Landlord emergency home cover is sold by insurers, by home emergency specialists and bundled with boiler service contracts, and the schemes differ more than the marketing suggests. Four things separate a useful one from a token one, and all four are on the schedule rather than in the brochure.
The per claim limit and the annual cap
Some schemes state only a per claim limit; others also cap the total for the year, and a landlord who has two call outs in a bad winter can exhaust the second without noticing the first. Compare both numbers. A generous per claim limit under a low annual cap is not as good as it looks on a property with an ageing system.
What counts as an emergency in that scheme
Definitions differ. Some include a complete loss of heating only in stated months; some include partial failure; some include pest infestation, lost keys and roof damage, and others do not. A scheme that excludes the thing that actually goes wrong at your property is worth nothing however cheap.
The response time and whether it is a target
Most schemes state a target for attendance rather than a guarantee, and the target is usually longer at night and at weekends, which is when emergencies happen. Ask what the target actually is out of hours, and whether there is any recourse if it is missed.
Exclusions for age, wear and lack of servicing
Almost every scheme excludes failures caused by wear, age or lack of maintenance, which on an older boiler is most of them. A landlord relying on emergency cover to postpone replacing a system near the end of its life is buying a product that will decline the claim for exactly that reason.
Questions people ask about landlord emergency home cover
Do the schemes differ much?
Considerably, on the per claim limit, the annual cap, the definition of an emergency and the out of hours response target. Those four are the comparison.
Is it worth it with an old boiler?
Usually not. Failures caused by age, wear or poor maintenance are excluded by almost every scheme, which is precisely what an old boiler produces.
Can I buy it separately from my insurance?
Yes, from home emergency specialists and bundled with service contracts, as well as as an add on to a landlord policy.
Does an annual cap apply?
In many schemes, yes, on top of the per claim limit. Two call outs in a bad winter can reach it.