Underwritten by

Cover underwritten by one of the UK's leading insurers

Buy-to-let landlord insurance Buy-to-let landlord insurance

Customisable insurance for buy-to-let investor landlords, offering flexible cover for portfolios of up to 10 properties.

Be quote confident. We'll beat the price of any like-for-like quote. T&Cs apply.

Buy-to-let landlord insurance quote

From£
12.95
per month

Why do I need landlord insurance?

As a buy-to-let landlord, your property is a major investment and the right insurance policy can help protect your asset against a range of risks.

Whatever type of home you let out, every rental property owner requires an insurance policy that is unique to them. That's why we offer customisable cover that allows you to tailor your protection to your portfolio and only pay for what you need.

10% of landlords paid £12.95 a month or less for their Superscript insurance between January and March 2023.

  • Protect your property portfolio against a range of exposures
  • Buildings, fixtures and fittings and property owners' liability cover
  • Up to 17.5% discount for multiple properties
  • Choose from monthly or annual payments
  • Optional cover for legal protection, landlords' contents, rental arrears and more
  • Amend your cover anytime, with no fees

Be quote confident

We're big on fairness. So if you find a lower price for a comparable quote, we won't just match it – we'll go one better and beat it.

So even better than apples to apples, apples to better apples. We're talking Galas to Braeburns.

As you'd expect, T&Cs apply.

We insure a large variety of property types

From renting out a single studio apartment to letting an entire block of flats, whatever buy-to-let properties you have in your investor portfolio we've got you covered.

Here are a few popular rentals we cover:

  • Whole flat or home
  • Apartment building with multiple flats
  • Mixed residential and commercial properties

To check if we cover your portfolio, simply click 'Start your quote'.

What does buy-to-let landlord insurance cover?

While every property is different, there are some covers that make sense for a lot of landlords. Here are the core covers that we include in every policy:

1

Buildings

If you are a freeholder (or a leaseholder with responsibilities to maintain the building that your property sits in) then this element of your landlord insurance covers the cost of repairing accidental or malicious damage to the building, including:

  • Clearing, cleaning or repairing drains, gutters or sewers following damage to the property
  • Damage to cables and underground pipes
  • Fire, flood and subsidence damage
  • Sourcing the damage and repairing any tank or pipe caused by a water leak
  • Alternative accommodation and contents storage for your tenants if the home becomes uninhabitable (for up to 24 months)
2

Fixtures and fittings

As the landlord of a residential property, you may be responsible for maintaining the fixtures and fittings within the home. With Superscript's insurance, you'll be covered for repair or replacement costs of fixtures and fitting, including:

  • Breakage of fixed glass and fixed mirrors
  • Damage caused by the illegal cultivation of drugs
  • Theft of the building's fabric (eg. roof tiles or insulation)
  • Damage to electrical sockets or light fittings
3

Property owners' liability

Covers your liability to pay compensation and legal costs (between £1 million and £10 million) in relation to bodily injury to either a tenant or member of the public.

This includes legal costs (up to £1 million) for any alleged breaches of:

  • Health and Safety legislation
  • Consumer Protection legislation
  • Food Standards legislation

It also includes legal costs (up to £1 million) in connection to defense against:

  • Manslaughter
  • Corporate manslaughter
  • Corporate homicide
  • Culpable homicide defence

Additional covers

On top of these options, we also offer a range of other covers to boost your policy and give you and your property portfolio the right protection.

Tenant default

If your tenant fails to pay their rent, landlords' legal protection and rent guarantee insurance can pay your missed rental up to £50,000. You will also be able to claim for legal expenses involved in repossessing your property.

Terrorism

Financial losses that occur as a result of an act of terrorism are often excluded from landlord insurance policies. However, you can opt to include additional cover that would pay repair costs for damage to your property and your property owner's liability in the event of an act of terrorism.

Rental income

If your property becomes damaged to the point that it is uninhabitable by your tenants and they have to move out, the rental income you would have been paid is covered for a period of up to 24 months while the property cannot be occupied.

Landlords' contents

Covers the value of all of the items in the rental property that belong to the landlord (such as upholstery and furniture) against accidental and malicious damage, up to a limit of £75,000.

Employers' liability

This is a legal requirement for most landlords that employ staff (such as an admin assistant or handyman) and covers your liability to pay compensation and legal costs in relation to work-related sickness or bodily injury of an employee.

What isn't covered by landlords' insurance?

We'd love to be able to cover every situation a landlord might encounter but, as with all insurance policies, there are some things we cannot cover, including:

  • Any property that is let out to a local authority with an unknown occupant
  • Mansion blocks or the flats contained within them
  • Homes that are unoccupied for more than six months of the year
  • HMOs with more than five tenancy agreements or any tenancy agreements of less than 180 days
  • Any damage which results from acts of fraud or dishonesty by you or your employees
  • Any costs associated with damage caused by the property being used for illegal activities, other than damage caused by the illegal cultivation of drugs
  • Any liability arising from exposure to, or the presence of, asbestos
  • Any works of art valued at greater than £1,000 or any jewellery, watches, fur or precious metal or stone under landlord's contents cover

Once you've completed a quote, you'll be able to view a summary of cover. Please always refer to your policy documents for full details around exclusions, terms and limits of your customised cover. Read our guide to understanding your policy documents.

Enjoy a multi-property discount

Looking to insure a portfolio of up to 10 properties? We like to reward landlords who insure all their properties under one policy.

You can get a discount of up to 17.5% off your total premium for residential properties and up to 5% off for commercial properties.

There's no requirement to have all of the same additional covers for each property, so you can build a personalised policy that's built around what each of your properties actually needs, and then enjoy a discount for doing so.

Buy-to-let insurance claims examples

Landlord insurance can cover a range of different accidents and risks both in relation to your property and your tenants. Here are a few examples of possible claims scenarios.

Water damage

After a flooding event, your property is damaged to a significant degree with extensive repairs required. A landlord insurance policy from Superscript can cover the expenses of repairing the building, as well as providing alternative accommodation for your tenants while the work is carried out.

Injury to a tenant

If a tenant is unfortunately injured because an element of the building is unsafe, you may be liable to pay compensation to the tenant if they make a claim and your insurance could cover this legal expense and compensation costs.

Lost rental income

After a fire, your property is damaged to the point that it is uninhabitable by your tenants, meaning you no longer receive your monthly rental income. Your insurance policy can pay out the rent income you would have received, potentially reducing the risk of defaulting on your mortgage payments.

How do claims work?

The below is a good guide to the process and timescales you can expect when you need to make a claim under your policy.

If you’re ever unsure whether you can or should claim, it’s best to get in touch and we can let you know.

1

Notify us of the claim

Contact us by email at claims@gosuperscript.com, by 24/7 freephone on 0800 772 3059 or by logging in to your customer portal.

Ideally this should be done as soon as possible and within 30 days of you becoming aware of anything which you think may be covered by your insurance.

A good indicator of whether or not to let us know is if there's an issue which may require a payment to be made on your behalf.

2

We'll get on the case

We'll acknowledge your claim within 24 hours, and sometimes in as little as 30 minutes! This means you'll receive email confirmation of your claims reference and contact information should you need to speak to us.

We will then reach out to you within 48 hours to request any extra information we need to progress your claim.

We'll keep you updated on the next steps as the claim progresses.

3

A decision is made

We'll let you know if your claim is successful or not. If your claim isn't covered, we will always try to point you in the right direction and support you as best we can in getting back to normal.

Read about the most common reasons claims aren't paid.

If your claim is successful, once we have all the documents we need, we will aim to settle claims such as accidental damage, theft and lost equipment within five working days.

Download your free landlords' guide

It's quick, instant and unlocks 42 pages of valuable advice for new and aspiring landlords.

From time to time we'll send you original content, offers and updates from Superscript. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. Superscript's privacy notice.

Landlord insurance FAQs

How much does landlord insurance cost for buy-to-let investors?

Superscript's landlord insurance starts from just £11.97 a month, but the price of your policy could vary depending on how many properties are in your portfolio, their location and a number of other factors such as what additional covers you'd like to include.

Is landlord insurance compulsory for buy-to-let properties?

Many mortgage lenders will stipulate in your mortgage agreement that you must have landlord insurance in place by the time you purchase a buy-to-let property.

Different mortgage providers may stipulate different levels of cover that they require, but most lenders will require you to at least have adequate buildings cover in place. If in doubt, please contact your mortgage provider.

What types of buy-to-let properties does landlord insurance cover?

Superscript's landlord insurance includes cover for a range of different types of rental property, including studio apartments, flats and houses.

What types of buy-to-let properties does landlord insurance cover?

Superscript's landlord insurance will not cover:

  • Student properties or houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)
  • Property that is let out to a local authority with an unknown occupant
  • Mansion blocks or the flats contained within
  • Homes that are unoccupied for more than 6 months per year

Are white goods insured under fixtures and fittings cover?

This depends on whether the white goods are built into the kitchen or are freestanding. For example, a fridge-freezer unit that is built into the kitchen of your rental property would be covered against damage by your fixtures and fittings cover. However, a separate, freestanding fridge-freezer would need to be covered by landlords' contents cover.

Can I get landlord insurance if my property is temporarily unoccupied?

Yes, with Superscript's landlord insurance your cover is valid even if your property is unoccupied for a period of up to 45 consecutive days.

However, if the property is unoccupied for longer than that, there are certain things you must do for your policy to remain valid, including, but not limited to:

  • You must let Superscript know as soon as the property becomes unoccupied for longer than 45 days
  • The property must be inspected both internally and externally at least once a week, with a written report of the inspection
  • All refuse and waste must be regularly removed
  • The property must be adequately secured and letterboxes sealed
  • Gas, water and electricity supplies must be turned off at the mains
  • All damage must be rectified immediately
  • All water systems must be drained between 1st October and 31st March

Superscript reserves the right to cancel a policy if your property is unoccupied for more than 45 consecutive days.

What excess will I pay?

The amount of excess you will be required to pay depends on what kind of insured event has occurred. Superscript's excesses include:

  • Fire, lightning, explosion, aircraft, or earthquake - no excess
  • Damage caused by flood - minimum excess £300
  • Malicious damage and theft by tenants - £500
  • All other insured damage (where an excess applies) - minimum excess £250
  • Subsidence - minimum excess £1,000
  • Property owners' liability - £200

Can I insure multiple buy-to-let properties?

Yes, you are able to insure a portfolio of up to 10 properties on one policy, and enjoy an up to 17.5% multi-property discount on residential properties and up to 5% multi-property discount for commercial premises.

Can I insure commercial units at the same time as my residential properties?

Yes, you can insure both commercial and residential properties on the same policy. For instance, if you have invested in buying an apartment building that includes a retail unit.

What if I need to change or cancel my policy?

You can change your policy anytime, but we need 30 days' notice if you'd like cancel.

Check out our latest posts
More articles for landlords

Authorised by the FCA

The FCA supervises UK financial services firms to protect consumers. We are directly authorised and regulated by the FCA and our Firm Reference Number is 656459. These details can be confirmed on the Financial Services Register at www.fca.org.uk or by calling the FCA on 0845 606 1234.

A-rated financial strength

Our insurance products are underwritten by Standard & Poor’s A-rated financial strength or higher. This means the underwriter has been independently assessed by the world’s leading credit rating provider and found to have a strong capacity to meet financial commitments (pay claims).

Protected by the FSCS

If you are a business with an annual turnover under £1m, charity with an annual income under £1m, or trust with net assets under £1m, then you will be entitled to compensation from the FSCS in the unlikely event we cannot meet our obligations. Full details and further information on the scheme are available at www.fscs.org.uk.