Letting Fees - Do I need to pay for Building insurance?

Meatballs

What is your deposit for if not insurance for the landlords contents?

It is an unfair clause in a tenancy agreement to insist the tenant gets contents insurance.

You should definitely not be paying for buildings insurance.

Keep your own insurance policy, sign and cancel theirs if you want the place badly.

Read Office of fair trading - Unfair terms in tenancy agreements. Maybe even take it in to them if they need convincing.

Pott5y

Apparently, Landlords own contents insurance cover (so I have been informed) does not cover for accidental damage by the tenant to things like carpets, washing machines or fridges etc. So yes they are insisting that I show them proof of this cover before they will hand me over the keys.

I have seen the OFT guidelines on this and it does not clarify the situation in this case (ie Tenants covering Landlords contents for accidental damage only). The letting agents are not trying to sell me the insurance they are just insisting I get covered by someone.

In my opinion this is what the deposit was for, but I now think that as deposits have to be placed under a deposit protection scheme it is now not so easy for the landlords to just withold deposits for damage etc so now they are looking for insurance protection from the tenant.