Short term landlord insurance covers letting arrangements that are not a standard assured shorthold tenancy: serviced accommodation, company lets, contractor accommodation, lodgers and anything let by the week or the month. Standard landlord policies are written around a tenancy of six months or more, and several of them say so in their definitions.
Why standard cover does not fit
A standard landlord wording usually requires a written tenancy of at least six months to a named tenant. Letting by the week, through a platform, to a company, or to a succession of contractors breaches that definition. The building is the same and the policy is not, and the mismatch is exactly the kind that surfaces at claim time.
Serviced accommodation and platform lets
These need a holiday let or serviced accommodation policy: higher liability limits for paying guests, accidental damage by guests as standard, contents cover for the furnishings, loss of income rather than loss of rent, and cover contemplating frequent changeovers. Platform guarantees are not insurance and do not substitute.
Company lets and contractor accommodation
A company let, where the tenant is a business housing its staff, is a different contract from an assured shorthold tenancy and some insurers rate it differently or decline it. Declare it. The occupants change more often than a standard tenancy and the contractual relationship is with a company rather than an individual.
Lodgers in your own home
A lodger sharing the owner's home is usually a home insurance question rather than a landlord one, and most household policies either exclude paying guests or require notification. Telling the insurer is the whole of it, and many will endorse the policy at little or no cost.
Questions people ask about short term landlord insurance
Can I let short term on a standard landlord policy?
Usually not. Most wordings require a written tenancy of at least six months to a named tenant, and letting by the week or through a platform breaches that.
What do I need for serviced accommodation?
A holiday let or serviced accommodation policy with guest liability, accidental damage as standard, contents for the furnishings and loss of income rather than loss of rent.
Is a company let different?
Yes. The tenant is a business rather than an individual and some insurers rate it differently or decline it. Declare it.
What about taking in a lodger?
That is usually a home insurance matter. Tell your household insurer, because most policies exclude paying guests without notification.