In short: You need specialist landlord buildings insurance, not a standard homeowner’s policy, insurers can and do void standard home insurance the moment you let a property out and don’t tell them. On top of buildings cover, seriously consider landlord contents (for anything you provide, like carpets, curtains and appliances), property owners’ liability insurance, and rent guarantee/legal expenses cover, which pays out if a tenant stops paying and covers the legal cost of getting possession back. If the property is ever going to sit empty for more than 30–60 days, during a refurbishment, a probate period, or a long void, check whether you need separate unoccupied property cover, because ordinary landlord policies typically stop covering empty properties after that window.
Why standard home insurance won’t cut it
This trips up more landlords than almost anything else on this list, especially accidental landlords (see our guide for landlords who have inherited a rental property) who inherit a property or move out and rent their old home without thinking to change the insurance. Standard buildings and contents insurance is underwritten on the assumption that the policyholder lives in the property. The moment it’s let to a tenant, that assumption is broken, and insurers are generally entitled to treat the policy as void, meaning if you claim after a fire, flood, or escape of water, you may find you have no cover at all, at exactly the point you need it most. You are legally and contractually required to disclose that a property is a rental to your insurer; non-disclosure is one of the most common reasons for a claim being rejected outright.
The fix is simple: buy a specific landlord (or “let property”) buildings insurance policy from the start, and re-confirm this every time your circumstances change, including when a tenanted property passes to you through inheritance, or when you convert your own home into a rental.
The core building blocks of landlord insurance
Buildings insurance. Covers the structure of the property, walls, roof, fixed fittings, against risks like fire, flood, storm damage, subsidence, and escape of water. If you have a mortgage, your lender will require this as a condition of the loan, and will specifically require it to be a landlord policy, not a standard residential one.
Landlord contents insurance. This is different from a tenant’s own contents insurance (which covers their possessions and is entirely their responsibility to arrange, not yours). Landlord contents cover protects your items, furniture, white goods, carpets, curtains, if you let the property furnished or part-furnished. If you let unfurnished, this matters less, but most landlords still have some fixtures and fittings worth insuring.
Property owners’ liability insurance. This covers you if a tenant, visitor, or contractor is injured on your property and holds you legally responsible, for example, a fall caused by a poorly maintained staircase. Given the potential size of a personal injury claim, most experienced landlords treat this as close to essential, even though it isn’t a strict legal requirement in the way gas safety checks are.
Employers’ liability insurance. Only relevant if you directly employ staff at the property (e.g., a live-in caretaker) who aren’t immediate family, this one genuinely is a legal requirement in that specific scenario, though it won’t apply to most ordinary landlords.
Cover that protects your income, not just the building
Rent guarantee insurance. Pays out a set amount (often up to a defined monthly cap, for a defined number of months) if your tenant stops paying rent, subject to the tenant having passed a proper referencing check when the tenancy started, insurers typically won’t pay out if you skipped referencing to save time or fees. This has become more valuable, not less, since the Renters’ Rights Act abolished Section 21: the process to recover possession from a non-paying tenant now depends entirely on the specific statutory grounds (such as rent arrears grounds) and the court timeline, which can take months, during which rent guarantee cover keeps income flowing.
Legal expenses insurance. Usually bundled with rent guarantee cover as a package. This pays the legal costs of pursuing possession through the courts, solicitor fees, court fees, and related costs, which have become more procedurally involved now that landlords must rely on specific grounds for possession rather than a no-fault notice. Given that legal costs alone can run into thousands of pounds for a contested possession case, this cover is worth serious consideration even for landlords who’ve never had a problem tenant before.
Unoccupied property cover: don’t assume you’re covered during a void
Most standard landlord insurance policies only cover a property while it’s occupied, or for a limited grace period once it becomes empty, commonly 30 to 60 days, covering routine voids between tenancies. If a property is going to sit empty for longer than that (a major refurbishment, a slow re-let, a probate period after inheriting a tenanted property that’s since become vacant, or you’re between tenants for longer than expected), check your policy’s unoccupancy clause carefully. Beyond the standard grace period, insurers typically expect you to arrange separate unoccupied property insurance, which usually costs more and may come with conditions (regular visits, draining down water systems in winter, alarm requirements) because empty properties are statistically more prone to burst pipes, vandalism, and undetected damage.
A simple insurance checklist for landlords
- Specific landlord buildings insurance in place (never a standard homeowner policy)
- Landlord contents cover if letting furnished or part-furnished
- Property owners’ liability cover
- Rent guarantee and legal expenses cover, especially if you rely on the rental income to cover a mortgage
- Confirmed how long your policy covers an unoccupied property before cover lapses or changes, and arranged separate cover if a void is likely to run longer
- Insurer explicitly told the property is let, and kept updated if the situation changes (change of tenant, property becoming vacant, refurbishment work starting)
Insurance is one of the cheapest ways to protect against the worst-case scenarios in this ebook, a serious injury claim, a burst pipe during a long void, or months of unpaid rent during a lengthy court process. Skipping it, or letting a standard home policy quietly lapse into invalidity, is a false economy.
Related reading
Sources
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules referenced are accurate to the best of available information as of July 2026 for England unless stated otherwise. Always check current government guidance (gov.uk) or consult a solicitor/accountant for your specific situation.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026