Frequently asked questions

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The type of home insurance policy you need will depend on how long your property is unoccupied between tenants.

If the property is usually occupied but is left unoccupied for between 31 and 180 days, then you typically get all the cover of our standard policy terms, but with exception of the following exclusions:

  • Escape of water incidents during the period: 1 October – 1 April (inclusive).
  • Theft incidents, unless all security features (e.g. locks and alarms) included in your property are maintained in good working order and in full operation.
  • Claims involving money and high risk items (e.g. jewellery).

Check out our home insurance for landlords.

If the property you let out is mortgaged, your lender will almost certainly require you to have buildings insurance in place as a condition of the loan. As there are extra risks associated with properties which are not owner-occupied, standard home insurance is unlikely to give you adequate cover. Landlord buildings insurance is designed to take situations involving tenants into account.

Leaseholders do not normally need buildings cover for flats in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you decide that you don’t need buildings insurance cover for a flat you rent out, make sure that you have adequate alternative cover for fixtures and fittings such as carpets and curtains.

A standard home insurance policy is unlikely to be able to cover you adequately as there are a higher number of risks associated with your property. Landlord insurance is designed to take situations involving tenants into account.

No. Depending on whether you own or rent your home, just take out straightforward homeowner insurance or tenant insurance but let your provider know that you have a lodger living with you.

No, but if your property is mortgaged, your lender will almost certainly require you to have buildings insurance in place as a condition of the loan.

Homeprotect home insurance covers a wide variety of situations including properties that are let out, as well as properties that are empty for different reasons, such as during voids between tenants.

If your property is usually rented out but will be empty for more than 30 days, you need to let us know.

You can take out landlords buildings insurance and landlord contents insurance for flats that you let out. Landlords need to take out a separate policy for each flat. Note that, in general, the owner of the freehold of a set of flats will probably have buildings insurance for the entire building.

Homeprotect landlord buildings insurance can cover freehold properties that contain up to six leasehold flats provided that at least one freeholder uses one of the flats as their permanent home.

Landlords insurance will provide the property cover you need if you are letting your house to tenants.

You can also take out a holiday home insurance policy if you are renting your house to paying guests at set times of the year. 

If you own the freehold of your flat, you should take out buildings insurance. If you live in a leasehold flat, or are a tenant, your landlord has responsibility for sourcing buildings insurance.

No, tenants are not required to insure their contents but it is advised. Landlords are responsible for insuring the building.

If you furnish your let property you’ll need insurance to protect the items you supply against fire and theft. Contents include furniture, household utensils, electrical equipment, soft furnishings such as lampshades, and curtains and blinds. You can choose the level of cover you need as appropriate and you only pay for the amount of cover you choose.

Homeprotect landlord buildings cover includes £7,500 per claim for your contents in let property.

If the contents are worth more than this, you need to add landlord contents insurance to your policy.

This cover is often not very expensive, but it’s invaluable to make sure you’re not out of pocket in the event you’d need to claim.

We’re pleased to be able to offer cover to all residential landlords. However, our policies are based on the specifics of the individual property as well as your details, and for that reason, we do not provide blanket coverage. As no two buildings are the same, landlords should take out a separate policy for each letting, one which has been specified to meet the needs of the property.  

The only instance in which Homeprotect may offer cover for multiple properties under the same policy is in a block policy (a single building split into multiple addresses). Chat with our team today.