Landlords contents insurance covers what you supplied and left in the property, and nothing the tenant brought. That sounds obvious and is the source of most of the confusion, because the boundary runs through the middle of an ordinary room. Carpets, curtains, a fitted kitchen's appliances and the furniture in a furnished let are yours. The sofa the tenant bought, their television and their clothes are theirs, and no landlord policy answers for them.
What counts as landlord contents
Carpets and floor coverings that are not fixed as part of the building. Curtains and blinds. White goods you supplied. Beds, wardrobes, tables and seating in a furnished or part furnished let. Light fittings. Garden furniture and tools you left. In practice the test is whether you would take it with you if the property stopped being let, and the reliable way to record it is an inventory with photographs at the start of each tenancy.
Setting the sum insured without guessing
Walk the property room by room and price replacement rather than resale. Unfurnished lets often carry a surprisingly real figure once carpets, curtains, a cooker and a washing machine are counted. Furnished and shared house lets carry a large one. Underinsurance is dealt with by averaging, so a figure set low to save a few pounds reduces every claim proportionally, including the small ones.
Accidental and malicious damage by tenants
Contents cover as standard answers for the listed perils: fire, flood, storm, theft. Damage done by a tenant, whether careless or deliberate, is usually an option rather than a standard inclusion, and the two are often priced separately. On a furnished let the option is worth buying, because the realistic claim is a ruined sofa or a cooker rather than a house fire.
What to tell the tenant, and when
At the start of the tenancy, in writing: the landlord's policy covers the building and the landlord's contents, and the tenant's own belongings are not covered by it. Many tenants assume otherwise and discover the position after a burglary. Saying it once at the start costs nothing and prevents the argument entirely.
Questions people ask about landlords contents insurance
Do I need contents insurance for an unfurnished let?
Usually a modest amount, because carpets, curtains, light fittings and white goods are still yours. Most landlord policies offer a small default figure that is worth checking against reality.
Does it cover the tenant's belongings?
No. The tenant insures their own contents, and telling them so at the start of the tenancy is worth doing in writing.
Is tenant damage included?
Usually as an option rather than as standard, and accidental damage and malicious damage are often separate options again. On a furnished let both are worth buying.
What about white goods breaking down?
Breakdown is not damage and is not covered by a contents policy. It is a maintenance cost, or a separate appliance cover if you want to insure it.