Landlord emergency cover is a call out service sold alongside a landlord policy, and it is the section most often confused with insurance proper. It does not repair the boiler because the boiler is old. It sends somebody out quickly to make a sudden emergency safe, up to a modest limit, so a tenant is not left without heat or water overnight and a small problem does not become a large one.
What landlord home emergency cover actually pays for
An emergency call out and the labour and parts needed to make the situation safe or temporarily working, up to a per claim limit that is usually modest. Typical triggers are a total heating failure in cold weather, a burst pipe, a blocked or leaking drain, a failed toilet where it is the only one, loss of electricity, a broken external door or window that leaves the property insecure, and sometimes pest infestation and lost keys.
What it does not pay for
A permanent repair beyond making things safe. A replacement boiler. Wear and tear, or a system that has failed because it was not serviced. Anything the buildings policy already covers as damage. Work at a property that has been empty beyond the stated period. The limit is a ceiling per incident and often per year, and exceeding it is the owner's cost.
Landlord home emergency insurance comparison: what to compare
The printed limits differ. Hiscox offers emergency call out cover of up to £1,000 to make the premises habitable, while Simply Business describes typical landlord home emergency cover as paying up to £500 for emergency boiler repairs. Compare the per claim limit first, then whether there is a yearly cap as well. After the limit, compare the triggers listed, how long the property may stand empty before cover narrows, and the servicing condition, because a claim refused for an unserviced boiler is the commonest disappointment. A cheap section with a low limit and a short trigger list is a different product, not a better price.
Whether it is worth it for a let property
The case is strongest for landlords who are not local, who have no reliable tradesperson, or who let to tenants who will ring at midnight. It is weakest for a landlord with a trusted plumber and a property nearby, who can get somebody there faster and cheaper. It is also a tenant relations product: the tenant gets a number to ring that is not yours, which has a value that does not appear on the schedule. Landlord home emergency cover only, bought from a home emergency specialist without the rest of a landlord policy, is also available as a standalone scheme.
How it interacts with your repairing duty
The statutory duty to keep the installations in repair does not move because a policy exists. Emergency cover shortens the response time; it does not discharge the obligation or excuse a boiler that should have been replaced. Servicing records still matter, and a claim refused because the system was not maintained leaves the duty exactly where it was.
Questions people ask about landlord emergency cover
Is landlord emergency cover insurance?
It is sold as an insurance section but behaves like a call out service with a limit. It makes an emergency safe rather than paying for a full repair.
Does it replace the boiler?
No. It restores heating temporarily or makes the situation safe. Replacement is a maintenance cost, or a separate boiler cover product.
Is it worth buying?
Most useful for landlords who are not local or who have no reliable contractor. Less useful if you can get a trusted tradesperson there quickly yourself.
Does it work on an empty property?
Usually only within the policy's unoccupancy period. Beyond that, cover narrows here as it does elsewhere.
Can I get landlord insurance with home emergency cover included?
Yes. Home emergency is usually sold as a section alongside a landlord buildings policy, either built in or as an add on. Check the per claim limit it carries rather than assuming the section is the same across insurers.
Can I buy landlord home emergency cover only?
Yes. It is available as a standalone scheme from home emergency specialists, without the rest of a landlord policy, which suits a landlord whose buildings cover is arranged elsewhere.
Is landlord emergency breakdown cover the same thing?
Close but not identical. Emergency cover restores heating temporarily or makes a total heating failure safe. Replacing a boiler that has broken down for good is a maintenance cost or a separate boiler cover product.