Help! Buildings Insurance on a second home that is rented out is Expiring and I can't find cover!

JulieBirdLeicester

I have just been informed by my insurance company (More Than) that they are no longer offering the product I have with them which provides buildings insurance on my second home (which is rented out to my Son).

I have just researched (for hours) new products on all of the comparison sites, but they only appear to offer building insurance in terms of damage by 'tenants etc.

I need a 'proper' building insurance cover incase my second home burns down (regardless of who is living there) it might not even be anything to do with the tenant and due to an earthquake Ha and not the tenants fault.  (ie.. I need the same building cover that I have on my own house)

But of all the ones I have looked at it appears it only covers fire and damage by the tenant, but none of them mention 'rebuilding costs' which is what our normal house building insurance covers.

Any advice, help?  Or am I reading their policies wrong?

Thanks, Julie

Aretnap

Not sure what policies you've been looking at, but the first Google hit I found for "landlord building insurance" was Direct Line who say they cover

"Structural damage to the building - due to an insured event such as:

• Fire, lighting, explosion or earthquake
• Riot, civil disturbance
• Malicious persons/acts
• Storm
• Flood
• Subsidence, landslip and ground heave
• ...and so on and so forth"

Nothing in there seems to restrict it to damage by tenants only - you can get accidental and malicious damage by tenants as optional extras.

Can you link to an example of the type of wording that you're worried about?

JulieBirdLeicester

Thanks Aretnap..  I was searching the  comparison sites and Direct Line did not come up 

Neil49

We have used Direct Line for many years but, as you have discovered, they don't appear on comparison sites.

Prices are quite good (for us at least). 

DullGreyGuy

JulieBirdLeicester said:

Thanks Aretnap..  I was searching the  comparison sites and Direct Line did not come up 

Direct Line doesn't go on comparison sites, they are direct only, however their sister brands like Churchill do. 

All Landlords insurance will cover the normal perils like fire, flood, windstorm etc, tenants damage is an additional coverage on top of what you;d normally expect. Speak to the insurer before buying to ensure they are comfortable with the close family member being the tenant on a pro bono basis. 

chrisw

If you choose 'Landlord insurance' on the comparison sites they give plenty of options for standard buildings insurance. I've recently done it!

 I would have thought damage to buildings by tenants alone was pretty rare, it would be more likely to require insurance against contents damage.