Compare Landlords Insurance Online and Save
The best way to get cheaper rates and prices is to use online comparison websites. Here we look at what’s available and the best way to go about reducing the costs of your insurance.
Over the last ten years more than a million UK citizens have invested in property and become landlords. Rental demand has been on the increase over the last three years as loans for houses become increasingly difficult to get, especially for first time buyers. Some people, wishing to move but unable to sell their houses due to the slump in the housing market or reluctant to sell because of the 18% drop in house prices over the last year, have decided to rent their homes.
Whether you have made a business out of renting accommodation, or are simply renting your home to enable a move, being a landlord is fraught with risk and insurance is essential.
What is Landlord Insurance?
Landlord Insurance is a financial product developed especially to meet the needs of property owners who are letting their properties for profit. The structure of the building itself will be covered and there will be options for including the building contents too. It is essential to have such insurance to protect your own income if circumstances arise which stop the cash flow or which require expenditure on your part to put right.
What are the Special Risks of Being a Landlord?
The risks involved in becoming a landlord are unique to that business and the insurance you require must be tailored to those risks. You need to protect yourself against the disasters that may befall you which include the following:
- Responsibility for the safety of the tenants: If there is an accident in your property due to your negligence you may well find yourself facing a large legal bill and compensation payout.
- Wilful damage to your property: the tenant often feels little responsibility for taking care with the fixtures and fittings in your property and any damage to the contents or structure will have to paid for by you.
- Non-Payment of Rent: The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) has reported that 40% of landlords have experienced the problem of tenants who default on the rental payments and the figure is on the increase. Tenants may be experiencing payment problems due to general financial difficulties or may simply be trying to avoid payment. Either way, you will need to be covered against this eventuality.
- Responsibility for re-housing your tenants: Should your property become uninhabitable for any reason, including flood or fire, you would be responsible for re-housing your tenants during the repairs. This can be very costly.
Comparing Landlord Insurance
The number of products available is very high and the details and costs of each policy will vary enormously. You are well advised to consider many different options before settling on an insurance policy. There are comparison sites for landlord insurance, as there are for many financial products, and these can be a good guide to the policies available and their benefits and drawbacks.
Moneysupermarket.com is a famous and well respected comparison site as are comparethemarket.com (with the amazingly popular meerkat TV ads) and confused.com.
Any of these sites will present you with a choice of landlord insurance policies and there are dozens more which can easily be checked in the comfort of your armchair, laptop on knee.
Of course, simply reading about insurance policies doesn’t give you much of an idea of how good the service is and it is advisable to ask friends or business acquaintances if they have any experience in the landlord insurance market. Buying the policy is the easy part. How do these companies perform when you have to claim?
You should also take advantage of the review sites and forums which give feedback from the customers of various insurance companies. Here you may find our how good the companies are at dealing with your claims and problems.
Being a member of an organisation, such as the The UK Landlord Accreditation Partnership (UKLAP) or The National Landlords Association (NLA), will give you access to the thoughts and experiences of other landlords, which will be invaluable when it comes to choosing a policy for your property. These organisations have branches in all areas of the UK and offer support and advice in all areas of being a landlord, including choosing the best insurance.