Landlords and Public Liability Insurance

Shopping around for insurance on a rental property this morning. I was told that a particular quote for buildings cover did not include Public Liability insurance.

I contacted my existing insurer and the woman I spoke to assured me that my existing policy did include PL. When I looked at the fine print it said that PL was excluded, she checked and eventually confirmed that I had no PL cover.

You buy insurance, you pay increasing premiums and unless you have a degree in insurance you have no idea what will happen if you make a claim.

I had in good faith bought this policy, to insure myself with regard to the property and a major risk was not covered.

Are other landlords aware that if a tenant or visitor falls in your property and sues you you may not be covered.

Was the property unoccupied at the time you purchased the policy? And you possibly purchased a fire only policy without realising? Was there any problems with the property that they would have excluded that?

It is highly unusual for a property policy not to have Property Owners/Public Liability.

Was it an insurer directly or a broker you used?

The property was occupied when I purchased the policy.

It is a year age now since I purchased the policy, but as I recall, I asked for house insurance, and said that as the property was rented I didn't want contents insurance.

Job done, premium paid, insurance in place. Then last week I got a renewal notice and a quote.

I contacted another insurer for a second quote. When I said that I didn't want contents insurance I was told that this would mean that there would be no public liability insurance in place either as PL goes with the contents insurance.

I got back to my existing insurer and asked if they could improve the quote, they offered me a slightly smaller quote still buildings cover only no contents cover. Then I asked did this include public liability. The woman told me that it did.

I asked her to double check as another insurer had told me that that PL goes with contents cover. Again she told me that PL was included. Again I asked her to double check.

After 5 minutes of hold music she came back and told me that PL goes with contents insurance and the buildings insurance I had for the last year did not include PL. By now I had read the fine print and it is clear in wording that PL is not included.

I had assumed that if you buy insurance for a property that it included PL insurance, the woman working for the insurance company assumed that same thing. It seems obvious that if you have insurance you are insured, however for at least 2 major insurers in Ireland at the moment unless you have contents cover included in your policy, you have no PL insurance in place.

Maybe all other landlords are aware of this and it is just a matter of me being a bit dozy, however I don't think so.

I reckon there a many landlords who don't buy contents insurance to save some money and if a tenant slips and falls, the landlord is exposed to a personal injury claim with no insurance.

It is a year age now since I purchased the policy, but as I recall, I asked for house insurance, and said that as the property was rented I didn't want contents insurance.

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You should have requested a landlord's insurance and not an insurance excluding contents because the property was being rented.

I assume that you rented the property unfurnished; what about the contents that you have to have in a rented property - kitchen appliances etc.

facetious said:

I assume that you rented the property unfurnished; what about the contents that you have to have in a rented property - kitchen appliances etc.

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Surely in this instance, one would be best insuring the property with a small level of contents, whence the PL element would be included in the insurance. This would eliminate the searching for PL Insurance.

facetious said:

You should have requested a landlord's insurance and not an insurance excluding contents because the property was being rented.

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+1
I would have thought that most LL's when insuring their properties would ask for Landlord's Insurance. I always have done and others in this thread from 2011 are also aware of the need for special insurance.

In the context of insurance, the term "buildings" includes your home, fixtures and fittings (kitchen units, radiators, bath, light fittings etc), garages, sheds, conservatories, patios, terraces, footpaths, drives, walls, fences and gates.

Contents Insurance covers the contents of your home, including anything you would/could take with you if you were moving house.

So even if you are renting unfurnished, you will still need contents cover for your carpets, curtains, applicances, etc.

cremeegg said:

I got back to my existing insurer and asked if they could improve the quote, they offered me a slightly smaller quote still buildings cover only no contents cover. Then I asked did this include public liability. The woman told me that it did.

I asked her to double check as another insurer had told me that that PL goes with contents cover. Again she told me that PL was included. Again I asked her to double check.

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I would be inclined to report this error to the Insurer as if something had happened to your property or persons visiting / tenants, you would have got a nasty surprise.