Buy-to-Let Insurance for UK landlords

Need help? Start an online chat or contact us. If we're offline or it's outside business hours, we’ll reply by email as soon as possible.

Not every landlord sets out to become one. Some people inherit a house. Others move in with a partner and decide to rent out their old property. And some deliberately buy a property to let out and only own one or two homes rather than a full portfolio.

If this sounds like you, insurers will class you as a private or accidental landlord. You may only own one or two properties, but the responsibilities can still feel heavy. You want to protect your investment, meet your mortgage conditions, and feel reassured that if something goes wrong, whether it’s a fire or a flood that threatens both your property and your rental income, you’ve got the right cover in place, so you’re not left carrying the financial burden alone.

That’s precisely what Buy-to-Let Insurance is designed for. It gives landlords with one property the reassurance that both the building and their rental income are protected. And if you later add more properties to your portfolio, you can bring them together under one policy for simpler cover.

Buy-to-Let Insurance (sometimes called Residential Property Owners Insurance or Landlord Insurance) is a policy designed specifically for people who rent out a property to tenants.

Unlike standard home insurance, it recognises that tenants live in your property and that brings different risks.

At its core, it protects two things:

• Your property – the building itself, including walls, roof, and your fixtures and fittings.
• Your income – rental payments you rely on, which could stop if your property becomes uninhabitable after an insured event.

It can also cover your liability as a landlord if a tenant or visitor is injured and holds you responsible.

You can tailor your cover with a range of optional extras, like accidental damage, malicious damage by tenants, legal expenses, home emergency, or rent guarantee insurance.

In short: Buy-to-Let Insurance is there to safeguard your property and income, giving you the added assurance that if something goes wrong, you won’t face the costs alone.

Most Buy-to-Let landlords we speak to need some advice.  A quick call helps you understand the cover and will ensure that you are given advice and options from a range of insurers.

1. Start your quote: Click Get a Quote and complete our short form.
2. Book a call: Choose a time that suits you to speak with a property insurance specialist at SJL Insurance Services.
3. Discuss your needs: they will discuss your situation and cover requirements.
4. They review the market: and the best quotes offered and discussed with you.
5. Set up your policy: If you are happy with your quote, cover can commence immediately.
6. Documents are issued once the cover is accepted.

If the property is empty, we can provide insurance whilst you are between tenants via our unoccupied home insurance page.

Home insurance is designed for people who both own and live in their homes; in other words, the policyholder, who has ownership and full responsibility for their care.

Once you let the property out, that changes.

The tenant doesn’t own the building and therefore has no insurable interest in it. They can’t insure the property itself — that responsibility remains with you as the landlord. You need a different type of policy that reflects your position as the property owner.

Some parts of a standard home insurance policy also become irrelevant.  For example:

• “contents” or “all risks” cover is written for the owner’s personal possessions, including items they might take away from the home. But tenants have their own belongings, which they must insure separately under their own contents policy.
• On top of this, different types of tenants carry very different levels of risk.
  • A property let to students is generally seen as higher risk than one let to professionals.
  • HMO's and asylum seeker tenancies are considered higher still — and many insurers won’t quote for them at all.

That’s why insurers require a dedicated landlord or Buy-to-Let policy. It’s tailored to reflect the risks of letting, and ensures that the person(s) (or business) who actually owns the property has the correct protection in place.

If you try to insure a let property on a standard home insurance policy, you’re likely to invalidate the cover completely.

That’s why only a dedicated Buy-to-Let Insurance policy is appropriate

You’re not legally required to have Buy-to-Let Insurance. However, most mortgage lenders will insist on it as a condition of the loan. Even if you don’t have a mortgage, it’s strongly recommended.

Why? Because without it, you’d be personally responsible for:

• Repairing or rebuilding the property if it’s damaged by fire, flood, or another insured event.
• Covering alternative accommodation if tenants need to move out.
• Paying out if a tenant or visitor makes a liability claim against you.

These are risks that can quickly run into tens of thousands of pounds. For most private or accidental landlords, that’s not a financial hit you’d want to carry on your own.

Buy-to-Let Insurance is designed to step in and handle these costs, protecting both your property and your income.

A Buy-to-Let insurance policy is built to protect both your property and your income. The exact details depend on the insurer, but most policies will include:

• Buildings insurance – covers the structure of the property, including walls, roof, fixtures and fittings, against risks such as fire, flood, storm, or subsidence.
• Landlord’s contents – protects items you provide, such as furniture or appliances, against loss or damage.
• Loss of rent – pays out if tenants can’t live in the property after an insured event (e.g. a fire), meaning your rental income stops.
• Alternative accommodation – covers the cost of rehousing tenants if the property becomes uninhabitable.
• Property owners’ liability – protects you if a tenant, visitor, or even a passerby is injured or their property is damaged, and you’re held legally responsible.

For example, A burst pipe damages the kitchen, leaving the flat uninhabitable. Buildings insurance pays for repairs to the structure, while loss of rent cover protects your income while your tenants are unable to live there.

Please be aware that many policies will classify carpets and blinds as contents. In contrast, our policy classifies these as part of the buildings, as they are fixed and generally not removable. 

Our approach makes more sense and will be more cost-effective than insuring the contents; just ensure they are adequately accounted for as part of the building sum insured.

Optional add-ons

You can also tailor your cover with extras, such as:

• Accidental damage – for unexpected incidents, like a broken window or spilt paint.
• Malicious damage or theft by tenants – if the worst happens.
• Legal expenses – to cover disputes, repossession, or evictions.
• Home emergency cover – for urgent call-outs, like a burst pipe or failed boiler.
• Rent guarantee – covers unpaid rent if a tenant defaults, even if the property is still habitable.

If you are confused about the difference between loss of rent and rent guarantee cover:

These serve different purposes:

• Loss of rent – covers rent you would have received after an insured property damage event (e.g. fire) when the home can’t be lived in.
• Rent guarantee insurance – a separate policy that can cover tenant default (non‑payment of rent) even when the property is still habitable.  No damage is required to have happened at the property. It is usually an extension to a legal expenses policy.

You can buy either, or both, depending on your needs.

Like any insurance, Buy-to-Let policies don’t cover everything.

It’s important to understand the common exclusions so you’re not caught off guard. Typical things not included are:

• Wear and tear – gradual deterioration, such as ageing boilers, damp, or rot.
• Poor maintenance – damage caused by not keeping the property in good repair.
• Tenants’ personal belongings – they need their own contents policy for their possessions.
• Unoccupancy beyond the limit – many policies restrict cover if the property is empty for more than 30 days, unless you meet specific conditions or arrange unoccupied property cover.
• Contractor damage – if builders or tradespeople cause damage, it should be covered by their own insurance, not yours.

Always check your policy wording for the full list of exclusions, terms, and conditions.

There’s no one-size-fits-all price for Buy-to-Let Insurance. The cost depends on your property, your tenants, and the level of cover you choose. Insurers look at several factors when calculating your premium, including:

• Rebuild value of the property – how much it would cost to rebuild the property from scratch, not its market value.
• Tenant type – professionals are usually considered lower risk than students, HMOs, or tenants on housing benefits.
• Location – areas with higher exposure to risks like flooding, subsidence, or crime will often mean higher premiums.
• Optional extras – adding covers such as accidental damage, rent guarantee, or legal expenses will increase the price.
• Claims history – previous claims on this or other properties can affect your premium.

Because every property and tenancy is unique, the only way to determine the cost is to obtain a tailored quote.

While you can’t control every factor that affects your premium, there are steps you can take to help reduce the cost:

• Increase your voluntary excess – agreeing to pay a bit more towards any claim can lower your premium. Just make sure it’s still an amount you can afford if you need to claim.
• Improve security – good locks, burglar alarms, and smoke detectors may reduce risk and make cover cheaper.
• Choose tenants carefully – insurers often charge more for student lets or HMOs. Professional tenants are usually considered lower risk.
• Keep the property well-maintained – staying on top of repairs reduces the chance of claims being made or declined due to neglect.
• Pay annually instead of monthly – monthly payments sometimes include interest, so paying in one go can work out cheaper.

Remember: the cheapest policy isn’t always the best. What matters is having cover that protects you properly if something goes wrong.

Getting a quote is straightforward, but we’ll need some key details about you and your property. Having this information ready will make the process quicker:

• Property details – the full address and the year the property was built.
• Rebuild cost – how much it would cost to rebuild the property from scratch (not the market value). A professional rebuild assessment or a recognised calculator can help you estimate this.
• Tenant type – whether you’re letting to professionals, students, tenants on benefits, or running an HMO.
• Claims history – details of any claims made in the last five years, for this property or others you own.
• Optional covers – whether you’d like extras such as accidental damage, legal expenses, or rent guarantee.

Once you’ve provided this, you will receive a tailored quote that reflects your property and tenancy.

Most landlord insurance policies reduce cover (or may cancel cover) if a property is left unoccupied for too long. This is because empty homes carry higher risks, such as escape of water, vandalism, or theft.

With our Buy-to-LetInsurance:

• You’re covered for up to 60 days while the property is between tenants (Check your schedule for the exact allowance between lets.).
• If the tenants are students, this period can extend to 90 days to account for the summer break.

If your property is empty for longer than this, you can arrange a short-term Unoccupied Home Insurance policy to insure your let property whilst it is between tenants.

That way, you don’t need to worry about gaps in cover while your property is between tenants.

Like any insurance, Buy-to-Let cover has conditions that help ensure the property is managed responsibly, while protecting your insurance cover.

Typical duties include:

• Keeping the property in good repair – fix issues promptly and maintain the building.
• Use a written tenancy agreement – set clear terms with tenants.
• Reference tenants properly – credit/ID checks via a recognised service.
• Maintain security and safety – suitable locks, smoke alarms, plus gas/electrical checks where required.
• Notify us if the property becomes unoccupied – so the right cover/conditions are in place.
• Notify us if the tenancy type changes and increases risk – e.g. a professional let becomes a student let or an HMO.
• Follow any policy conditions – such as inspection frequencies, heating/water requirements during colder months or unoccupied periods.

If these conditions aren’t met, it could result in a claim being reduced or declined. Always be sure to read your policy wording.

Speak to a specialist who understands landlord risks and can help arrange suitable protection for your property and tenants.