02/11/2020
3 Insurance Considerations for Property Owners and Managers
Whether you work for a tenant management organisation, a housing co-operative or you’re a portfolio landlord, it’s essential to put the right insurance in place. In this article, Account Executive Rob Mills gives the benefits of his experience, explaining the essentials that every property manager should be aware of.
While I’m sure you’ve got your Public & Property Owners’ Liability Insurance in place, along with Employers’ Liability, you may not be aware of the other policies designed to protect your investment, your finances and your time. Here are my top 3 recommendations.
1. Legal Expenses Insurance
It’s not a decision that you’ll make lightly, but you may need to issue notice if your tenants breach their tenancy agreement. For instance, if they:
- Sublet: You discover your tenant rents out part of the property to someone else to supplement their income and help pay the rent.
- Have pets in the property: If you have a no-pet rule and discover that the tenant now has a dog.
- Receive noise complaints: If your tenants disrupt the peace and you receive complaints from neighbours, the police or local council.
- Cause damage to property: Lack of ventilation in bathrooms causing damp issues may be grounds to evict.
Unfortunately, if the tenant disputes the eviction notice, it’s unlikely to be a straightforward process. You may need to enlist legal support to get a court order evicting the tenant.
Landlord Legal Expenses Insurance gives you peace of mind that you can cover the cost of a protracted legal fight and ensures you follow the correct legal process at the start of your eviction proceedings.
These policies often extend to cover other legal disputes and costs too, such as health and safety, breach of environmental obligations, data protection and general property disputes.
We can arrange cover at £40 per property and policies are generally not subject to excess.
2. Rent Guarantee Insurance
The cost of landlord legal fees is often exacerbated by tenants defaulting on the rent. The loss of income, combined with the cost of legal counsel, can have a significant impact on your rental business.
As such, Legal Expenses Insurance can often be extended to include Rent Guarantee Insurance. This is designed to cover the cost of lost income for several months, so you aren’t left out of pocket.
However, you should note that these policies are subject to certain requirements being met. For instance, credit, affordability and employment checks, as well as proof of residency, proof of identity and landlord checks.
3. Tenants Contents Insurance
It’s important to remind your tenants to seek suitable insurance for their own possessions, because Landlord Insurance isn’t designed to protect their property.
Tenants Insurance can be arranged separately and prices start from £132.00 per year.* Not only does it protect their items, but it also gives them Public Liability Insurance, alongside protection for accidental damage to your fixtures and fittings. For example:
- Your tenant puts a hot pan on a worktop, damaging the counter.
- They drop an iron on the carpet, which leaves a burn mark.
- They place their own rug on a tiled floor. A tradesman enters the property, slips on the rug and suffers an injury. Because the landlord doesn’t own the rug and didn’t put it on the floor, liability could rest with the tenant if the tradesman seeks compensation for the injury.
As a result, it gives them the reassurance that their finances are protected too.
Want to learn more about insurance for property owners and property managers? Don’t hesitate to contact Rob on 01223 792262.
*Silver package with no pet cover. Includes: £10,000 Contents Cover, £1,000 Personal Possessions, £300 Pedal Cycles, £2,000,000 Public Liability and £4,000 Accidental Damage to landlords property/fixtures and fittings. £100 standard excess & £150 excess for escape of water. Also includes Insurance Premium Tax at the current rate and £10 administration fee. Correct as at 1.12.23.
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