Public liability insurance for landlords, more often sold as property owners liability, answers the claim that somebody was hurt or their property damaged because of the building you let. It is not about the tenancy and it is not limited to the tenant. Anyone lawfully on or near the property can bring it, and the amount is decided by the injury rather than by the value of the house.
The duties that produce the claim
A landlord must keep the structure and exterior in repair and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating in working order. Common parts must be reasonably safe. There are specific duties for gas appliances and for the electrical installation. Fire safety duties apply, more heavily in shared houses. Each duty is both an obligation in its own right and the standard a court will measure you against.
Who can claim
The tenant, their household, their visitors, a contractor you sent, a delivery driver, a neighbour whose property was damaged by yours, a passer by hit by a falling tile. A claim does not require a contract with you, only that the loss arose from the state of the property and that you failed in a duty you owed.
Choosing the limit
Most landlord policies offer a choice and default low. A serious injury claim is valued on lifetime care and lost earnings, which is far more than the property is worth. The premium difference between limits in this section is usually small because the insurer's expected loss barely moves, which makes buying above the default one of the few unambiguously good decisions on the schedule.
What protects you as much as the policy
A current gas safety record, an in date electrical installation condition report, a fire risk assessment where one is required, and a written record of repairs reported and done. Those documents are the defence to a liability claim. A landlord who can show a hazard was reported and fixed within days is in a completely different position from one who cannot show anything.
Questions people ask about public liability insurance for landlords
Is public liability insurance compulsory for landlords?
Not by statute. It is included in every sensible landlord policy and is the section with the largest possible claim, so it is bought for reasons other than compulsion.
What limit should a landlord buy?
Above the policy default in most cases. Serious injury claims are priced on lifetime care and lost earnings, and the extra premium for a higher limit here is usually small.
Does it cover injury to my tenant?
Yes, where the injury arose from the state of the property and you failed in a duty you owed. It does not cover injury caused entirely by the tenant's own actions.
Do I need employers liability too?
The moment anybody works for you rather than for themselves, yes, and it is compulsory with a daily penalty for not holding it.