Landlord home emergency cover

Landlord home emergency cover aims to quickly fix your tenants’ problems, from a burst water pipe to a broken boiler or storm-damaged roof.

It’s usually an optional extra on most landlord insurance policies to help cover the cost of urgent out-of-hours callouts and repairs.

A home emergency is an event that:

• Makes your property unsafe or unfit to live in

• Puts your tenants in danger

• Compromises your home’s security.

Home emergency cover for landlords provides emergency assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So, even if your tenant suffers a burst water pipe on Christmas Day, you should be able to get it sorted.

While it’s not a guarantee, certain contractors will aim to be at your property within four hours in an emergency, including:

• Plumbers

• Locksmiths

• Drainage engineers

• Electricians

• Glaziers.

If you want cover for ongoing boiler repairs or annual servicing, you’ll need a separate landlord boiler cover policy.

Landlord emergency insurance tends to only cover the callout and immediate repair if your boiler breaks down. It won’t cover any further repairs once the initial problem has been sorted.

With landlord boiler cover, you could claim for various boiler problems - not just emergencies. Some policies will also cover annual servicing and repairs to your wider plumbing system, central heating and electrics.

Whichever type of policy you choose, you’ll need proof of an annual boiler service and gas safety check to make a claim. If these checks aren’t in place, your claim might not be valid.

Although emergency insurance isn’t a legal requirement, landlords have a legal responsibility to keep their tenants safe.

Say you get a call from a tenant about a burst pipe flooding the property. If you’re not covered for emergencies, you’ll need to arrange a plumber at short notice – which could be a major hassle and very expensive.

Having landlord emergency cover means repairs could be taken care of as soon as possible. This helps prevent any further damage that could warrant a bigger claim on your landlord home insurance.

With some policies, you could even get your tenants added as interested parties so they can arrange emergency repairs themselves. But do check exactly what’s included before you buy.

Landlords are obliged to maintain their properties to keep them safe for tenants. If your tenant reports your flat or house as unsafe, you could face legal action if it’s found you neglected to take care of the property.

Home emergency cover for landlords doesn’t include damage from gradual wear and tear. And your insurance provider may not pay out if it decides any emergency repairs arose from poor maintenance.

So unless you keep your rental property well-maintained, your landlord emergency cover might not be valid.

In terms of your general landlord obligations, responsibilities include:

• Making sure gas equipment is safely installed and checked annually

• Ensuring the electrical system and any appliances you’ve supplied are safe

• Following fire safety regulations, including:

  • keeping fire escape routes clear

  • installing smoke alarms on every floor

  • providing a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel-burning appliance

  • (in some cases) supplying fire extinguishers.

Always be sure to keep safety certificates in a secure place along with a record of regular services and maintenance.

For detailed guidance on your legal responsibilities as a landlord, visit the GOV.UK website.