Insurance - who pays what when renting?

Eliza_2

One of the clauses in my tenancy agreement says " The tenant is responsible for any loss through fire damage or busts (!!!) water pipes etc; and must take out insurance as necessary" (exclamation marks are mine)

I've never paid much attention to this before and just assumed it meant I should have contents insurance which obviously is my responsibility. However I'm just getting together various bits of paperwork before a meeting with my landlord tomorrow and wonder if the clause means I should take out buildings insurance. This doesn't seem right to me and wondered if I am liable for these buildings-type things. I'll ask the landlord but I'm pretty certain he doesn't have any insurance though from reading on here I know it isn't compulsory. If he starts to insist I pay for it, am I likely to get myself into trouble by refusing? It occurs to me that if a hurricane blows the house down and I make a claim, I could run off with the money paid out, and he would end up with no house so it seems pretty ludicrous to me, on the other hand............what have I missed? Thank you very much, Eliza

2912pwil

As a LL I ALWAYS have Landlords insurance (eg with £5m Public Liability Insurance). Possibly Buy2Let Mortgages require LL to have that cover.

Ask to see his insurance policy.. (if he hasn't got one I wouldn't want to be a tenant...)

Eliza_2

2912pwil wrote: »

As a LL I ALWAYS have Landlords insurance (eg with £5m Public Liability Insurance). Possibly Buy2Let Mortgages require LL to have that cover.

Ask to see his insurance policy.. (if he hasn't got one I wouldn't want to be a tenant...)

Thanks, no it isn't B2L - he owns the property outright though I have to say doesn't seem particularly bothered about it, hence tomorrow's meeting to discuss the tenancy agreement and maintenance.. Thanks again.

barnaby-bear

Eliza wrote: »

One of the clauses in my tenancy agreement says " The tenant is responsible for any loss through fire damage or busts (!!!) water pipes etc; and must take out insurance as necessary" (exclamation marks are mine)

I've never paid much attention to this before and just assumed it meant I should have contents insurance which obviously is my responsibility. However I'm just getting together various bits of paperwork before a meeting with my landlord tomorrow and wonder if the clause means I should take out buildings insurance. This doesn't seem right to me and wondered if I am liable for these buildings-type things. I'll ask the landlord but I'm pretty certain he doesn't have any insurance though from reading on here I know it isn't compulsory. If he starts to insist I pay for it, am I likely to get myself into trouble by refusing? It occurs to me that if a hurricane blows the house down and I make a claim, I could run off with the money paid out, and he would end up with no house so it seems pretty ludicrous to me, on the other hand............what have I missed? Thank you very much, Eliza

OFT fair tenancy case studies cover stuff like broken windows by burglars/chav-vandalism and blown down fences concluding a LL can't withold a deposit for damage a tenant or guests of haven't caused.
I imagine if a tenant never turns heating on and pipes burst they could be held to have some fault or if they set fire to it with a random cigarette i.e. damage with cause the LL could pursue through civil courts.

jenny74

Eliza wrote: »

One of the clauses in my tenancy agreement says " The tenant is responsible for any loss through fire damage or busts (!!!) water pipes etc; and must take out insurance as necessary" (exclamation marks are mine)

I've never paid much attention to this before and just assumed it meant I should have contents insurance which obviously is my responsibility. However I'm just getting together various bits of paperwork before a meeting with my landlord tomorrow and wonder if the clause means I should take out buildings insurance. This doesn't seem right to me and wondered if I am liable for these buildings-type things. I'll ask the landlord but I'm pretty certain he doesn't have any insurance though from reading on here I know it isn't compulsory. If he starts to insist I pay for it, am I likely to get myself into trouble by refusing? It occurs to me that if a hurricane blows the house down and I make a claim, I could run off with the money paid out, and he would end up with no house so it seems pretty ludicrous to me, on the other hand............what have I missed? Thank you very much, Eliza

Your contents insurance will cover damage caused by water leaking from a burst pipe. (In rental circumstances, the contents insurer will ususally cover re-decoration as a result of the insurable perils on the policy). The LL would have to rectify the actualy pipework. (No General Insurance policy will cover this, though the LL may be able to get cover for pipe work through a maintence contract with the gas board or water board, not your responsibility).

Hope this helps.