Primecover Property Insurance tips for getting the most from Specialist Landlords Insurance.

1. Most domestic insurance policies don’t cover rented property at all, so if the property used to be your home, tell your lender the property is being let.
2. Some insurers will not cover-or will require a higher premium for-student tenants, DSS, asylum seekers or for properties let out to social housing associations under longer leases.
3. Polices that include 24-7 emergency assistance features, especially ones which covers the cost of a call out to deal with an emergency, are handy and will save you having to buy a separate emergency cover policy. Ask about service standards-how quickly they will be on site to do the fix.
4. Keep claims down by ensuring tenants know how to turn off the water and gas in an emergency.
5. It is the responsibility of the tenant to insure their own contents and landlords should make this clear.
6. Unfortunately, malicious damage by tenants is usually not covered, even under special landlord policies. So even if you end up hating the tenants, don’t do anything that may lead them to trash the property.
7. The excess on specialist landlord policies varies from about £100 to £250 for normal claims and £1000 for subsidence claims.
8. Landlords with flats covered by block building policies have higher standard excesses and no contents cover extension at all. Ask to see the block policy document and schedule to check what you are covered for.
9. If you make a claim, keep a record of the amount and date of claim. When you take out new insurance, the insurer will ask about this.
10. Most home insurance policies won’t pay for replacement taps or toilets, though they usually pay for “trace and access” to find the source of a leak. So, if your plumber is doing a job which involves tracing the source of a leak, ask him to list the cost of “trace and access” on his invoice.