if you want to buy rent guarantee and landlord legal expenses insurance alongside your landlord insurance, you will need to reference your tenants.

Can I take out a policy for more than one property, or add properties in the future?

Yes, you can add and remove properties throughout the year. Our insurance experts will take the time to understand your future plans and advise on the best products to fit your situation.

Can I increase my policy excess to obtain a discount?

Yes, you can increase your excess to obtain a discount.

What does building insurance cover?

Building insurance for buy-to-let properties covers the cost to rebuild or repair your building after an event e.g. flood or fire. All our building insurance policies also include at least £5,000 for your fixtures, fittings, and white goods; £10m employers’ liability; accidental damage; loss of rent; and £5m property owners’ liability.

How much is building insurance for buy-to-let properties?

The price of your landlord building insurance is affected by a variety of factors. As an independent landlord insurance broker, we are not tied to any insurer, so we can find the best, high-quality cover for your needs.

Landlord Building Insurance | Best Landlord Insurance

Buildings insurance for UK landlords

Whether you let one property or run a growing portfolio, our landlord building insurance protects your investment. We cover residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties and as a Which? Best Buy provider with over 40 years' experience, we'll find the right cover for your property.

Insurance that suits you

Airbnb Insurance

Airbnb insurance protects you as an Airbnb host should one of your paying guests cause any accidental damage to your treasured rental home.

Multi Property Landlord Insurance

Multi-property landlord insurance for your residential and/or commercial property portfolio.

HMO Insurance

Comprehensive insurance for Houses of Multiple Occupations (HMOs)

Expat & Overseas Landlord Insurance

Award-winning landlord insurance for expat and overseas landlords, protecting your property and your tenants while you're based abroad.

Add extra cover

Enhance your landlord building insurance with our optional extras including, home emergency cover for 24/7 help when things go wrong, rent guarantee insurance to protect your income if tenants can’t pay the rent, and legal expenses cover for expert support when tenancy disputes arise.

Rent Guarantee Insurance

Provides insurance for non-payment of rent in the event of a tenant defaulting, as well as any landlord legal expenses cover of up to £100,000.

Landlord Liability Insurance

Landlord liability insurance keeps your tenants, or anyone employed to work on your property, safe.

Landlord Legal Expenses Insurance

Legal expenses cover for tenancy disputes and repossession of the property, including access to a 24/7 legal advice helpline.

Landlord Home Emergency Cover

Home emergency cover for your own or rental property in the event of a domestic emergency e.g. boiler breakdown, failure in utilities etc.

Cover tailored around your property

Landlord building insurance policies contain a range of covers, including:

Buildings cover

Cover for rebuild or repair of your building following an insured event e.g. flood or fire.

Malicious damage by tenants

Cover for malicious damage caused by your tenants to your property as standard.

Property owners' liability

Protection against legal liability for personal injury or property damage suffered by third parties (including tenants) at your rental property.

Employers' liability

Employers' liability cover for cleaners, gardeners, caretakers, and persons doing minor maintenance and repairs at your insured property.

Unoccupied property cover

Full cover for up to 90 days unoccupancy, e.g. between tenancies or while up for sale.

Loss of rent

Loss of rent cover following your rental property becoming uninhabitable after an insured event or alternative accommodation costs for your tenants due to your property becoming uninhabitable after an insured event e.g. flood, fire etc.

Comparing policies

When comparing policies make sure you compare on a like-for-like basis. Many companies claiming to offer cheap insurance will do so by limiting cover and increasing excesses.

Most insurance policies will have terms and conditions requiring you to have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement in place, regardless of whether you are letting to your friends, family, or strangers.

Five properties or more?

If you own five or more rental properties, you'll need specialist landlord insurance for multiple properties.

Quick quote technology

Click the link below to get a quick idea of the price for insuring your property. Using a combination of our own data and public property information, we can provide an indicative price based on just your property address.

Quick quotes are intended to be an estimate, and actual quotes may vary depending on the accuracy and age of your property’s EPC data.

Quick quote

How much is landlord building insurance?

How much is landlord insurance, from £185 per policy per year

As a guide, landlord building insurance starts from £185 per year*. Prices vary depending on factors such as your chosen level of cover, claims history, property age and construction, and the type and number of tenants. You can find more detailed pricing information on our landlord insurance statistics page.

*15% of customers paid £185 or less between January 2025 and October 2025.

The cost of our optional extras

Landlords can add extra protection to their main policy by choosing from a range of optional covers, which can be purchased individually or in combination with landlord insurance.

Rent guarantee insurance

Starts from £195 for 12 months when bought alongside a landlord insurance policy. Helps protect your rental income if tenants can’t or won’t pay. This policy can be purchased standalone.

Rent guarantee insurance

Landlord legal expenses insurance

Available as a standalone policy for £80, or from £60 per year when added to a landlord insurance policy. Covers legal costs for disputes such as evictions, rent recovery, and property-related issues.

Landlord legal expenses insurance

Landlord home emergency cover

Available from £155 with no excess. Provides 24/7 assistance for sudden issues such as boiler breakdowns, burst pipes, or electrical faults.

Landlord home emergency cover

Excess protect

Excess Protection Cover helps reimburse your insurance excess if you need to make a claim, starting from £20 for £300 of excess cover. More options available.

Excess protect

What type of landlord building insurance do I need?

A wide range of landlord building insurance policies are available to ensure landlords and property owners get the correct cover. The options vary depending on the level of cover you’re looking for and the type of property you own. Explore options below or read our guide on the types of landlord insurance for more information.

Block of Flats Insurance

A comprehensive flat insurance policy tailored to your requirements will give you peace of mind, talk to one of our specialists today or get a quote online

Commercial Landlord Insurance

Commercial building insurance for landlords from a market-leading broker. We'll search the market and compare quotes so you can choose the best insurance.

Private Sector Leasing Insurance

Many local authorities and housing associations now run successful private sector lease schemes, which need specialist insurance.

Serviced Accommodation Insurance

Essential insurance with competitive premiums for landlords and property owners that run serviced accommodation properties.

Landlord Pet Damage Insurance

We have teamed up with SAGIC to offer pet damage insurance which can be added to your SAGIC landlords and contents insurance policy.

Listed Building Insurance

Specialised and tailored support to ensure you obtain the most suitable insurance policy for your beloved property.

Which best buy Alan Boswell awards bets landlord insurance

Our landlord insurance policy is a Which? Best Buy

We take great pride in being recognised for our dedication to providing the best service and comprehensive, tailored cover for our customer's needs. If you are unsure of the type of cover you need, our expert advisers are available to help over the phone.

How our customers rate us

An amazing experience to have a helpful, polite, and knowledgeable member of staff to assist me.

Mrs Hill - Landlord Insurance

4.8/5 12647 reviews

Alan Boswell landlord insurance price beater

We guarantee to beat your renewal price

If you’re a new customer with an existing landlord insurance policy and your property meets our standard criteria, guarantee to beat your current price on a like-for-like basis.

All the details of our price beater guarantee are available on our terms and conditions page.

Get in touch

Whether you need a quote, have a general enquiry, want to register a claim, or talk it through over the phone, we're here to help.

Speak to us: 01603 216399

What is the best landlord insurance?

The features that make the best landlord insurance are subjective, so it’s up to you to decide which best suits your needs.

Some people prefer to talk to an expert and be walked through the product and its cover features, others prefer to only buy online. We offer both as we believe our customers should have the option to talk to us about the policy after they obtain a quote. You can read what other customers say about our services on our landlord insurance reviews.

Our landlord product includes cover that other insurance companies charge extra for or don’t offer at all, we’ve also won a few landlord insurance awards. However, the best thing to do is compare our landlord insurance with various other providers.

You can also read our reviews on Trustpilot and Feefo and, if you are a member, on Which.co.uk.

FAQs

Related guides and insights

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Do I need landlord insurance for a flat?

Do you need landlord insurance? If you rent out a flat, you will have wondered if you need landlord insurance. We explore your responsibilities and the types of insurance for flats.

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Is rising damp covered by building insurance?

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What is a landlord association, and should I join one?

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Do your tenants work from home?

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