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Rental Property Insurance UK
What is the best type of Insurance for Landlords?
- A subject that often causes confusion to new Landlords is exactly what
type of rental property insurance they should arrange to cover their Buy to let property.
Firstly, anyone borrowing money to pay for a property, will be required to
effect Buildings Insurance cover buy the lender to cover the cost of the
loan. They will also want their interest noted on the policy to satisfy the
contract rights act.
Buildings Insurance is essential for everyone though and it is relatively
inexpensive. The perils covered by a rental property insurance uk policy are
similar to a standard home policy but it will be noted that the property is
let out. Typical perils covered are as follows; Fire, Lighting, Explosion,
Earth, Storm, Tempest, Flood, Landslip, Subsidence, Heave, Impact, Burst
Pipes, Riot, Civil Commotion, Falling Trees, Accidental Damage to fixed
Glass in doors and Windows .Optional Accidental Damage.
A buy to let insurance policy will also include, cover in respect of loss of
Rent, that is loss of rent by peril ( If the house has to reinstated
following a fire or flood etc) and property owners liability ( Sometimes
referred to as Public Liability.)
Most policy wordings will have suitable endorsements on them noting that the
property is let out and remember to watch out for occupancy terms &
conditions, you may find that if the property is unoccupied in excess of 30
days, certain cover restrictions will apply. Premiums do vary depending on
your sums insured, location and tenant type so it is a good idea to shop
around.
It must be remembered that if you are buying a Flat or Apartment, it is
usual for the Freeholder to arrange the Buildings insurance and charge you a
proportion of the total amount payable. Ask your solicitor to check, you
don't want to end up paying twice.
If you are going to put Contents in to the property, you may like to
consider Landlords Contents Insurance ( The tenant will be responsible for
their own property). One of the advantages of Contents Insurance is that you
will obtain Public Liability cover, this cover relates to your ownership and
supply of contents in the property. Some Insurers will not offer Contents
Insurance in isolation and it is normally quite cheap if you add it on to a
buildings insurance policy.
These two contracts are the two most popular policies purchased by
landlords, you can obtain extra cover for Rent Guarantee ( In case the
Tenant doesn't cover you). Legal Expenses ( covering a wide range of
scenarios, including tenancy dispute) and Emergency Assistance ( covering
domestic emergency at the home). What you decide to buy is very much a
matter of personal choice and of course to suit your individual pocket.
Landlords Gas Safety Check - If you are a landlord and are purchasing
a property for buy to let rental purposes, you must make sure that certain
checks are carried out prior to the building being rented out. Probably the
most important checks relate to the use of gas equipment and these checks
must be carried out in accordance with the Gas Safety ( Installation & Use)
Regulations 1994. Failure to have your gas installations inspected may
result in a fine of up to £5000.00 per incident. In the event of a serious
incident at the property, if you cannot produce the necessary certification,
you could face manslaughter charges and a period in prison. Inspections are
carried out by CORGI registered engineers and a letting agent may be able to
advice you of a firm to use or you could try your local Thomsons or Yellow
pages. The engineer will carry out the inspection and will provide you with
a official certificate of his findings. One copy is for you to keep safe,
the other must be given to the tenant to be kept in the property. Providing
the inspection certificate will not suffice on its own and you should make
sure that your tenant is furnished with all guide books and instruction
manuals so as they may operate the equipment in a safe manner. Most
inspections will include an examination of the building flues but only to
conclude that they will allow for satisfactory evacuation of combustion
products. This will be satisfactory to comply with the law, if you want a
more detailed internal examination of the flues noting the flue integrity
and condition of the construction and lining, you will have to pay extra.
The certificate you will be provided with, will give you various
information. The engineer will have to list the various appliances at the
property and he will have to state the following:-
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The location of the item within the building
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The type of appliance
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The make
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The model
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The flue type in use for each item
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The operating pressure in millibars
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confirmation that a safety device is in operation
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confirmation that the ventilation is adequate.
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With regard to the actual inspection itself, the
engineer will have to report the following.
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Confirmation that the relevant flue has passed a flue
flow test.
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Confirmation that the flue has passed a spillage test
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Confirmation that the termination is satisfactory
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Confirmation that the item passes a visual inspection
When this section of the report has been completed, the engineer will have
to indicate in writing that the appliance is safe to use.When producing his
report the engineer will also provide you with a list of items that are
faulty and that require to be fixed. In some cases these will not render an
appliance dangerous but they will still need to be attended to. In extreme
cases, where an item is dangerous, the engineer will have to produce a
warning notice to be attached to the item. These gas safety checks are
vitally important for buy to let landlords and they need to be carried out
once every 12 months prior to a property being let and certainly before a
property is let for the first time. The courts take a very dim view on any
landlord that has compromised tenant safety by not having the relevant
checks carried out.
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