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Buildings Insurance FAQs

Read our most frequently asked questions listed below. To narrow down your search try selecting a specific category or if you cannot find the answer you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact us.

How can I reduce my landlord’s building insurance cost?

By choosing CIA for your landlords building insurance quote, you can find cheap landlords building insurance through our comparison quotes. Unlike other comparison sites, we compare against nine leading insurers to ensure you get the best deal possible.

How long is a quote valid for?

30 days.

How much does landlord insurance cost per month?

As of 2023, the average cost of landlord insurance per year is £170, which equates to roughly £14 per month. This will depend on various things, however, and you would need to consider aspects such as the year the property was built, the rebuild cost, the size of the property, and where the property is located.

What type of landlord insurance do I need?

There are a few different landlord insurance options. Which one you choose will depend on the specific risks you feel that it’s most important to cover against. The most common product and the one that we sell here at CIA Insurance is buildings and/or contents insurance. It’s also the most complex and extensive.

What is covered by my landlord insurance?

Your landlord policy can be as basic or as extensive as you need it to be. Our landlord insurance can include buildings only, contents only or a combined policy if required. Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property if it becomes damaged by fire, flooding or vandalism, and contents insurance covers household items left for the tenants use such as furniture and appliances in situations such as theft, fire and flood. This cover does not protect your tenant’s belongings or items you may have left in storage at the property that is not for the tenants use.

What if I want to rent out more than one property?

If you have an existing landlord insurance policy, you will be able to take out multiple-property landlord insurance with us. Please note that in these instances, the policy commencement dates will differ between properties. This won’t affect your multi-property discount. We are able to cover all types of properties, including blocks of flats let out on either a residential or commercial basis. However please note that residential properties and commercial properties will be on separate policies. Multi-property landlord insurance is designed to save landlords time and money. Having one policy that covers all properties means there’s that only one payment and one renewal a year for you to think about, and the multi-property discount means that sometimes it can be cheaper than taking out individual insurance policies for each property. This applies if you take your policies out together or if you advise us at the start of the policy that you will be adding properties mid-term.

Is a landlord insurance legally required?

There is no legal obligation for a landlord to take out landlord insurance, however, you might not get very far without it. You’ll usually need written permission from your lender before you take on tenants (unless you have a buy-to-let mortgage), and your lender is likely to require that you have landlord insurance before you do so. Even though you’ve probably got a conventional home insurance policy, this won’t be enough to cover you if your property becomes a rental. In fact, a lot of home insurance policies will become void if the property is being used as a rental, meaning that you won’t be able to make a claim.

How to get cheaper landlord insurance

When you’re looking for your perfect landlord insurance, you’re going to want to get the best price. No landlord wants to be paying over the odds for their insurance – especially when you hope you’ll never have to actually claim on it. If you have multiple properties, then make sure you insure them all with one provider. You’ll probably be eligible for a discount. Plus, it makes everything much more streamlined and simple with a lot less paperwork.

Do I have to have landlord insurance?

No, you don’t need to take out landlord insurance, however, a lot of mortgage lenders may insist you have it before you begin renting to tenants. Just because it’s not mandatory, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take it out. Landlord insurance is really important for any landlord. It will help to safeguard your financial future and protect your investment from damage, problematic tenants and other unexpected costs. It gives you the peace of mind that situations out of your control will be covered under your policy.

What happens if my property becomes vacant mid-term?

If your property becomes vacant mid-term, whether your landlord insurance policy is affected or not will depend on a number of different factors. Contact our customer service department when you know your tenants are moving out and let us know what your intentions are for the property, we will then advise you on how this affects your insurance.

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Home selling secrets

Amina was very helpful in sorting out my landlord’s insurance and spotted an error in my cover which helped reduce my premium.

First time landlords

We are first time landlords and you gave good advice and the process was easy and good value.

A pleasure to deal with

A pleasure to deal with, the lady on the phone was a credit to her company.