Compare Landlord Cover: A Like-for-Like Guide

A landlord policy can look cheaper because it protects less, carries a higher excess, or excludes the risk that matters most to your property.

That is why knowing how to compare landlord cover means more than putting annual premiums side by side. You need to establish what each quote is actually designed to insure. The right approach depends on whether you let a single flat, own several buy-to-let houses, rent to students, or use a property for more specialist purposes.

How to compare landlord cover on a like-for-like basis

Before requesting quotations, write down the protection you need. This prevents a common problem: one insurer prices for basic buildings insurance, while another includes property owners’ liability, loss of rent and accidental damage. Neither is automatically better value until you know what is included.

Use the same details for every enquiry. Give the correct rebuild cost, not the estimated sale price, along with the property type, postcode, construction, occupancy and tenancy arrangement.

A converted building, a listed home, a house in multiple occupation and a property let to a company can all need different underwriting. Be equally precise about your claims history and any previous periods when the building was unoccupied. A realistic comparison begins with accurate information.

Landlord cover comparison: what to check in every quote

Use the same rebuild cost and tenancy details across every quote, then run each one through the rows above.

Start with the property, not the headline price

Buildings insurance is usually the core of a landlord policy. It can pay towards repairing or rebuilding the structure after insured events such as fire, flood, storm damage or escape of water, subject to the terms.

The sum insured should be enough to rebuild the property, including professional fees and demolition costs where applicable. Do not assume the building’s market value is the right figure.

A property in an expensive area may cost less to rebuild than its sale price, while an older or unusual building may cost considerably more. If the sum insured is too low, underinsurance can reduce a claim settlement. Some policies use a rebuild-cost calculator or index linking, but you should still check the basis used.

Contents are a separate question. Unfurnished properties may only need limited landlord contents cover for carpets, curtains, white goods and furniture supplied for tenants’ use. A fully furnished let needs a detailed inventory and a sensible replacement value.

Check the insured events and exclusions

Read the policy summary and wording, not just the quotation screen. Check which events are insured and whether any conditions apply.

Subsidence, flood, malicious damage, theft, accidental damage and escape of water often deserve closer attention, because the level of protection and the excess can differ between policies.

For example, accidental damage may be included as standard in one policy and available only as an optional extra in another. Malicious damage by tenants may be treated differently from damage caused by other people.

A vacant property can also face tighter conditions, such as regular inspections, turning off the water supply or restricted protection after a set number of days. These differences are not necessarily deal-breakers. They matter when they do not match how you own or manage the property.

Loss of rent versus rent guarantee: the key distinction

The phrase loss of rent causes more confusion than any other part of a landlord policy. In most policies it means rent you cannot receive because an insured event, such as a fire or major escape of water, has made the property uninhabitable. It is tied to physical damage to the building.

Rent guarantee insurance is a different product. It may help when a tenant falls into arrears, subject to eligibility checks, tenant referencing, waiting periods and payment limits. In short: loss of rent follows damage to the building, while rent guarantee follows a problem with the tenant.

Some landlords hold both. When comparing quotations, confirm exactly what triggers any rent-related payment, the maximum monthly amount, the maximum period paid and whether legal expenses are included, optional or unavailable.

Compare liability, legal expenses and added options

Property owners’ liability can protect you if you are legally liable for injury or damage connected with the premises. Limits vary, so check the amount offered and whether it suits your portfolio.

This is particularly relevant where you own communal areas, employ contractors directly or have several tenants using shared spaces.

Legal expenses protection may contribute towards certain legal costs, usually where the claim meets the policy criteria and has reasonable prospects of success. It is not a general legal advice service and it will have exclusions. Review whether tenancy disputes, eviction proceedings and contract issues fall within its scope.

Optional additions change both the price and the usefulness of a policy. Rather than adding everything by default, weigh what you could reasonably absorb yourself against what would disrupt your rental business.

The question is not whether an add-on sounds useful in isolation. It is whether it fills a genuine gap in the protection you already have.

Look beyond the excess

The excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim. A higher compulsory excess can reduce the premium, but it also increases your out-of-pocket cost if something goes wrong.

Some policies have a standard excess plus a separate, higher excess for escape of water, subsidence or flood. Compare the compulsory excess with any voluntary excess you have selected.

A voluntary amount may lower the price, but only choose a figure you could pay without putting necessary repairs on hold. For a landlord, delaying work can mean a longer void period and unhappy tenants. Also look for sub-limits, the stated caps for trace and access work, landlord contents, alternative accommodation or emergency repairs, which can matter more than a small difference in annual cost.

How to reduce your landlord insurance premium

Price should never be the only test, but there are sensible ways to keep the premium proportionate without cutting the protection that matters.

Ask how the policy handles your tenancy and management

Landlord protection is not one-size-fits-all. A standard assured shorthold tenancy may be accepted differently from a student or shared house let, holiday let, short-term arrangement or tenancy involving benefits.

If you use a managing agent, keep a record of who is responsible for inspections, repairs and tenant referencing. Be clear about any planned renovation work, because minor maintenance and a substantial refurbishment are not viewed the same way.

Major works, long-term unoccupancy, structural changes and changes of use should be raised before you rely on a quotation. Your wider responsibilities as a landlord sit alongside the insurance and do not change because of it.

If you own several properties, consider whether individual policies or a portfolio policy is more practical. A portfolio can simplify administration but may not suit every mix, so check whether limits apply per property, per claim or across the whole portfolio.

Compare the broker’s explanation as well as the quote

For specialist property risks, the quality of the questions matters. A broker should be able to explain the insurer’s requirements, the basis of the quotation, key exclusions and what you need to do if your circumstances change.

Ask for the relevant policy documents before committing, especially where a term is central to your decision. You should also understand the payment arrangement.

Check whether the price includes insurance premium tax, any broker fee, instalment charges if you pay monthly, and the consequences of cancelling part-way through the term. A lower-priced quotation may be suitable if its limits, exclusions and excesses match your needs. A more expensive option may be justified if it protects you against costs you would otherwise fund yourself. The value sits in that comparison, not in the premium alone.

If you need to claim: a quick checklist

A landlord claim goes more smoothly when you act early and keep good records. Use this as a starting point, and always follow your own policy’s conditions and deadlines.

Gather your rebuild cost, tenancy information, claims history, security details and any previous unoccupancy. Then request quotations using the same facts and compare the documents line by line, focusing on insured events, limits, excesses and conditions.

If you need help finding brokers who deal with landlord risks, MyMoneyComparison.com can pass one short-form enquiry to a panel of FCA-regulated brokers. The service is free to use, and MyMoneyComparison.com is registered with the FCA under reference 916241.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: July 2026