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Landlord Emergency cover

Got an emergency at your rented property? Call our 24-hour claims line.

Extreme weather conditions and remote locations may extend response time. Optional add-on, £90 cost per flat/property per year. Cover can only be added at New Business and Renewal. Residential properties only. Only insured emergencies are covered.

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or call us on 0345 303 1763

Call us on 0345 303 1763
  • No excess applies
  • £7.50 per month per flat/property (total cost of £90 per year), which could save you money on emergency repair costs. Find out more
  • We'll cover up to £1,500 (inc. VAT) per claim
  • There's no limit on the number of claims you can make
  • Tenants can claim on your behalf
  • If the property becomes uninhabitable, we'll pay for hotel accommodation up to £300 (inc. VAT)
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24-hour claims line for emergencies

No landlord wants their tenants to feel unsafe or uncomfortable. If something goes wrong at your rented property, and the place becomes uninhabitable, you'll need to act fast to minimise the impact on your tenants.

Luckily, our Landlord Emergency claims line is open 24-hours a day. If there's an insured emergency at your property, we'll arrange for an approved contractor to secure the property or prevent further damage, whichever is most appropriate depending on the nature of the emergency. We'll also cover the costs, up to £1500 (inc. VAT) per claim.

We'll cover the call-out charge, labour costs and materials required to prevent damage, or further damage, to the property.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 303 1763
Get a quote Call us on 0345 303 1763

What emergencies are covered by the policy?

We will cover the following insured emergencies:

  • Damage to the roof, which will likely cause internal damage
  • Damage to - or blockage, breakage or leaking of - the drains or plumbing system
  • Failure of the main heating system
  • Failure of the domestic electricity or gas supply
  • Damage to, or mechanical failure of, a toilet
  • The failure of, or damage to, key-operated lockable internal or external doors
  • The loss of, or damage to, the only available set of keys
  • Damage to windows, which leaves the property insecure
  • Infestation by vermin

For insured emergencies covered by the policy, you'll have access to the following contractors:

  • Drainage engineers
  • Electricians
  • Gas engineers
  • Glaziers
  • Locksmiths
  • Pest control services
  • Plumbers
  • Roofers
Get a quote
or call us on 0345 303 1763
Get a quote Call us on 0345 303 1763

  • Benefits of Landlord Emergency cover

    We’ll cover up to £1,500 (inc. VAT) per claim

    In most cases, £1,500 should be enough to complete the work required to prevent further damage to the property. Any additional costs above this limit will be the responsibility of the policyholder.

    No excess applies

    No excess applies to emergencies covered under the policy. This means that your tenant won’t need to worry about paying the contractor when they arrive, and you won’t have to cover expensive overnight call out charges.

    No limit on how often you can claim

    Emergencies are like buses – months can go by without anything bad happening and then several things can go wrong at once. That’s why there’s no limit against the number of claims you can make across the year, should an insured emergency occur.

    Tenants can claim on your behalf

    No one wants to have to deal with an emergency while they’re on holiday or away with work. That’s why we’ve given tenants and other authorised persons automatic authorisation to claim on your behalf. This takes the pressure off you as they can deal with the insured emergency when it happens.

    Hotel accommodation for tenants

    If the insured emergency makes the property temporarily uninhabitable, we’ll pay for hotel accommodation up to £300 (inc. VAT).

  • What you also need to know

    To be eligible for Landlord Emergency

    Your property must be in the UK and a residential let under a tenancy agreement of six months or more. The residential property or flat must have no more than 12 bedrooms.

    What Landlord Emergency does not cover

    Landlord Emergency only applies to residential properties. As such, we won't cover insured emergencies relating to any commercial property, any commercial portion of a mixed-use premises, or any property let as a holiday home or short term let (less than six months).

    The policy wording has the full terms and conditions, but the following key circumstances aren't covered:

    • Incidents occurring in a property that has been unoccupied for 60 days or more
    • Incidents relating to mains electricity, gas, and water supply
    • Incidents relating to shared roofs or communal areas or property not owned by you
    • Costs for normal day-to-day property maintenance
    • Costs incurred prior to the claim being accepted
    • Cover for events that started before the date of your policy
    • Damage caused by gaining access to carry out repairs

    What to do in an emergency

    If you believe the incident could result in serious personal risk or substantial damage to the insured property, contact the fire, ambulance or police service.

    If there is a gas leak, you should contact the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

    Contact your supplier if there is an emergency relating to a service such as the mains water or electricity supply.

  • How to make a claim

    Once you, your tenant or other authorised person has checked that the emergency is an insured incident, it's important that you contact our Landlord Emergency cover provider DAS on 0800 197 1016 as soon as possible. They'll ask the claimant to confirm:

    • The name of the policyholder and the address of the insured property, including the postcode
    • The nature of the problem

    Whoever is calling will be advised not to arrange for a contractor themselves because this won't be covered by the policy. DAS will also advise the claimant not to start any work that hasn't been agreed to in advance.

    Someone aged 18 or over must be at the property when our approved contractor arrives.

    Once the claim is accepted, DAS will arrange, and pay for, a contractor to attend the property with the aim of resolving the insured emergency. The contractor will either:

    • carry out a temporary repair (or a permanent repair if this is no more expensive) or
    • take other action, such as isolating a leaking component or gaining access to the property if the keys are lost

    Once the claim is accepted, we'll always try to get to the property as soon as possible, however it may take longer during bad weather conditions and it may not always be possible when the weather might put the contractor in danger while undertaking their repairs. For instance, high winds may restrict a roofer carrying out repairs, and damp electrics may pose a risk to an electrician.

    Where necessary, we'll attempt to provide replacements parts but cannot be held responsible if these are delayed or unavailable.

    Claims relating to Landlord Emergency are administered and managed by DAS on our behalf.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 303 1763
Get a quote Call us on 0345 303 1763

How to get Landlord Emergency

Landlord Emergency cannot be purchased as a stand-alone policy. Landlord Emergency is an optional cover that can be added to your residential landlord insurance for an extra level of assistance.

If you're already a landlord insurance customer, you can take out Landlord Emergency at the point of renewal.

If you are a new customer, you will need to take out Landlord Emergency when you purchase our residential landlord insurance.

If you purchase Landlord Emergency Cover with your new or renewed Landlord Insurance policy you are no longer eligible for Guarantee to Beat.

Please note you cannot add this cover mid-term.

Frequently asked questions

  • Q If I add more properties to my Landlord Emergency policy, will they be covered?

    If you add a residential property to your policy mid-term (so not at the point of taking out or renewing your policy), and an insured incident occurs in the first seven days of the property being added, you will not be covered if you make a claim.

    If an insured emergency occurs after the first seven days of the property being added, it will be covered, subject to the standard policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

We're on it

Direct Line insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, registration number 202810. The Financial Services Register can be accessed through www.fca.org.uk. Calls may be recorded.