Insurance in a rented house
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ttcycle
Cycling Excusiast
Contents insurance only - Buildings 'should' be covered by landlord. Should being the word but as a tenant you won't be able to get buildings insurance anyway.
If there's a flood then you'd claim contents and landlord would claim buildings.
Hopefully your landlord will be decent and not an avoider of responsibilities.
If there's a flood then you'd claim contents and landlord would claim buildings.
Hopefully your landlord will be decent and not an avoider of responsibilities.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
It would be reasonable to ask for sight of the up to date buildings insurance certificate.
Is it a furnished flat? If so, landlord should be getting contents cover too.
Is it a furnished flat? If so, landlord should be getting contents cover too.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Mr P... be worth asking The Claud for advice about what to check for on tenancy agreements and any pitfalls to avoid.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
Yes, check the terms of the lease, but 99% of residential leases will state that it is the Landlord's obligation to insurer the building. And in any event you cant insure something that you have no insurable interest in. So if you dont owe it you cant insure it.
One thing to check is that the lease has a cessation of rent clause, so if the building is no longer habitable from a fire or flood you are no longerrequired to pay rent.
One thing to check is that the lease has a cessation of rent clause, so if the building is no longer habitable from a fire or flood you are no longerrequired to pay rent.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Your local Post Office will sell a good range of shorthold tenancy leases and a condition record which would help you by identifying reasonable clauses to include/ exclude- worth £6.50?
Er, I think you're confusing leasehold title and an occupational lease/shorthold tenancy. If the house isn't habitable the tenant doesn't have to pay rent, no matter what the tenancy agreement says - habitability is both a fundamental term of the contract and a statutory requirement under the Housing Acts.
You only need contents insurance for your contents, Mr Paul. If the landlord wants cover for fittings/appliances which go with the house, he has to arrange it. And don't automatically pay to insure your own stuff - I haven't bothered for twenty years and even with a couple of minor burglaries I am well on the winning side.
{NB Mr Paul. If your contents are damaged by something which the landlord should insure or has insured for e.g. a burst pipe, you are only going to be able to claim from the landlord or his insurers if he has actually been negligent. It isn't enough that an event for which he is responsible has damaged your goods.]
- Location
- Glasgow
I can confirm this to Mr Paul: I am a landlord, and I insure the building. Also some of the contents, because it I rent the flat out semi furnished. This is a requirement of the mortgage lender anyway, don't know if it's still a legal requirement when the landlord has no mortgage. In case of flood, roof damage or similar, you just contact the landlord, they have to fix it even if they have no insurance. If you have your own valuables, like computers, bikes and the like, you should take your own contents insurance.
- Location
- Glasgow
[QUOTE 1785061, member: 45"]Thanks all, very helpful.
So that begs the next question. I assume that if our house is uninhabitable due to an insurable loss then the insurance company would have some responsibility for providing accommodation? If that's true then does that come under buildings cover and so we would not be covered in a rented property?[/quote]
The landlord has to provide you with alternative accomodation while your place is inhabitable.
So that begs the next question. I assume that if our house is uninhabitable due to an insurable loss then the insurance company would have some responsibility for providing accommodation? If that's true then does that come under buildings cover and so we would not be covered in a rented property?[/quote]
The landlord has to provide you with alternative accomodation while your place is inhabitable.
[QUOTE 1785061, member: 45"]Thanks all, very helpful.
So that begs the next question. I assume that if our house is uninhabitable due to an insurable loss then the insurance company would have some responsibility for providing accommodation? If that's true then does that come under buildings cover and so we would not be covered in a rented property?[/quote]
Unlikely.
The building insurers have no contractual relationship with you. They are the landlord's insurers, so they only have to cover losses which the landlord would be liable for if he didn't have insurance. I have never seen a shorthold tenancy agreement which would oblige the landlord to find you somewhere else. You might be able to make a breach of contract/tort claim for incidental costs such as removals, but - see my last post - only if you can show that the landlord has actually been negligent.
So that begs the next question. I assume that if our house is uninhabitable due to an insurable loss then the insurance company would have some responsibility for providing accommodation? If that's true then does that come under buildings cover and so we would not be covered in a rented property?[/quote]
Unlikely.
The building insurers have no contractual relationship with you. They are the landlord's insurers, so they only have to cover losses which the landlord would be liable for if he didn't have insurance. I have never seen a shorthold tenancy agreement which would oblige the landlord to find you somewhere else. You might be able to make a breach of contract/tort claim for incidental costs such as removals, but - see my last post - only if you can show that the landlord has actually been negligent.
What's your authority for that, Pat? I don't think it's correct.
- Location
- Glasgow
