Are you the landlord of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)?

Essentially, that will be a let property accommodating three or more tenants who comprise more than one separate household and share such basic facilities as a bathroom and toilet or kitchen.

For a more formal definition, you might want to review the government website or our own Landlords Guide to HMOs which we updated on the 25^th of October 2021.

HMO legislation

For good reason, HMOs are probably the most tightly regulated types of let accommodation. The relevant legislation is constantly amended and updated. As a landlord, of course, you need to stay abreast of those changes.

Get caught out by any impending new legislation and you might face penalties that include unlimited fines, rent repayment orders, confiscation of your goods or property under the Proceeds of Crime Act, banning orders, or even imprisonment, warns the National HMO Network.

Maintaining standards

The government is committed to improving the overall quality of affordable rented accommodation and is frequently targeted toward HMOs because these are sometimes of the poorest standards.

Tighter control over HMOs emerged from wider licensing powers for local authorities with effect from the 1^st of October 2018. This required the licensing of any dwelling accommodating more than five tenants in more than a single household. In the past, the licensing requirement applied only to those HMOs of three storeys or more that accommodated more than five tenants.

Non-mandatory licensing

In addition to the licensing requirements for HMOs housing more than five tenants in two households or more, local authorities also have the means of requiring licences – non-mandatory licences – either in a specific area or an entire district.

The housing charity Shelter explains that these non-mandatory licences may be required if the local council believes HMOs in the relevant areas are being mismanaged or that they are causing problems (of overcrowding, for example) for tenants or for the general public.

Previously, the government has announced that it is reviewing how this kind of selective licensing is working, with particular regard to the requirement that HMO landlords are “fit or proper persons” and the suitability of their management and adherence to appropriate safety standards for tenants. Although the results of that review were expected in the spring of 2019, they are still awaited.

Whatever the results, any new legislation or regulation can be expected to affect many landlords. The last major round of changes – involving new licensing and standards requirements – in the summer of 2018 was estimated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to affect some 160,000 additional landlords.

Room sizes

Overcrowding remains one of the chief concerns about the standard of housing provided by HMOs – and a principal measure is given by minimum room sizes.

The current requirements were published in details released by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), on the 8^th of August 2018 – and which require:

• any bedroom occupied by a single adult to be no less than 6.51sqm in floor area;
• any bedroom occupied by two adults to be no less than 10.22sqm;
• children under the age of ten must have a bedroom with at least 4.64sqm of floor area; and
• the HMO licence may stipulate the maximum number of people who may occupy any specific room used as sleeping accommodation.

Whilst there has been general acceptance for the introduction of minimum room sizes, some landlords of HMOs continue to argue that the requirements have an adverse knock-on effect by making it necessary to charge increased rents.

Summary

Keeping abreast of any HMO legislation is key. If you are ever unsure, visit the Government website for further advice and guidance or speak to your local authority.

Recent years have seen various restrictions tightening around the private rented sector – steadily increasing the overhead costs of many a landlord. As a result, the search for appropriate or even the best let property insurance quote becomes ever more important.

That immediately begs the question, of course, as to what exactly makes the best landlord’s insurance? A simple, knee-jerk response might lie in saying that the best insurance is the cheapest insurance you can find. If you are tempted into thinking along those lines, you might want to think again.

Just put yourself in the position where you need to claim on your landlord’s insurance policy. In those circumstances, you are unlikely to be questioning how much you are paying in premiums but, rather, the extent to which your policy effectively covers the loss or damage you have suffered. It might have been the cheapest option you could find but, unless it provided the cover you now need, the money you spent on the premiums would have provided little value.

Another landlord’s preference for the cheapest insurance quote is unlikely to have been of much use or relevance to you if it doesn’t meet your particular needs and circumstances as a landlord. It is not the cheapest you might prize the most but the insurance that offers the best value for money.

Comparing let property insurance quotes

There is no doubt that the internet opens the door to an incredibly wide choice in the range of landlord insurance policies on offer. By all means, make full use of the internet in your search for the cover you need – while avoiding the temptation of restricting your choice to the cheapest possible options.

An internet search for effective and reliable insurance – not only landlord insurance – involves a careful consideration of the full details of any cover in which you might be interested. You will then be making an informed choice about those features and elements of the policy that are relevant and important to you.

If your cheap let property insurance quote does not provide you with the cover that you want then its price is largely irrelevant and the policy may be of no interest to you, no matter how cheap it is.

It’s worth saying it again – every landlord is different and what you consider to be a cheap let property insurance quote may not appear so cheap to someone else with a very different set of buy to let property insurance requirements.

Using the internet to compare let property insurance quotes

Thanks to the internet, of course, it is considerably easier these days than in the past to access the information you need for choosing suitable insurance cover for your particular needs and requirements. But your internet searches still need to be made with a prudent approach and all due care.

That way, you are likely to reap the benefits of buying your buy to let or landlord insurance online:

Reassurance

• practically any goods and services can be bought online these days, though none carry the reassurance given by the code of good practice for online sales that is managed by the leading body for insurance brokers, the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA);
• the code insists that customers buying online are given access to information about any policy and are able to review this before buying;
• any excess charges on claims also need to be explained;
• customers need to be advised clearly about the standard features of any policy and any elements of cover that are available as options or add-ons;
• if the customer’s requirements are likely to be met only by a specialist provider, they need to be directed to the relevant websites;
• here at Cover4LetProperty we are just such specialist providers of all kinds of insurance for landlords – and we also maintain a website that conforms to BIBA’s code of good practice, ensuring absolute transparency with respect to any policy you may ask us to arrange;

Convenience

• the next reason for buying online is the same as for any other service or product – it is simply more convenient;
• instead of getting out the car or waiting for a bus to take you to town, you may research and review the insurance cover you need from the comfort of your own sitting room;
• you can break off at any time – to reflect on your options maybe – and return to the online process at any stage of the day or night;

Speed

• not only might you save time by staying at home rather than making your way to the high street, but you are also likely to find the entire process of buying online so streamlined and simple that it rarely takes more than a few minutes to complete the purchase of the insurance cover you need;

Economy

• online business tends to be good business for companies too – there is no shop front to maintain, no expensive signage, or other physical overheads;
• this is frequently reflected in online sales being made at a discount – just as they may be when you buy landlords’ insurance online;

Service

• your purchase may be online – where the anonymity of the internet might be off-putting to some – but this does not necessarily mean that the service you receive is any less personal;
• here at Cover4LetProperty we pride ourselves on the personal service we offer – a service made more personal still if you decide to use our dedicated UK-based telephone line to discuss your needs more fully before making your purchase;
• so, if you would rather speak to someone about your policy, one of our team will be more than happy to help and arrange the insurance for you, if you require – you still get a personal service but with internet prices;

Experience and expertise

• shopping online does not mean that you are left all alone to fend for yourself;
• specialist providers are just that – experienced experts who are familiar with the needs and circumstances of landlords and who also have a keen knowledge of the entire range of products in this niche of the insurance market;
• specialist providers like us, therefore, are adept at matching the needs of landlords such as yourself with the appropriate selection of available products to meet those needs.

A reminder about that landlord and tenant relationship

The relationship between you and your tenants is clearly the foundation of a satisfactory tenancy – and the success of your buy to let business. But you might also want to reflect on the ways in which your landlord insurance policy provides further reassurance and security in that relationship:

• a policy typically covers you against third party liability – broadly speaking, that includes a number of circumstances where your tenants, their visitors, your neighbours, or even members of the public hold you responsible as the landlord for injuries or property damage they have sustained through contact with your let property;
• some policies might offer a degree of cover for the legal costs involved in pursuing tenants to recover unpaid rent arrears – but you are unlikely to secure cover for situations involving legal or eviction disputes with your tenants;
• your tenants need to understand that your landlord’s insurance typically will not cover them for any personal accidents or illness they may suffer, or events such as the theft or destruction of their property following a burglary or natural disaster;
• some policies might contain a provision for your compensation of any loss of rental income following an insured event that temporarily leaves your let property uninhabitable and unlettable pending repairs and reinstatement – but compensation of that kind does not extend to normal voids between tenancies;
• some policies – but by no means all – may offer cover for malicious or accidental damage caused by your tenants or their visitors.

Unoccupied property insurance

It might also be worth making a final point about a further element of insurance for your buy to let property – the unoccupied property insurance you may need from time to time.

Unoccupied property insurance protects properties that are standing unoccupied for longer than a typical 30-45 consecutive days (with the exact interval varying from one insurance policy to another).

You let property might be left in that empty and unoccupied state for any number of reasons – some of which might appear almost beyond your control, such as:

• tenants who were due to move in and begin a new tenancy suddenly change their mind – leaving you a longer than usual void;
• you are having work done to decorate or convert the property and you are unable to let the premises while work is in progress; or
• you decide to hold off a letting until you return from an overseas business trip, only to find that your time away unexpectedly runs on longer than you anticipated.

In all these situations, once the 30-45 consecutive days have expired, you may find that your standard landlord’s insurance policy becomes null and void – and you may need unoccupied property cover to restore the protection your property continues to need.

Next steps

Getting the most cost-effective and appropriate let property insurance is something we can help you with. Simply get a free, no-obligation let property insurance quote online from our panel of specialist providers or give us a call on 01702 606 301 – we’d be delighted to help!

Do you remember the first time you saw the buy to let property in which you decided to invest? As you pulled up outside, there was probably something about it that made you think “this is the one”.

It’s what estate agents call kerb appeal – in an article on the 20^th of September 2021, Property Reporter spoke about its enduring attraction for house-hunters. And just as it was likely to have won you over, so too is it something just as likely to attract your tenants.

Sometimes, it might be difficult to put your finger on quite what it is that gives a property kerb appeal – you simply know it when you see it. For you and your tenants, it might be a question of whether the place looks attractive from the road or, more likely, the lasting impressions it creates at first sight.

Kerb appeal for your tenants

The OpenRent website on the 2^nd of February 2021 insisted that any property needs kerb appeal if a tenant is to fall in love with it and have that initial spark of interest that translates into a reliable and lasting tenancy. In a posting on the 26^th of February 2022, the online listings website Zoopla declared that first impressions are vitally important and that the exterior’s kerb appeal is an advert for all that’s inside.

As more properties are advertised for rent, the buy to let market is becoming increasingly competitive and you are likely to need to go that extra mile in making sure that potential tenants choose yours over neighbouring places to live.

Improving the kerb appeal

To maximise the potential and marketability of your buy to let property, therefore, you might want to improve its kerb appeal. How might you do that?

The front door

• one of the very first impressions is given by the front door to your let property – it is not only one of the first features seen but also the doorway to the whole of your let premises;
• keep it well-painted and clean – using soft greys, or bright colours such as dark blue or red if you want to make a splash;

Driveways and paths

• hopefully, they won’t need resurfacing, but at least give any driveways and paths in the front garden a thorough clean;

Know your boundaries

• tenants will want to know just where your property ends and the neighbour’s starts, so varnish any wooden fences, paint metal ones, and oil the hinges on gates to be sure they open easily and don’t have an annoying squeak;

The greening of your plot

• well-tended plants, shrubs and other greenery give the front aspect of your property some more colour and a sense of softness – immediately improving its kerb appeal;
• leading estate agents Foxtons, in a posting on the 28^th of March 2022, considered that growing plants was a certain way to improve any property’s kerb appeal;

Windows

• there’s probably nothing more off-putting than sad-looking, old and greying net curtains hanging in the windows of your let property;
• just a modest investment in new drapes, blinds, or shutters – especially in colours that match your newly painted front door – may make the world of difference.

Has your let property got kerb appeal? If not, you might want to give it some, to attract the more discerning – and potentially more responsible – tenant who is going to respect your property.

While the runaway housing market is booming, other UK property news headlines suggest a decline in the potential occupancy rates of homes in the UK, a shortage of rental accommodation, and the need for some landlords to be available around the clock for their tenants.

Tenants face supply crisis amid calls for 230,000 extra rentals a year

The shortage of accommodation to rent is so dire that an extra 230,000 such homes will be required to meet expected demand, according to a story in the Mail Online on the 15^th of February.

With the currently marked imbalance between supply and demand, hopeful tenants have much less choice when it comes to choosing a home to rent and will have to face paying more for it.

Following a succession of changes in legislation, many landlords have decided to quit the buy to let sector. As a result, only around 5,000 additional let properties have been added to the housing stock each year in the five years from 2016 to 2020. This compares with a total of 205,000 homes that were added during the previous ten years.

Council says HMO landlords must be on call 24 hours a day

Landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Belfast must be prepared to respond 24/7 to complaints about anti-social behaviour following a court ruling in favour of the city council, reported by Landlord Today on the 28^th of February.

The provision of an out-of-hours emergency telephone contact number has been made on the council’s conditions for granting an HMO licence and was prompted by a recent spate of complaints about allegedly rowdy behaviour by students in the Holyland district of Belfast.

The council’s imposition of the 24/7 contact requirement was challenged by the Landlords Association for Northern Ireland but upheld in the High Court.

Nearly 9 million bedrooms lost in the UK

One of the unexpected consequences of changing lifestyles caused by the Covid pandemic and successive lockdowns has been the loss of bedrooms from homes the length and breadth of the country.

In a survey conducted by online listings website Zoopla, the results of which it published on the 17^th of February, an estimated 9 million bedrooms have been converted into home office spaces, entertainment suites, and gyms.

The loss of bedrooms is a result of around 41% of all homeowners adapting their homes in some way to meet their changing needs and lifestyles during the pandemic. In the place of former bedrooms, there are now an estimated five million home offices and more than a million gyms or exercise rooms.

Across the country, a total of some £36.5 billion has been spent in making these changes – and that’s the equivalent of an average of £3,714 per home.

While some 70% of homeowners believe that employers should contribute to the cost of home improvements to create offices for working from home, around 30% of employers have done so.

Rightmove predicts UK property market boom after record 2021

The housing market in the UK in 2021 saw record prices and an unprecedented volume of transactions. Yet 2022 will continue that boom, according to a news piece by Yahoo on the 25^th of February.

Taking full advantage of the surge in demand for homes, online property listings website Rightmove scored a 67% annual increase in profits in 2021.

Pre-tax profits for the year ending the 31^st of December were £226 million, following a 50% leap in annual revenue to more than £305 million.

Compared with pre-pandemic performance in 2019, revenue for the complete year was up 5% but rose by more than 48% compared with 2020 – thanks chiefly to the discounts offered to many estate agents during the lockdowns of the pandemic.

Looking for insurance can be tricky if you are doing it with no help. After all, finding the most cost-effective and appropriate insurance policy is an important decision. But if you consult a specialist landlord insurance provider – such as us at Cover4LetProperty – you may be able to find in minutes what you consider is the best landlord insurance policy for your individual needs.

Do note that where we say the “best” landlord insurance, you must bear in mind that there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer to what the best buy to let insurance policy may look like. After all, what is best for one property owner may not suit the needs of another landlord!

You may be looking for a policy that:

• is appropriate for the type of property that you have;
• offers all the elements of landlord insurance cover that you require (so you are only paying for the elements of cover you need); and
• is at a price that you consider cost-effective.

How much does landlord insurance cost?

Buy to let insurance may be priced using similar considerations to conventional home insurance policies. So, the insurer may consider the age and construction method of your house or flat, and its location when they give you a price for the cover.

You may find that if your property is in a postcode area that is associated with a low risk of crimes and floods, the prices quoted may be lower than for properties in an area that has a history of these things.

Discounts on let property insurance policies

As a landlord no doubt you may be concerned with the bottom line on what your buy to let insurance policy will cost. When getting let property insurance quotes, why not see whether any discounts may be available?

For example, some landlord insurance providers may offer lower prices for:

• properties that are covered as part of a portfolio – this insurance is called multiple property insurance cover or property portfolio insurance; and
• any extra security precautions that you may have had fitted (e.g., extra locks and alarms over and above what the policy requires as the bare minimum of security).

You might be able to identify several other such opportunities if you read your policy and work closely with your insurance provider.

Top questions on the best landlords insurance company

Many of us like to think we are getting the best deal possible and that leads to questions relating to how to find the best landlords’ insurance cover.

Some of those questions are listed here and some responses offered.

Who offers the best landlords’ insurance?

Although it is understandable why the question is asked, it is impossible to answer.

The fact of the matter is that the best landlords’ insurance company for one landlord might not prove to be the best for another.

There are a huge number of variables that need to be considered before selecting a policy. That might include things such as the type of property you have, the type of tenancies you are involved in and, the value of your contents etc.

Different insurance companies might offer more suitable policies depending upon how you answer those and other similar questions.

At Cover4LetProperty, we will commit to working to help you find suitable cover for your situation.

Where can I find cheap landlords cover?

Looking for cheap cover may be a rather a risky approach to adopt when searching for a policy to protect a major financial asset.

It is more advisable to focus your attention on finding a policy that is a good match for your circumstances and which offers you the cover you may need to provide a degree of financial peace of mind.

Having what you might call a cheap let property insurance policy won’t be of any consolation to you in a situation where you have tried to make a claim against it, only to find that the circumstances are not covered.

Getting the most appropriate insurance

As well as comparing low landlord insurance prices, it is also important that you compare the level and elements of cover too, to ensure that not only does it offer value for money, but the protection you need.

So, if you are looking for the best landlord insurance, remember that while price is important, having adequate protection in place is probably the key consideration when choosing your cover.

Most standard property insurance will provide cover for properties that are unoccupied for less than a specified number of consecutive days. That figure is usually somewhere between 30 and 45 consecutive days (depending on the insurance provider). This is typically more than sufficient to cope with property standing unoccupied for reasons such as normal annual holidays, business trips, weekends away or even short to medium level stays in hospital etc.

However, once that number of days has passed, your property becomes officially categorised by insurance providers as “unoccupied”. Shortly before that point is reached, you should switch to unoccupied property insurance.

Failure to do so could mean that your current insurance will only cover the most basic of risks – or could become completely invalid, meaning your property is not protected.

Why different cover is required

Empty property insurance is typically required because the likelihood of a claim increases significantly if the property is empty and some of the common perils – such as escape of water, theft, and malicious damage – may be excluded under your existing cover.

Those consequences of a property sitting empty might include:

• occupation by squatters;
• general and increasing dilapidation due to the absence of residents to keep things in order;
• an increased risk of vandalism;
• things such as unnoticed leaks and damp penetration that cause serious problems to the structure of the property;
• fire;
• it becomes a very visible target for burglars, remembering that sometimes even basic infrastructure such as radiators and pipework can be the target of theft.

At the very least, therefore, you may need to inform your insurers that the property is going to be unoccupied for more than 30 days (or the period stated within your policy documents). In that event you may also want to give serious consideration to empty property insurance to main full protection of your property.

Examples of why a property may be empty

Although very few people are likely to go out of their way to leave their home or let property empty, there are occasions when it is practically inevitable. The reasons might include:

• awaiting the completion of probate to determine the ownership of the property;
• refurbishment, remodelling or renovation that makes the home or let property uninhabitable for the duration of the works;
• a job that takes you away from home for several months;
• an extended holiday overseas – to visit relatives or friends, for example;
• a change of tenancies, involving an interval between the present tenants moving out and new ones moving in; or
• it remains up for sale whilst you have already moved into your new home.

In some of these instances you may have a reasonably determinate date for the property to be reoccupied and you may arrange your empty property insurance accordingly. On the other hand, the short-term nature of the vacancy may need to be extended for reasons beyond your control – and you may need the flexibility of extendable cover.

Short term empty property cover

Where your property may be empty for longer than 30-45 consecutive days but only for a relatively short period after that, then the good news is that short term unoccupied property insurance can offer a flexible solution.

Short term empty property insurance does what it says on the tin and can run typically for 3, 6 or 9 months, with the option to extend if required. (For example, a probate property may take longer than expected to go through the process, or your renovations may run behind, meaning you need to extend your empty property insurance).

If so, you may be glad of the kind of flexible short-term policy in which we at Cover4LetProperty specialise. It may be a simple matter of asking us for an unoccupied property insurance quote.

In any situation where your property is either empty or unoccupied, to ensure continuity of cover you will need unoccupied property insurance.

Even if the property is now sitting unoccupied for reasons beyond your control, this insurance consideration will still apply, and you will require empty property insurance. It might also be worth noting that this applies equally to owner-occupied and let properties.

It wouldn’t be advisable to take chances in this respect. If you have any doubts or uncertainties about the insurance status of one of your properties, we’d welcome your earliest contact for a discussion. Please call our friendly team on 01702 606 301.

Further reading: Guide to Unoccupied Property.

UK property news headlines have revealed attempts to curb overheating in new homes, the likely impact of an increase in interest rates, the impact of benefits cuts on tenants, and the lengths to which some tenants will go to secure improved air quality indoors.

So, let’s take a look behind those headlines.

New rules for new build conservatories

A blow has been struck to those many house hunters who have been hoping for a conservatory with the new home they intend to buy.

In a story on the 19^th of January, the Daily Mail revealed intentions by the government to issue a ban on the construction of certain conservatories on new-build homes.

To meet new building regulations, it will have to be shown that any proposed conservatory avoids creating “unwanted solar gain”. Under the sun of British summers already – and into the near future – glass-paned conservatories can become unbearably hot and overheat the rest of the house as result.

It is forecast that summer temperatures could reach 40° or more in the future and the proposed restriction on conservatories is but one element in a raft of measures designed to manage the effects of global warming.

Interest rates hiked again as the cost of living rises

On the 3^rd of February, the Bank of England increased the base lending rate from 0.25% to 0.50%.

In a posting on the 4^th of February, the online listings website Zoopla commented on the effect of the hike in the cost of borrowing for homeowners. It calculated that an estimated two million borrowers currently on their lender’s variable rate of interest will end up paying more in monthly repayments – or will need to extend their mortgage term.

For someone with a £200,000 mortgage, Zoopla calculates, the increase will cost an extra £24 a month.

Revealed: damage of benefit cuts to renters

In a press release on the 20^th of January, the National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA) revealed that one in ten landlords reported that tenants in receipt of Universal Credit have faced difficulties in finding the rent as it falls due.

The temporary increase in Universal Credit has now been cut back and tenants have been feeling that impact. Official figures show that 55% of tenants in the private rented sector face a shortfall between the welfare benefits they receive and the rent they have to pay.

That problem will only be made worse, says the NRLA, as tenants are further hit by inflationary increases in the cost of living.

Tenants “will pay more for homes with improved internal air quality”

The quality of the air inside their home is important to tenants in the private rented sector, reported Landlord Today on the 4^th of February.

In a recent survey, 70% of tenants said that they would be prepared to pay a higher rent in return for better air quality indoors. The numbers can be expected to have grown after successive coronavirus lockdowns during which tenants have had to stay at home.

While seven out of ten tenants would be prepared to pay more in rent, 16% said they would be prepared to pay as much as 25% more.

Typically, internal air quality is measured according to the presence of five elements – temperature, humidity, organic chemicals (that vaporise into harmful gases), carbon and fine particles.

One of the central planks of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration has been the promise to “level up” opportunities across a whole spectrum of economic and social spheres – to “transform the UK”.

Some long-awaited detail about what this will involve and how it will be achieved was published in a major White Paper released by Michael Gove MP on the 2^nd of February.

Levelling Up: the impact for landlords

Housing is one of those essential spheres of UK life that will be subject to the drive for Levelling Up. Inevitably, therefore, this can be expected to impact landlords and their buy to let businesses:

Section 21 to be scrapped

• Section 21 of the Housing Act currently grants landlords the right to repossess their property and evict sitting tenants without the need to give any reason or justification for the action. For that reason, they have become known as “no-fault” evictions;

• Levelling Up plans mention the government’s intention to scrap Section 21 when the Renters’ Reform Bill is laid before Parliament later this year;

• while landlords have naturally welcomed the relative ease with which repossessions can be made in this way, others have argued that it leaves tenants with an unacceptable degree of uncertainty about when they might be evicted – and some tenants have even chosen not to press for essential repairs to be made in case it prompts repossession by the landlord;

• abolition of Section 21 will “reset the relationship between landlords and tenants” claims the Levelling Up White Paper;

Housing standards

• Levelling Up is also about ensuring that all individuals can count on a decent standard of housing – and the current proposals focus on all private rented accommodation meeting the already published Decent Homes Standard;

• while endorsing the principle that every tenant has the right to expect a home in safe and secure rented accommodation, in a commentary on the 2^nd of February, the National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA) insisted that the Decent Homes Standard is an inappropriate measure to use;

• the NRLA argues that the proposed standard was designed to be applied to housing n the social rented sector and, so, fails to consider the differences between this and the private rented sector, together with the type and age of the respective properties;

Rogue landlords

• with respect to landlords’ compliance with existing legislation and regulations – just as much as the maintenance of decent housing standards – the NRLA also welcomes the Levelling Up White Paper’s promise to crack down on rogue landlords;

• rogue landlords undermine the reputation rightly maintained by the vast majority of landlords, insists the NRLA;

• one of the concrete proposals to appear in the White Paper, as a way of monitoring and managing rogue landlords, is the possibility of a national register – with market commentators looking forward to more detail about how such a register might work.

The Levelling Up ambitions and goals are designed to reshape practically every aspect of contemporary life – every corner of the UK can be expected to feel the proposed changes. The private rented sector is no exception and landlords will do well to keep an eye on how Levelling Up further affects their businesses.

Yes, you can! With the Cover4LetProperty service, you can get an online let property insurance quote in a few minutes and if you like what you see, can buy online – giving you immediate protection.

We accept most of the major credit and debit cards (we do not accept Amex) and payments can securely be made through our HSBC-led super encrypted service. This means you can feel comfortable that your details are safe and cannot be accessed by a fraudster.

We also accept cheques – note though, we may not be able to offer immediate cover for you until your cheque payment has cleared. We also accept bank transfer on the same terms as cheques.

Receiving your policy documents is also quick and easy as well. You can opt to have your policy schedule and documents delivered directly to your email inbox, or have them posted out – or both!

If you would rather, however, prefer to speak to us to arrange immediate cover, then please feel free to give us a call on 01702 606301.

We can then search for the most cost-effective landlords insurance for your circumstances and present you with a quote, then take your payment details across the phone if you want to proceed with the cover.

Contents and / or buildings accidental damage is not included as standard under your Cover4letProperty insurance policy.

This is because we strive to offer you what we consider is the most competitively-priced cover, without including elements of protection that you may not require.

You can, however, elect to have this additional cover when you apply for an insurance quote, either for both buildings and contents or one or the other.

What does accidental damage for buildings cover?

This covers damage to the fabric of your policy, such as the roof, walls and windows. Doors and mirrors are also typically covered.

What does accidental damage for contents cover?

If you are a landlord with a furnished property (ie. so your tenants use your contents) then this cover will safeguard items such as your TV. Your furniture and carpets are also covered.

If you do elect to have accidental damage cover, you should note that only events that have caused damage will entitle you to make a claim. So, damage that occurs suddenly due to an unexpected and non-deliberate external action is typically covered.

Damage as a result of wear and tear, by domestic pets, poor workmanship, or even a PC that has “died” for example, will not be covered.

Should you require any further information or clarification on what your landlord’s insurance does and does not cover, please feel free to contact us. We will only be too happy to clarify!