As a landlord or buy-to-let investor you may think the list of rules, regulations and insurances you need is never ending.
Get it right and you should be able to relax and enjoy a secure and steady return on your investment. Get it wrong and you could open yourself up to litigation and huge expense.
At Deacon, our team is always happy to help and take the time to talk you through our specialist landlord cover. One of the most common queries we get from landlords is the need for Property Owners Liability cover, which we include as standard in our cover. Many landlords often don’t understand why they need it.
We asked Mark Savage, Customer Services Manager at Deacon, to explain: “As a landlord your priority may understandably be your buildings and contents, but you also need to consider your tenants’ safety as well. You have a duty of care and potential liability if they are injured in your property, which can be covered by Property owners liability insurance. This should be included in your policy, if you’re not sure then check.
“Property owners’ liability is similar to public liability for businesses. It should enable you to meet any costs and damages awarded to a member of the public, including your tenants, if they suffer an injury or accident at your property,” explained Mark.
“Accidents happen: it could be anything from a loose carpet causing a trip, or a loose tile falling and damaging tenants’ belongings. Property owners liability insurance provides cover if the tenant decides to make a claim against you for any injury. It’s usually part of the standard cover in a specialist landlord insurance policy like the one offered by Deacon,” he added.
Property owners insurance typically covers you for damages awarded to the claimant, your legal costs in defending a claim, and their legal costs, if you’re found to be at fault. This cover is also for legal costs and damages should a visitor to the building – tradesman, postman or even a leaseholder’s friend – be injured on the premises when the incident should have been prevented by the owners or managers of the building..
Don’t forget to remind your tenants that their own contents may not be covered by your buildings’ policy. Nor will the consequences of their own personal actions causing third party injury or loss be covered by the policy. They need to make their own arrangements. If they are in doubt please ask them to contact us.
Meanwhile, you can read more about our specialist landlord cover.
FP1036-2017
The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited trading as Deacon accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein