Whats on this page:
Office Hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 16:45
What is landlord liability insurance?
This insurance covers your legal liability as the owner of a rental property. If someone is injured, or their belongings are damaged, because of the condition of your property, they may claim compensation from you. This insurance can pay compensation and/or your legal costs of defending the claim, up to your policy limit.
It goes by a few names. Insurers usually call it property owners’ liability insurance in their policy wording, while many landlords search for landlord public liability insurance. Landlord liability insurance is the general term that covers both.
In most cases, these names describe the same cover. It is usually included as a section of a landlord insurance policy, alongside buildings cover, rather than bought as a separate policy.
What does landlord liability insurance cover?
If you are found legally liable for injury and/or damage connected to your property, landlord liability insurance typically covers two things. The first can be the compensation you are ordered or agree to pay the injured person, which can include their medical costs and lost earnings. The second is legal costs, such as the cost of defending the claim, where your insurer agrees to do that.
Claims often start with everyday problems. A tenant might fall on a loose stair tread that had been reported but not yet repaired and fracture their wrist. A wall-mounted cupboard suddenly dislodges and injures a visitor in the kitchen of your rental property. In a block of flats, a delivery driver might trip on a lifted carpet edge in the shared entrance which causes injury and loss of earnings while they recover.
Your limit of indemnity is the maximum your insurer will pay for any one claim. Limits differ between policies and insurers, so please make sure yours reflects the level of risk at your property.
What isn't covered by landlord liability insurance?
Landlord liability insurance only covers your liability as a property owner, so claims arising from any other business activities you have, are generally excluded.
If a caretaker or cleaner you employ directly is injured, you will need employers’ liability insurance. Other business activities, such as running a lettings agency or a trade business, require their own public liability cover.
Your tenant’s liability to others also sits outside your policy, for example if a guest is injured by something your tenant owns or did.
Damage to your own property falls under buildings or contents insurance instead. Deliberate acts are not covered, and neither is liability you accept under a contract that you would not otherwise have.
Policies also usually require you to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair. Failing to do so could affect whether a claim is paid.
Is property owners' liability the same as public liability insurance?
They are closely related but not exactly the same. Both cover claims from third parties who are injured or whose property is damaged. The difference is what the claim arises from.
| Property owners’ liability | Public liability | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers claims arising from | Owning a property and its condition | Carrying out business activities |
| Typical example | A tenant trips on a broken paving slab at your rental | A customer slips on a wet floor in your shop |
| Who usually needs it | Landlords and property owners | Businesses and tradespeople |
For most landlords, property owners’ liability is the cover you need. This is what landlord policies usually include, even when an insurer labels it as public liability. If you also run a business from or around your property, you may need separate public liability to also cover those activities. We can help you check which applies to you.
Do landlords need liability insurance?
There is no law requiring landlords to hold liability insurance. Many choose to anyway, because defending or settling a single injury claim can be extremely costly.
Others involved in your let often expect it too. Mortgage lenders may require it as a condition of a buy-to-let mortgage, and letting agents may ask for proof of cover before managing your property. Freeholders and management companies may also require it, particularly where you own a flat in a shared building.
Your exposure tends to be higher where more people use the property, or where there are shared spaces you are responsible for. This includes houses in multiple occupation, which you can read about on our HMO insurance page, and blocks with communal stairs, hallways or car parks. If you let to businesses, our commercial landlord insurance page explains the cover available.
What is a landlord's duty of care?
As a landlord, you have a legal duty to take reasonable care that the people who live in or visit your property are safe. Most liability claims arise because someone believes this duty was not met. The main duties for landlords in England come from the following legislation. Rules in Wales and Scotland differ.
Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are responsible for repairing the structure and exterior of the property and keeping installations for water, gas, electricity, heating and sanitation in working order.
You must also make sure the property is fit to live in at the start of and throughout a tenancy, under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Tenants can take court action if it is not.
Where you are responsible for repairs, you owe a duty of care to anyone who might be affected by a defect you knew, or ought to have known, about. This arises under section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972.
Shared areas you control, such as communal hallways and stairs, bring a further duty. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 requires you to take reasonable care that visitors are reasonably safe there.
Specific regulations also set out safety checks you must carry out, including:
- An annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
- An electrical installation inspection at least every five years, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
- Working smoke alarms and, where required, carbon monoxide alarms, under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.
Local councils can assess homes for serious hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System in Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004, and take enforcement action where they find them. HMO landlords have extra duties under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is also introducing further standards for private rented homes in stages, so it is worth checking the latest government guidance. Keeping records of repairs, inspections and safety certificates can help you show you met your duties if a claim is made.
How much does landlord liability insurance cost?
Landlord liability insurance is usually included in a wider landlord insurance policy rather than bought on its own, so its cost forms part of your overall premium. Factors that typically affect the premium include:
- The limit of indemnity you choose
- The type of property, such as a single let, an HMO, a block of flats or a commercial unit
- The number of tenants living in or using the property
- Communal areas you are responsible for, such as shared stairs, gardens or car parks
- Any previous liability claims
- How the property is maintained, including up-to-date safety checks
For a price based on your own property, please fill in our quote form and we will contact you to discuss.
Why choose Waltons Insurance Brokers Ltd for landlord liability insurance?
The advice we provide is backed by over 50 years of experience, as Waltons has been an independent insurance broker in Liverpool since 1968. Because we work with a range of property insurers, we can look at different policy options and help you decide on a limit of indemnity that fits what you need and how your property is used.
Many landlords combine liability with other covers. If you provide furniture or appliances, landlord contents insurance can cover them, and our buy-to-let insurance page explains the cover available for individual rental properties.
Frequently Asked Questions - Landlord Liability Insurance
It usually is, but not always. Many landlord insurance policies include property owners’ liability as standard, while some offer it as an option. Please check your policy schedule to confirm it is included and to see your limit of indemnity.
There is no single right amount. The limit you need depends on your property, how many people use it and whether there are communal areas etc. Your mortgage lender, letting agent or freeholder may also set a minimum limit. We can help you weigh up the options when you get a quote.
It can cover your liability if a tradesperson is injured because of the condition of your property, such as a collapsing floor. It will not usually cover injury caused by the tradesperson’s own work, which depending on the circumstances, their own public liability insurance should cover. Before work starts, ask any contractor for proof that they have their own insurance. If you employ someone directly, you may need employers’ liability insurance.
If you own or are responsible for the communal area, your property owners’ liability cover can usually respond to claims arising there. If a freeholder or management company is responsible for the shared parts, their own insurance would normally deal with those claims instead. Please check your lease or management agreement to see who is responsible.
Usually, for a limited time. Most landlord policies continue to cover an empty property for a set period, which varies by insurer. After that, cover may be restricted or extra conditions may apply, such as regular inspections. If your property is going to be empty for longer, please tell us or your insurer so your cover can be checked.
Our Landlord Insurance Products
Buy-to-Let Landlord Insurance
Buy-to-let landlord insurance is designed to offer protection for your rental property that goes beyond basic home insurance.
HMO Insurance
HMO landlord insurance has been designed to protect landlords who rent out properties to multiple tenants under a HMO arrangement.
Commercial Landlord insurance
Commercial landlord insurance is a type of cover that protects a property owner who rents out their premises to a business.
DSS Landlord Insurance
If you own a property and rent it to a tenant who receives benefits, such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, the policy you need is often known as a DSS landlord insurance.
Landlord Portfolio Insurance
Landlord Portfolio insurance is a single insurance policy providing specialist cover for multiple buy-to-let properties.
Student Landlord Insurance
Renting a property to students requires a specific type of insurance. It is a specialist policy designed to cover the unique risks associated with letting properties to students, due to the associated higher risks such as accidental or malicious damage along with the potential for a higher tenant turnover.
Holiday Home Insurance
If you own a second property that you use for leisure or rent out to holidaymakers, it is important to have specialist holiday home insurance.