Landlords’ Legal Expenses Insurance
What Is Landlord Legal Expenses Insurance?
Landlord legal expenses insurance helps you get legal support when dealing with disputes related to your let property. It covers legal costs for a wide range of scenarios such as repossession, rent recovery, property damage caused by tenants, and more.
This cover is available as an upgrade to your main Homeprotect landlord policy and cannot be bought as a standalone product.
If you’re not a landlord, please visit our family legal expenses page for information on cover that applies to owner-occupied homes.
Do I Need Landlord Legal Expenses Cover?
While it isn’t essential, Landlord legal expenses cover could save you a significant sum of money if you ever find yourself facing a legal dispute in relation to your let property, or in a position where you wish to pursue a claim. It can offer peace of mind that you will be covered for the cost of legal advice and representation in numerous circumstances (subject to claim limits), including repossession, property damage and rent recovery.
Benefits include no upfront solicitors’ fees, as your insurer will pay the fees directly, and access to a legal advice helpline.
To put things into perspective, look at potential scenarios you could find yourself in. If, for example, you have a dispute with your tenant and are trying to lawfully repossess the property but they are not paying their rent, Landlord legal expenses can help cover the rent arrears as well as the legal costs during the repossession process. Legal bills can mount up quickly, reaching the thousands. By having the appropriate insurance in place, you will have some cover for these costs.
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What Does Landlord Legal Expenses Cover?
With Landlord Legal Expenses cover, you can get legal advice and representation in situations including:
- Repossession of your let property
- Eviction of squatters
- Disputes over property damage caused by tenants
- Rent recovery (when unpaid for 30+ days)
- Defence against certain criminal prosecutions
- Legal disputes involving goods or services related to your property
- Tax enquiries by HMRC (full examination only)
If you also choose rent guarantee cover, you’ll get extra support:
- Payment of rent arrears (up to 12 months) while your tenant still occupies the property
- Partial rent cover after possession if your property can’t be re-let immediately due to damage
You’ll also have access to:
- Legal and tax advice helplines (24/7)
- ARAG Business Law: Online legal documents, templates and guides
WHAT ARE THE COVER LEVELS?
| Feature | Basic Legal Expenses (included) | Landlord Legal (upgrade) | Landlord Legal with Rent Guarantee (upgrade) |
| Legal & tax advice helpline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online document library (ARAG Business Law) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Legal costs cover per claim | £25,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| Repossession of property | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rent recovery (tenant owes rent) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rent guarantee payments | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ (max 12 months) |
| Property damage by tenants | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eviction of squatters | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Legal defence | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax protection | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hotel expenses (repossession process) | ✗ | Up to £150/day (max 30 days) | Up to £150/day (max 30 days) |
| Storage costs | ✗ | £10/day (max 4 weeks) | £10/day (max 4 weeks) |
| Cost per year | – | £44.99 | £169.99 |
Key exclusions
While Landlord Legal Expenses offers broad protection, some things are not covered:
- Issues that started before your policy began
- Claims reported more than 90 days after you became aware of the issue
- Repossession claims where proper tenancy notices were not served
- Rent disputes not linked to repossession
- Rent guarantee claims without sufficient tenant references
- Contract disputes under £100 in value
- Disputes relating to rent tribunals or government-imposed rent controls
- Fines, penalties, or damages awarded by a court
For full details, see the Legal Expenses for Landlords policy booklet.
How to Make a Claim
- Report your claim within 90 days of knowing about the issue.
- For rent guarantee, report within 45 days of the missed payment.
- Call ARAG on 0117 934 2138 or submit your claim at homeprotect.co.uk/legal-expenses-claims
- ARAG will appoint a legal expert to act on your behalf.
Your Questions Answered
Missed rent when possession action is not possible (e.g. due to government guidance), or rent not backed by tenant referencing.
Our legal cover is provided by ARAG, a specialist legal expenses insurer.
No, cover only applies to issues that arise after your policy starts (or after 90 days if your tenancy pre-dates the policy).
Yes, in certain situations like court proceedings, but costs are limited to ARAG’s standard rates (£100/hour).
The UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man (for rent guarantee: UK only).
Yes, up to £150/day for 30 days if your policy includes Landlord Legal cover.
Once rent is overdue by at least 30 days. For rent guarantee claims, report within 45 days.
An online platform with legal templates and guides to help manage your property. Available with Landlord Legal cover.
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