HomeProtect Landlord Insurance Review: The Protection You Need?
HomeProtect Landlord Insurance Review: The Protection You Need?
Good for
- Multiple award winning provider
- Non standard property cover
- Flexible add ons
Bad for
- Less robust on features
- Landlord not included as standard
- Hidden fees
As seen on
HomeProtect has cemented itself as one of the UK's leading insurers of home insurance, specializing in non-standard property cover it offers protection for unoccupied properties, holiday homes and buy-to-let properties to name just a few! With their home insurance offer being a robust offering, you may be wondering how their landlord specific insurance compares.
Well, our research suggests HomeProtect's landlord insurance package is perhaps not quite as comprehensive as their overall home insurance offer. Put simply, it offers a basic level of coverage you would expect but lacks any significant additional benefits that might be appealing to many landlords.
So, what exactly does HomeProtect include in their standard landlord insurance package? Let's take a look in detail at what is and isn't included, customer feedback as well as how its cost compares to other landlord insurance providers to see if it really does offer value for money.
In This Review
- HomeProtect Landlord Insurance: Overall Review
- How to Claim
- HomeProtect Landlord insurance: discounts and savings
-
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HomeProtect Landlord Insurance Overall Review
Despite only being established in 2002, HomeProtect has quickly found it's niche in the landlord insurance market, specializing in both landlords, tenants and properties of a 'non-standard' nature. For example, HomeProtect offers protection for unoccupied homes, holiday homes and those made of non-standard construction, such as timber and concrete. Not only that, but HomeProtect will also provide cover for landlords with lodgers, previous convictions and those who have experienced financial problems in the past.
Because of this, HomeProtect may be a fantastic choice for landlords who have struggled to find a provider that will cover their specific set of circumstances in the past owing to the flexibility of their coverage.
However, whilst this does set them apart from many of their competitors, the same cannot be said for their landlord insurance policy features.
When looking at HomeProtect's reviews it is difficult to tell whether this is indeed the case for their overall customer experience. From our research it has been difficult to find landlord insurance specific feedback, with most only offering a company wide perspective. With this in mind it is wise to take HomeProtect's customer ratings with a pinch of salt. Although they score an impressive 4.1 out of 5 from Trustpilot across over 14,000 reviews, indicating an 'excellent' customer experience, it is difficult to know whether this reflects the views of their landlord insurance customers.
Taken together, the jury is still out for HomeProtect's landlord insurance offer. But not to worry, we have taken a deep dive to find out what is and isn't included, how their cost compares to the likes of its competitors as well as customer-specific feedback to help you make an informed decision about whether it really is a value offer.
Why choose HomeProtect Landlord insurance?
HomeProtect's landlord insurance cover comes with some desirable features which may sway some landlords looking for a value offer. These include:
- Multi award-winning company: you can have more confidence knowing HomeProtect has won many accolades, including the Finder.com 2021 award for 'Home Insurance Innovation' and being name winner at the 2010 British insurance awards
- Underwritten by AXA: HomeProtect's landlord insurance policies are underwritten by one of the UK's leading landlord insurance providers
- Non-standard cover: HomeProtect specializes in non-standard cover, ranging from unoccupied properties to holiday homes, to protecting landlords who may have a history of claims or financial difficulties
- Flexible add-ons: HomeProtect offer a variety of options add-ons to help enhance your level of protection, for example, accidental damage and legal expenses, meaning you have the freedom to tailor your policy to suit your needs
HomeProtect Landlord insurance reviews and ratings
HomeProtect Customer Ratings Review.co.uk Rating
4.4 out of 5 TrustPilot Rating
4.2 out of 5 TopCashback Rating^
3 out of 5 ^Note: TopCashback rating is based on 112 reviews, use as guidance only
Whilst the majority of HomeProtect's ratings look glowing, it's important to take these with a pinch of salt as these reflect the company as a whole and not their landlord insurance offer specifically. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see that they score a very impressive 4.2 out of 5 across 15,000 Trustpilot reviews, indicating an 'excellent' customer experience. And, their rating has improved in the past year, which we always like to see.
Nevertheless, remember to exercise caution with these. During our research it was difficult to uncover many landlord-specific ratings, in fact.
Despite the lack of independent landlord insurance ratings we were able to uncover some landlord specific pieces of feedback from verified customers. Let's take a look...
What does HomeProtect Landlord insurance do well?
We sifted through hundreds of reviews to see what features of HomeProtect’s landlord insurance, as well as HomeProtect itself, has customers singing their praises. During our research we found a few key themes that continued to be highlighted including their friendly and knowledgeable customer advisors, competitive prices and easy-to-use website.
Many also commended HomeProtect on their flexible coverage and selection of add-ons that were available to purchase alongside their main landlord insurance policy, meaning they need not shop elsewhere!
"Fast and efficient service given by the company with great rates. Simple to set up cover and when I needed to cancel after selling a property, Charu was very helpful explaining the process. Would definitely recommend and will use their service again."
“Homeprotect have helped me become a reliable and effective landlord to several properties thanks to their excellent response to any issues I have had.”
“Combined Landlord building insurance and home emergency cover all under one roof. No need to trawl for any other cover.”
“Top professional service, call handler dealt with my request in a timely manner. And also I had a very good price for a Landlord Insurance.”
“Excellent all round service! As a residential homeowner and landlord, they offer a service for all my needs. The staff on the phone are nice and helpful, and easy to reach! 5 stars!”
“Having used HomeProtect for the first time I was very impressed how helpful they were. I recently rented out my house and after a quick phone call they were able to help me change my policy so it was setup for a landlord. Overall, very pleased with overall cost and quality of customer service which is very important to me.”
“Applying, reviewing and buying a landlord insurance policy from HomeProtect...only took about 30 minutes in total. The application form was simple and there were very few, questions that couldn't be answered almost immediately by anyone who knows their property. There were helpful additional information boxes against many of the questions which provided a simple explanation of the information required...Overall, I was pleased with the speed and ease of the whole process, I would happily recommend the company to a friend.”
What could HomeProtect Landlord insurance improve on?
Nobody is perfect, and HomeProtect is no different. Whilst the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives, there are some areas that customers have highlighted that HomeProtect could improve on. Some customers were frustrated at the hidden costs for changing or canceling their policy whilst others were less than impressed with how much their premiums had increased when it was due for renewal.
“We have been with Home Protect for many years for both Landlord and Private Home Insurance on our property near to a watercourse with a totally flat roof but never had to claim. Since moving to a 'normal' property 3 years ago their price has gone up a lot and this year when I checked on Compare the Market I was shocked to find all other major insurers offering far superior cover... for a third of my renewal quote from Home Protect!”
“Beware the missing small print...Had landlord building insurance which was no longer needed after 3 months .Never received a policy and was told £50 administration charge and then when looking at my bank statement they had deducted an extra £30.97 on top”
“LANDLORDS AVOID - policy does NOT cover voids + escalating costs if you want to change the policy. IF you have to deal with them make sure you get everything in writing. Paid for a full year up front. Tenant moved out (9 months later) - was told needed to adjust policy to allow for empty house... So I actually paid extra to get decent empty house cover. Now I have a new tenant they want to charge me for a full year premium to resume the policy AND be charged again for all the landlord add-ons I already paid for upfront EVEN though that policy still has 3+ months left to run!”
“Bloody awful - I have had landlord insurance with them since 2013 - this year they increased it by over 50% with no explanation and in spite of no claims by me”
Of course, many of the issues highlighted above could be due to the fact that customers overlooked these details in their landlord insurance policy documents. This is far more common that you might think, what with policy wordings and summary documents reaching up to 100 pages in some cases and full of jargon to boot!
It can be incredibly easy to miss or overlook the fine print, which is why we always recommend taking the time to sit down and read your landlord insurance documentation carefully to ensure you are fully aware of your rights, as well as any of those pesky additional fees. Whilst it may not be the most fun task, it could ultimately save you a lot of money in the long run if, for example, you later wish to make a claim and realize you don't have the cover you thought you did!
How much is HomeProtect Landlord insurance?
We have compiled quotes for a 1 bedroom flat located outside of London in a mid-sized town, with a rebuild value of £200,000. We found that for a no-frills policy with buildings insurance and property owners liability of £5million, HomeProtect landlord insurance lands itself within the middle price tier.
Given we think their landlord insurance offer is in line with the market average offering, their mid-tier pricing seems justified.
Costs can really vary so it's important to check prices from multiple sources and understand what's includedLandlord insurance quote comparison for a 1 bedroom flat (£annual) CIA
£264 (highest sample quote) PremierLine
£248 JustLandlord
£242 Towergate
£220 AXA
£220 Aviva
£214 Let Alliance
£202 DirectLine
£198 Home Protect
£196 Endsleigh
£168 MoreThan
£147 CIA
£128 (lowest sample quote) Alan Boswell
£112 (highest sample quote) LV
£91 Alan Boswell
£56 (lowest sample quote) Of course, these quotes are intended to be used as a guideline, and your quotes may be higher or lower depending on your own individual circumstances.
What is/isn't covered by HomeProtect's Landlord insurance?
As part of their standard landlord insurance cover, HomeProtect offers a nice selection of benefits that are in line with what you would expect. When we last checked, these features were included in the sample quote we received (if you buy buildings cover):
- Buildings insurance: cover will protect you against damage or loss caused by a variety of events such as fire, flood, storm, theft (and attempted theft), subsidence and landslides
- Loss of rental income: if your property becomes uninhabitable due to any of the reasons stated above, HomeProtect will pay up to a maximum per claim on any contractually confirmed rental income that has been lost as a result of this
- Cost of alternative tenant accommodation (£75,000 limit per claim): again, if your property becomes uninhabitable due to any of the reasons stated above HomeProtect will cover the cost of comparable alternative accommodation during the period necessary to reinstate your property to a habitable condition
- Landlord liability (£5m): if you own the property outright, HomeProtect's landlord insurance will cover the costs if a third party makes a claim against you for suffering sickness, injury or if their property is damaged as a result of your actions or your property
- Trace and access: covers the cost of tracing and accessing the cause of an escape of water or oil (up to £10,000 per claim) and repair costs for the cause of the leak (up to £250 per claim)
- Accidental damage to buildings (basic level cover, £1500 limit per claim): as standard, HomeProtect provides will cover the costs associated with accidental damage to windows, solar panels, ceramic hobs, bathroom fixtures (e.g. sinks) and underground service pipes/cables. You can upgrade to "Full" cover for up to £1M of cover.
- Landlord legal expenses (basic level cover, £25,000 limit): covers the cost of unexpected legal fees associated with property damage and contract disputes
- Landlord home emergency cover (basic level cover, £500 limit per claim) : HomeProtect offers their basic level of landlord home emergency insurance as standard, which includes access to a 24 hours claims line and covers emergencies related to plumbing, draining, power supply, toilet units, home security and vermin. Note: it does not cover roof damage or breakdown of main heating systems (e.g. boiler).
Basic legal and home emergency are included, as you can see above, and you can upgrade these (at costs of roughly £29.99 and £119.99 per year, respectively).
Also, you get £7,500 contents cover included (when building affected at the same time).
Optional add-ons
- Landlords contents: if any contents, such as furniture or removable appliances you provide for your tenants are damaged or lost as a result of, say, a fire, flood or storm, HomeProtect will cover the cost of replacement or repair up to the sum insured
- Accidental damage to buildings (full level cover, £1mil limit per claim): covers all events listed above in the 'basic level cover' as well as accidental damage to your rental properties roof, walls, doors, fixtures & fittings, built-in appliances, lighting, outbuildings (up to sum insured, damage caused by vermin and also fitted carpets (£750 limit per claim)
- Landlord legal expenses (full level cover, £50,000 limit)^: covers the cost of unexpected legal fees associated with property damage, contract disputes, rent recovery, repossession, eviction of squatters, defense for criminal prosecutions as a landlord as well as tax protection
- Landlord home emergency cover (full level cover, £500 limit per claim): in addition to the events listed above in their 'basic level cover', HomeProtect will also cover the costs of contractor call outs and repairs if your rental properties main heating system (e.g. boiler) breakdowns. They also provide hotel accommodation for your tenants up to £100 if this emergency deems your property unsafe
- Replacement locks and keys cover (£1500 limit): HomeProtect offers access to a 24hr emergency helpline and will cover the costs of repair and replacement of locks, keys & immobilisers to secure your property in the event these are lost, stolen or damaged
- Rent guarantee: This newly added option can cover payment of rent arrears while your tenant is still in the let property during a repossession, payment of 50% of your rent arrears whilst damage needs to be repaired to the property after vacant possession is achieved (up to a maximum of 3 months or until the property is re-let, whichever is first), repossession (from your tenant), rent recovery, eviction of squatters, hotel expenses, storage costs, property damage and more.
^ HomeProtect do offer a small discount if you decide to purchase both legal expenses and landlord home emergency insurance alongside your main landlord insurance policy. You can purchase these together for a combined added cost of £119.99, saving you £10 compared to if you purchase them separately!
Missing features
There are some features that either aren’t offered in HomeProtect's standard residential landlord cover or aren’t available to purchase as an add on. These features are worth knowing about as they do provide that added layer of protection if something were to happen and could save you a lot of money, so going without these could be risky.
- Malicious damage by tenants: HomeProtect will not cover the cost to repair or replace property or contents intentionally damaged or stolen by tenants (e.g. if a tenant purposely breaks a window).
Exclusions: What isn’t included?
As with almost any type of insurance, landlord insurance often contains some exclusions that are good to be aware of so you don’t get caught out. HomeProtect is no different, and we’ve outlined a few key ones we’ve found below. Note, the full list is much longer so make sure to read up on the exclusions to avoid getting caught out.
- Any damage or events that you were aware of before the policy start date: a common exclusion that is often missed, so make sure you triple check when your cover officially starts!
- War and terrorism: If your property is damaged as a result of events associated with these (e.g. if, rather unfortunately, your property suffers damage from a nuclear attack) you will not be covered
- Any damage resulting from faulty design, materials or poor workmanship
- Any gradually occurring damage i.e. natural wear and tear or damage that would be expected as a result of aging
- Damage caused by frost, damp, dry-rot
- Damage caused by pets or other animals (unless specified)
Another key point to remember as a landlord of a rented property is that if your property is unoccupied for longer than the period of time outlined in your policy, any damage or losses that occur within this time will often not be covered by your insurer. HomeProtect offer a standard unoccupancy period of 30 days, but we always recommend minimizing the amount of time your property is vacant to reduce your chances of break-ins and burglary.
How does HomeProtect's Landlord Insurance Compare to Competitors?
To better understand the value of HomeProtect Landlord insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared it to other plans in the market so you can see which may be more suitable for you.
HomeProtect Landlord Insurance vs Alan Boswell Landlord Insurance
One of the most affordable insurers we sampled from, Alan Boswell certainly doesn’t lack in its cover. As standard, they cover many of the ‘essentials’ included buildings, contents, landlord liability, employer's liability as well as accidental damage and malicious damage by tenants!
That being said, for landlords looking for rent guarantee, legal expenses or landlord home emergency insurance—this will come at an extra cost. However, with excellent expert and customer ratings across the board and a low sample price to boot… it’s certainly worth considering.
Bottom Line: our research found Alan Boswell to offer excellent coverage at a fraction of the price, making it one of the best landlord insurance offers we have come across. For landlords looking for a value offer that is trusted by experts and customers alike, Alan Boswell may be the landlord insurance provider for you.
HomeProtect Landlord Insurance vs LV= Landlord Insurance
One of the UK’s leading providers, LV= specializes in many different insurance areas. This multi-award winning provider receives glowing customer feedback so is certainly a firm favourite amongst experts and customers alike.
Though some customers have noted higher renewal fees and lack of rewards for loyal customers, we found LV= to be one of the cheapest providers we sampled from so it might be worth taking a look. Even with its low price LV=’s coverage certainly packs a punch — its extensive cover includes £5m landlord liability, accidental damage, malicious damage by tenants as well as loss of rental income as standard.
Bottom Line: Don’t be fooled by the low premiums, LV= is certainly an option for price-savvy landlords looking for a value offer without compromising on cover.
HomeProtect Landlord Insurance vs CIA Landlord Insurance
Specializing in non-standard property and tenant types, CIA works with a panel of leading insurers to ensure you get the right level of coverage. This means it is excellent for comparing cover and prices, however, this does also mean it can vary depending on the insurer who has underwritten your policy. At the lower end, our research found CIA to be one of the cheapest options on the market, but at the highest end we found it to be one of the most expensive, so it's certainly worth taking a look!
Nevertheless, CIA offer a high level of standard cover — typically this includes buildings, contents, accidental damage, loss of rental income and employer's liability. CIA also offers rent guarantee which provides an added layer of financial protection should you want it.
Bottom line: with excellent customer feedback, CIA could be perfect for landlords looking for comprehensive cover with the freedom to tailor their cover to suit their needs. CIA is also an excellent contender for landlords renting non-standard properties or to more risky tenants.
How to make a claim on HomeProtect's Landlord insurance
Unlike some other landlord insurers, HomeProtect works alongside another leading UK insurance provider, AXA, who underwrite their landlord insurance policies. The process of underwriting is a funny concept, but essentially an underwriter will decide who and what to cover, and at what cost.
You can find all the information you need on HomeProtect's website, but you may find you are re-directed to AXA directly if and when you need to make a claim. Generally speaking though, you can use the below contact information:
- HomeProtect's claims number: 0330 660 0660 (open 24 hours a day)
- HomeProtect's online claims centre: https://www.homeprotect.co.uk/submit-claim
All the information you need in order to submit a claim will be detailed in your landlord insurance policy documents, for example, the types of evidence and information you will need in order for your claim to be assessed. In most cases this includes things like photographic evidence and allowing access if and when necessary, so be sure to read up on this to avoid any delays to the claims process.
HomeProtect's landlord insurance: Discounts and savings
It’s well worth being aware of tips and tricks at your disposal that will help you to save a little bit on HomeProtect’s landlord insurance.
If you are looking for specific promotional or discount codes for HomeProtect, these do crop up occasionally so do keep an eye out for these. Typically these will appear on dedicated discount and promo code websites, so it's well worth taking a look to see if you can save some pennies.
Alternatively, one of the easiest ways to save some money is to combine your policies. We mentioned previously that HomeProtect offer a discount on optional extras when purchased together, for example, you can add landlord legal expenses and home emergency cover for a combined price of £99.99, saving you £10 compared to if you purchased these in isolation.
