There's no single price for landlord insurance, because the premium depends on your property and how it's let. The biggest factors are the rebuild cost, the location (including flood and subsidence risk), who lives there, your claims history, the excess, and the covers you add such as rent guarantee or accidental damage. The cheapest way to pay less is to describe the property accurately and remove cover you don't need, not to cut cover you do.
We don't publish "from £X a month" prices, because a figure that ignores your property is more likely to mislead than help. Instead, this guide explains what insurers look at and ten practical ways to bring the price down. For what landlord insurance covers, start with our landlord insurance UK guide.
What insurers price on
The building
Rebuild cost. The sum insured for buildings cover is the single biggest driver for most freeholders. It should be the cost of rebuilding, not the market value. See our landlord buildings insurance guide.
Construction. Standard brick and tile is usually simplest to insure. Timber frame, thatch, large flat roofs or listed status can cost more or need a specialist.
Age and condition. Older wiring, plumbing and roofs bring more risk of claims.
The location
Flood, subsidence and storm exposure at the postcode level.
Crime rates, which affect theft and malicious damage.
How it's let
Tenant type. A single household on an assured tenancy, sharers, students, an HMO or short lets are all priced differently. Declare it accurately.
Licensing. If the property needs a licence, the insurer will want to know it's licensed. See our selective licensing guide.
Furnished or unfurnished, which decides whether you need landlord's contents cover.
Vacancy. Empty periods raise the risk of escape of water, theft and vandalism.
You
Claims history on this and your other properties.
Number of properties. Several properties may suit a multi-property or portfolio policy.
The cover you choose
the excess, and whether there's a higher excess for subsidence or escape of water,
liability limit (often £2 million to £5 million),
loss of rent limit,
add-ons: legal expenses, rent guarantee, accidental damage, malicious damage by tenants, home emergency.
Ten ways to cut the cost without creating a gap
Get the rebuild cost right. Over-insuring wastes money. Under-insuring can mean the insurer reduces your claim. Use the BCIS rebuild cost calculator or a surveyor's figure.
Choose a sensible excess. A higher voluntary excess usually lowers the premium, but only choose an amount you could pay on a claim.
Don't double up. If your letting agent already provides rent guarantee or legal expenses, don't buy it again. If you own a leasehold flat, the freeholder insures the building, so you don't need buildings cover. See our leasehold flat guide.
Only insure contents you supply. An unfurnished let needs little or no landlord's contents cover.
Keep certificates current. Gas safety, EICR and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms don't just keep you legal. They reduce the chance of a fire claim being complicated. See our landlord safety certificates checklist.
Declare the property truthfully. Understating the number of tenants, hiding an HMO or a short-let pattern can make a claim fail. An accurate description is cheaper than an uninsured loss.
Manage empty periods. Tell the insurer before the unoccupancy limit, keep the heating on a frost setting or drain the water system, and arrange regular inspections. See our void and unoccupied property page.
Combine policies. If you own several properties, a multi-property policy can be simpler and sometimes cheaper than separate ones. See our portfolio and limited company page.
Align renewal dates. One renewal for several properties makes it easier to compare and harder to miss a lapse.
Reference your tenants well. Good referencing reduces arrears and damage claims, and many rent guarantee policies require it anyway. See our rent guarantee insurance guide.
Why "cheap landlord insurance" can cost more
The cheapest policy on a comparison page often has:
lower limits on loss of rent or liability,
higher or multiple excesses,
exclusions for certain tenant types, damage by tenants, or empty periods,
legal expenses that don't fit section 8 possession claims after the Renters' Rights Act (see our Renters' Rights Act guide).
Compare the cover, not just the premium. The questions that matter are: what's the excess, what's excluded, what happens if the property is empty, and what are the limits?
What a broker fee is, and ours
Some brokers add commission or admin fees that you don't see. Meshed charges a flat 10% broker fee, shown up front, with no admin add-ons. You can see what goes to the insurer and what comes to us.
Questions to ask before you buy
Is the buildings sum insured based on the rebuild cost?
What's the total excess, including any higher excess for escape of water or subsidence?
What's the unoccupancy limit, and what changes after it?
Does it cover damage caused by tenants, and is that accidental, malicious or both?
What are the liability and loss of rent limits?
Does legal expenses cover section 8 possession claims?
How your property's details change the price
Insurers don't publish fixed prices, so the only reliable way to know what you'd pay is to get quotes for your property. But you can see in advance which details matter:
Who lives there. A single household on an assured tenancy is usually viewed differently from a shared house or a student let. See our page on HMO landlord insurance.
The building. Age, construction, roof type, and whether it's a house or a flat in a block all affect the risk.
The location. Flood, subsidence and crime risk vary by postcode.
Your claims history. Recent claims usually push premiums up.
The cover you choose. Rent guarantee, legal expenses, accidental damage and contents add to the premium; a higher excess can reduce it.
How it's held. Individual and limited company ownership are both common. See our page on portfolio, limited company or personal ownership.
Getting these details right on the proposal matters more than shaving a few pounds off. An inaccurate description can lead to a reduced or refused claim.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of landlord insurance in the UK?
We don't quote an average, because it varies too much with the property, the location, the tenant type and the covers chosen to be a useful guide. The factors above are what decide your price.
Is landlord insurance more expensive than home insurance?
It often costs more, because a let property has different risks and usually includes liability and loss of rent cover. Home insurance normally won't cover a let property, so it isn't a like-for-like choice.
Is landlord insurance tax deductible?
Landlord insurance premiums are generally an allowable expense against rental income, but your situation may differ, so check with your accountant. This guide isn't tax advice.
Does a higher excess always save money?
It usually lowers the premium, but it means you pay more on each claim. Pick an amount you could afford.
Do I pay more for tenants on benefits?
Insurers can't require you to refuse tenants on benefits under policies entered into or renewed from 1 May 2026. See our guide to landlord insurance with tenants on benefits.
Will a claim increase my premium?
Often, yes, at renewal. That's one reason to choose an excess that makes small claims not worth making.
Get a review of what you're paying
Send us your current landlord policy or renewal and we'll review it and come back with quotes from the insurers on our panel. Compare landlord quotes.
Meshed is a trading name of Mesh'd Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 1033248). We charge a flat 10% broker fee. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Vincent Liu
Co-founder & CTO
