Residential property landlords are more likely to be involved in litigation - that's the nature of property ownership. It's not just occupation or tenure, it's loss of rents, damage to property and so on. And becoming a landlord is a role that's increasingly common as more people buy to let, or rent out their own homes while they are away for a period. So landlord's legal cover on property insurance can benefit an increasing number of people.
However, whilst legal protection is common in car or home insurance, it's still difficult to get as part of your insurance if you're a landlord. Given the number of potential areas of dispute, perhaps that's not so surprising.
Now Adrian Flux, the specialist insurance broker, has launched comprehensive legal cover as an optional extra to one of its Landlord Schemes. This legal protection option typically costs around £65, depending on circumstances.
"It was clear that many of our customers wanted legal cover," says Julie Carter of Flux's household division. "Quite a few people mistakenly thought they were covered via their standard household insurance, and only discovered later that becoming a landlord puts them in a whole new insurance category. So we decided to make it a simple add-on for a fixed price."
Officially the cover gives protection for any legal costs and expenses arising in connection with the ownership or leasing of residential property, up to a limit of £50,000.
The standard option includes legal expenses for property protection, should a landlord need to take civil action to recover costs resulting from damage to property, provided the claim value is over £1,000. The legal defence section includes cover for prosecution under health and safety or data protection legislation. Contract disputes and debt recovery are included, as are costs for 'full' or 'aspect' enquiries by the Inland Revenue.
Additional options include repossession cover, for costs such as the eviction of squatters and recovery of rent owed by tenants, and tenant default, which is indemnity for any rent owed by a tenant up to vacant possession.
The Flux Landlord scheme also provides cover for loss of rent and the cost of alternative accommodation, both for the landlord and tenants, if the property cannot be lived in. It even provides for cats and dogs to be temporarily housed in kennels or catteries.
For information call the Flux Household Insurance hotline on 08700 772266, email household(at)adrianflux.co.uk or visit the website, www.adrianflux.co.uk, and click on the relevant button under the 'Home Insurance' section.
*Note to Editors
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