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If an insured event – like a flood, fire, or storm – damages your property, it may cost more than just your builder’s fees. As a landlord, your obligation to provide alternative accommodation will depend on your tenancy agreement. This may state that you must provide alternative accommodation, if disaster strikes and the property is unfit to live in.
Alternative accommodation cover can help pick up the cost of providing somewhere else for your tenants to stay, if a fire, flood, or other insured event causes serious damage. Some contracts state this as the landlord’s responsibility, so check your tenancy agreement carefully to get the right protection in place – you can add it to your standard landlord insurance policy, along with other popular covers, from contents to loss of rent.
Fire
Storm
Flood
When would I need to make a claim?
What isn’t covered?
When would I need to make a claim?
What isn’t covered?
When would I need to make a claim?
What isn’t covered?
This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of landlord insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions
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*How we work out example prices 10% of our customers paid up to £114.35 a year for a landlord buildings cover only policy between 1st April 2023 - 30th June 2023. Equivalent to £9.53 per month based on a monthly cost when paying for the policy in one annual payment. Paying monthly is usually more expensive as you'll pay interest. Most customers pay more than this but some pay less.
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Making sure you have the right type and level of insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.
What if my property is unoccupied?
What if my tenant's situation changes?
Are carpets and curtains covered?
Will tenant default insurance cover me if my property becomes unoccupied?
What if I'm subletting my property?
What if I have a different type of property?
If you've bought insurance for an unoccupied property, you'll be asked to confirm if the property is expected to be occupied within 60 days of the policy starting.
After this, you must contact us to confirm when the property becomes occupied – if you don't tell us, this can cause a delay in any claims being processed.
You should also be aware that you can't claim for lost rent under the loss of rent section of your insurance if your property becomes unoccupied.
If your tenant's employment status changes – or if a new tenant moves in and their employment status is different to the previous tenant – you'll need to tell us immediately. If you don't, it could cause a delay in any claims being processed.
The definition of 'fixtures and fittings' will depend on the insurer – sometimes, it will include laminate flooring, carpets, curtains and blinds.
It's a good idea to check the wording in your policy to understand what's covered.
Read more about contents insurance for landlords and buildings insurance.
If your property becomes unoccupied, you won't be able to make a claim for lost rent under tenant default cover.
This also applies if your tenant falls into arrears and can't pay their rent, but you're not planning to evict them. You can only claim for lost rent under tenant default cover if you start repossession proceedings.
Read more about tenant default insurance and rent guarantee insurance.
It's vital that any tenancy agreement that you have is between you and the occupant of the property.
If the occupant of your property has a tenancy agreement with a third party (such as a letting agency or a local authority) and not you as the property owner, then your insurance policy could be cancelled and you won't be able to make any claims.
You can add a range of other important covers to your landlord insurance policy, all while keeping it simple with a single premium and a single renewal date. You might consider these covers:
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Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.
Paying 80% of settled claims within 24 hours in 2022
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis.
Having landlord insurance with alternative accommodation cover through Simply Business has saved property owners thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Alexandra (not her real name) received a call from her tenant over the New Year bank holiday, reporting a vehicle had driven through her property’s end wall. The tenants were forced to move out while repair works were carried out, but the landlord insurance alternative accommodation cover added to her policy helped cover the costs Alexandra incurred as a result.
£19,895.57
Covering the cost of impact
£100
The excess amount stated in the terms of Alexandra’s buildings or contents policy that she made her original claim on
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Whether you’re new to buying landlord insurance or you’ve been letting your property for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about alternative accommodation insurance. You can also check out our landlord insurance FAQs.
Alternative accommodation insurance is designed to cover your costs, as a landlord, if you need to provide alternative accommodation while your tenants move out due to an insured event – often a fire, flood, or storm. It usually covers the period of time until your property is habitable again, or the period of insurance ends (whichever is first). Some insurers also offer set cover periods, for example 12 or 24 months.
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of the property including the walls, roof, and floors. Items inside the property, like furniture and freestanding appliances, are usually protected by specific ‘contents insurance’.
There’s currently no legal obligation to take out a dedicated landlord insurance policy. However, a home insurance policy won’t cover you for the specific risks you and your tenants face, and a mortgage lender will usually require you to have buy-to-let insurance in place too, before renting out your property.
Alongside optional protection like alternative accommodation insurance, popular covers include property owners’ liability and contents insurance, for accidents on your property, plus buildings cover to protect the property itself.
This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of landlord insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
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