Estate management insurance
Get insurance with public liability cover to help protect communal facilities and estates. Gallagher can help you find suitable insurance to protect your estate.
What is estate management insurance?
Estate management insurance help protect the communal facilities of complex residential estates, including multiple blocks of flats or a combination of flats and houses. This type of insurance can cover you from potentially high costs associated with damage to shared areas, helping to give you peace of mind while managing an estate.
If you’re a residential property owner responsible for private residential developments or properties with communal spaces, this insurance can help protect you. It can include cover for communal spaces such as internal roads, footpaths, and green areas too. Without suitable cover, you may be liable if accidents occur in these communal spaces.
As shared spaces and facilities are now common in modern residential developments, it’s important to understand the liabilities involved. Having estate management insurance can help ensure that both you and other residents are protected in the event of a claim.
Key features of estate management insurance
Estate management insurance can cover you against various potential risks and incidents involving communal areas of residential properties. Policies usually offer protection for both liability and material damage, helping to reduce the high costs associated with maintaining shared spaces and facilities.
Policies can provide cover for the following:
- Public liability: Can cover claims made by third parties for injury or damage to their property in communal areas, helping with legal costs and compensation.
- Communal buildings: Can cover accidental loss or damage to shared buildings and outbuildings, including structures like pumping stations and bin stores.
- Underground services: Can cover damage to underground utilities such as water, gas, and electrical systems.
- Children’s play areas and equipment: Can cover accidental damage to playground equipment in communal spaces.
- Storm damage: Can cover damage to fences, gates, and hedges caused by severe weather conditions.
- Fly-tipping: Can cover the cost of removing illegally dumped waste from the property.
- Fallen trees: Can cover the costs associated with removing trees or branches after damage from an insured event, up to £5,000 per insurance period.
- Emergency services damage: Can cover damage caused to gardens or grounds by emergency services.
- Debris removal: Can cover the cost of removing debris after an insured event. This can also include reasonable costs for cleaning and removing illegally deposited materials in or around the premises, up to £25,000 within an insured period.
- Architects and surveyors’ fees: Can cover fees for professional services required during property reinstatement.
- Terrorism: Can include terrorism coverage upon request for added protection.
These are brief product descriptions only. Please refer to the policy documentation paying particular attention to the terms and conditions, exclusions, warranties, subjectivities, excesses and any endorsements.
What facilities can be covered in estate management insurance?
Most property management insurance policies cover several facilities, including the following:
- Private roads: Help to cover damage to privately-owned roads within the estate.
- Electric gates: Protection can be included for electric gates and barriers in case of accidental damage.
- Street lighting: Cover for repair or replacement of street lighting within the communal areas.
- Swimming pools: Communal swimming pools may be covered for damage or liability in the event of accidents.
Why is estate management insurance important?
Managing communal spaces and residential developments comes with many risks, including public liability claims, high costs, and damage. Without insurance, you may be left financially responsible for repairs and legal fees if things go wrong.
Estate management insurance can help protect you from unexpected issues and incidents in shared spaces. Whether it’s accidental damage to communal facilities or a tenant liability claim, this cover helps to give you greater confidence that you’re protected.
What if an employee has accidental injury while on my property?
If an employee is injured while they’re working on your property, you may be held legally responsible for covering their medical costs and other related expenses. This is where employers’ liability insurance is useful.
Employers Liability cover for property management companies
How can you make a claim on estate management insurance?
You can contact the Gallagher team on 01202 449611 to submit a claim. We’ll need to know your details, including your full name and address of the property. It’s handy if you have your policy number too.
It’s also important to gather as much information as you can about the incident, including evidence of damage or loss, photos, and any supporting documentation. Here’s a list of common documents that you may need for your claim:
- Claims form
- Proof of ownership, e.g. lease agreement
- Incident documentation, e.g. photographs or repair estimates
- Police or incident reports, if applicable
- Proof of loss, e.g. receipts and invoices
Why choose Gallagher for estate management insurance?
At Gallagher, we provide specialist estate management insurance to help protect you as a property owner. Our policies can cover various properties, including blocks of flats or residential estates. We also offer several optional extras to help you customise your policy into one that works for you.
Here’s some of the reasons to choose us:
- Standard cover with optional extras
- Cover for various property types (standard, converted, listed, purpose-built)
- Specialist claims advisors offering step-by-step support
- 24-hour claims service available every day of the year
For a copy of our guide to Communal Estate insurance, the cover provided under a standard policy* and examples of how the cover could benefit you, click here.
* For full terms and conditions please refer to the policy wording available on request. As with all insurance policies, the policy is subject to limits, conditions and exclusions. For full terms and conditions please refer to the policy wording available on request. This document does not purport to be comprehensive or to give legal advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Gallagher cannot be held liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies contained within the document. Readers are always recommended to take further professional advice before making any decisions.
FAQs
Please note that these Frequently Asked Questions are not a substitute for the policy wording. For full terms and conditions please see the policy documentation.
What scenarios can be covered under estate management insurance?
Estate management insurance can help protect you in various scenarios, whether it’s damage or a liability claim. For example, if a severe storm damages property and requires costly repairs. Or, if a tenant slips and falls on a poorly maintained pathway. If they submit a compensation claim, this insurance can help protect you against financial losses and legal fees.
Is estate management insurance a legal requirement?
No, it’s not a legal requirement to have property management insurance coverage. However, it’s highly advised to consider this insurance as you may be left financially liable if accidents or damage happen. When managing an estate, these costs can also add up quickly if several properties are involved. Having insurance can help protect you, so you’re not left out of pocket or with hefty legal and repair fees.
What is public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance can provide cover for legal and compensation costs if a property manager is held responsible for injuries or damage. This insurance helps protect against claims made by individuals who suffer injuries or loss due to negligence. It can cover costs associated with legal proceedings, damages, and medical fees.
Do I need public liability insurance with estate management cover?
All policies include a property owners’ liability up to a £10,000,000 limit of indemnity. This cover is automatic and cannot be deleted.