Landlord indemnity insurance is an ambiguous phrase covering two unrelated products. One is the indemnity every liability policy provides: the insurer meets a third party claim on your behalf. The other is a conveyancing legal indemnity policy, bought once to cover a defect in a property's title or paperwork. They arise in completely different situations.
The liability indemnity
Standard on any landlord policy. The insurer indemnifies you against your legal liability to a third party for injury or damage arising from the property, and funds the defence. Nothing extra needs buying: it is the property owners liability section and it is already there.
The conveyancing legal indemnity
A one off policy bought at purchase or before a sale to cover a specific defect: a missing building regulation certificate, a restrictive covenant, an absent landlord on a leasehold title, a right of way that was never formalised. It pays if the defect causes a loss and it is usually cheap because the risk is remote.
Which you are being asked about
If a conveyancer or a buyer raises it, it is the legal indemnity, and the policy is bought once and passed on with the property. If an insurer or broker raises it, it is the liability section of the landlord policy. Answering the wrong question is how landlords end up buying something they already have.
Questions people ask about landlord indemnity insurance
Is landlord indemnity a separate product?
Usually not. The liability indemnity is the property owners liability section you already have. A conveyancing legal indemnity is a different, one off policy about a title defect.
When do I need a legal indemnity policy?
When buying or selling a property with a specific defect: a missing certificate, a restrictive covenant, an absent freeholder, an informal right of way.
Does it need renewing?
A conveyancing legal indemnity is bought once and runs indefinitely, passing with the property. The liability section renews with the policy.