Rent insurance in the UK means one of two products, and between them lies a gap that neither covers. Loss of rent answers when the building is unusable. Rent guarantee answers when the tenant does not pay. Neither answers when the property is simply empty, which is the most common reason a landlord's rent stops.
Loss of rent, from the buildings policy
Triggered by damage: a fire, a flood, an escape of water that makes the property uninhabitable. Usually included as standard, expressed as a percentage of the buildings sum insured over a stated period. Often includes rehousing the tenant where the tenancy requires it.
Rent guarantee, bought separately
Triggered by a tenant in arrears. Heavily conditional on referencing before the tenancy, a written tenancy, a protected deposit and prompt notification. Pays for a stated period, usually with legal expenses for possession alongside.
The gap: the void
A property between tenancies produces no rent and no claim under either product. That is a commercial risk managed by pricing, marketing and the length of tenancies you agree, not by insurance. Landlords who expect rent insurance to cover voids are describing a product nobody sells.
Questions people ask about rent insurance uk
What does rent insurance cover in the UK?
Either loss of rent after damage to the property, or rent guarantee when a tenant stops paying. They are different products with different triggers.
Does either cover a void?
No. A period between tenancies is a commercial risk and neither product responds to it.
Do I need both?
Loss of rent you almost certainly already have. Rent guarantee is a judgement about whether you could absorb several months of arrears.