Home emergency cover for landlords

Frequently asked questions

• What insurance does a landlord need?

  • Although landlord insurance isn't compulsory, you do have a range of legal obligations to your tenants. For example, you must ensure that your property has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and that a Gas Safe registered engineer performs an annual gas safety check. It's also your responsibility as a landlord to ensure hot water is accessible from the kitchen, toilet and bathroom while also maintaining the health of your rental property's boiler. So it pays to avoid expensive call-outs and unexpected repairs with cover that's designed with you in mind.

• What's covered in my landlord cover?

  • Our landlord cover includes plumbing, boiler and central heating cover for rental accommodation, depending on what you are interested in. All of our boiler policies also come with a boiler service and Gas Safety Certificate.

• Who can buy landlord cover?

  • These insurance products are for landlords who own a house, bungalow, flat or apartment, and whose boilers are fuelled by natural gas. However, you may find that some of our landlord insurance packages vary depending on whether your rental property is a house or a flat.

• What is plumbing and drainage cover?

  • Plumbing and drainage cover is insurance for your rental property's pipes, drains, sinks and toilets, as well as the water supply pipe.

    It offers peace of mind that, should your tenants experience a leak or blockage, you can rely on us to help get it sorted.

• What is electrics cover?

  • Electrics cover offers assistance in case electrical problems occur in your rental property.

    With this insurance, you'll gain peace of mind that if your tenants do face issues such as failed wiring, a fuse box breakdown or even a broken socket or switch, you'll be able to call on our Home Experts to help.

    We'll even cover accidental damage to your electrics - so if your tenants have a DIY disaster, you can rely on us to help you sort it out.

• What is boiler cover?

  • Boiler cover is a policy that offers assistance if a boiler breakdown affects your tenant's home heating or hot water supply.

• What does a HomeServe boiler service include?

  • HomeServe boiler service includes:

    • A full inspection of the entire chimney structure, and where necessary, cleaning of the burner, combustion chamber, any injectors and heat exchanger, inspection of ignition devices
    • Checking the integrity of all seals and gaskets
    • Ensure that any condensate traps and drains are free from debris
    • A final combustion analysis and measurement against tolerances set by the manufacturer's instructions
    • A test of all disturbed gas connections, carry out functional testing of heating and hot water
    • A visual inspection of any other encountered gas appliances, written notification of any gas safety defect which may affect the safe operation of your appliances
    • An assessment of your current heating controls and best practice advice regarding energy efficiency
    • And much more.

• Does landlord insurance cover boiler replacement?

  • Yes. To bring you extra peace of mind, you'll benefit from our Boiler Replacement Promise.

    If your boiler is beyond repair and you have held cover with us for over 6 months:

  • If the boiler is less than 7 years old, we will arrange a replacement and cover the installation costs.

    If the boiler is more than 7 years old, we will arrange a replacement, but you will be required to pay for the installation costs (including parts, labour and VAT).

• What’s a boiler health check, and why does my boiler need one?

  • The boiler will be given a health check within the first year you’re covered by HomeServe. This is an initial inspection during which a Gas Safe registered engineer will check your boiler to ensure it is safe and can be insured.

    The boiler must pass this health check before any boiler insurance claims you make can be progressed.

    The boiler health check must be booked or completed within your first 90 days as a HomeServe customer, and it’s easy to arrange your appointment, simply give us a call.

    Any previous landlord policies held with us prior to 31.03.2022 will not be subject to a new boiler health check.

    Please note that in your first year with HomeServe, your boiler health check, boiler service and gas safety inspection will be carried out during the same appointment even though they are separate inspections. For more information, read our guide to the differences between a boiler health check and a boiler service.

• What is a Gas Safety Certificate?

  • A Gas Safety Certificate is a document that proves that a landlord has met their legal obligation to have safety checks carried out on all of the gas equipment in their rented property.

• How do I make a claim?

  • Making a claim is easy. You can either claim online via our landlord portal or if you've got a Gas Safety Certificate and/or boiler service included in your cover, give us a call on 0330 0247 999*.

    *Lines are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Calls will cost you no more than the rate of a standard call and charges may vary depending on your network provider. Calls are recorded for quality control and training purposes.

• Can my tenants contact HomeServe directly?

  • As the policyholder, your tenants can't contact us regarding your cover. However, you can choose to add their contact details to your policy - so we can deal with your tenants directly, making your life easier.