Landlord home emergency cover pays for urgent call-outs and repairs when something in your rental fails and leaves it unsafe or uninhabitable. It handles the boiler breakdown, burst pipe or lost keys, not the long-term repair of the building. Treat it as a fast-response add-on, not a replacement for your buildings policy.
This guide explains what home emergency cover includes, where it stops, and whether it is worth the extra premium.
What home emergency cover includes
Home emergency cover gives you access to a 24-hour helpline and an approved engineer, with the call-out, labour and parts paid up to a set limit per claim. A typical policy covers:
- Boiler and central heating breakdown, usually the most-used part of the cover.
- Plumbing and drainage failures, such as a burst pipe or a blocked drain.
- Electrical faults that make the property unsafe.
- Loss of the only means of security, such as a broken lock or lost keys.
- Pest infestations and roof damage after a storm, on some policies.
The value is speed. A tenant with no heating or a leaking pipe expects a same-day response, and the cover gives you a single number to call rather than sourcing an emergency tradesperson yourself.
Where the cover stops
Home emergency cover is designed to make a property safe, not to fund a full repair or replacement. Read the limits before you rely on it. Common exclusions and caps include:
- Boiler replacement. The cover repairs a breakdown but rarely pays to replace an old or beyond-economic-repair boiler.
- Boiler age limits. Many policies exclude boilers over a set age, often 10 to 15 years.
- No servicing history. A claim can be refused if you cannot show an annual gas safety check and boiler service.
- Pre-existing faults and general wear and tear.
- Per-claim and annual limits, so a large repair can exceed the amount the policy pays.
The permanent repair after an insured event, such as fixing the damage caused by a burst pipe, sits under your buildings policy, not home emergency cover. See landlord buildings and contents insurance for how the two fit together.
Is it worth adding
Home emergency cover suits landlords who want a managed response and predictable costs. It is most useful if you let at a distance, hold several properties, or do not have trusted local tradespeople on call. If you manage one nearby property and can arrange repairs quickly, the same money may be better held as a maintenance reserve.
Weigh three things: the annual premium, the per-claim limit, and the boiler age and servicing conditions. A policy that excludes your boiler on age grounds gives you little of what you are paying for. Keep your gas safety certificate and service records up to date, because they are both a legal duty and a condition of most claims.
Home emergency cover is usually sold as an add-on by insurers and brokers alongside a landlord policy. Under the Consumer Duty, firms must show these add-ons offer fair value rather than thin cover at a high price, which the FCA monitors across the market. If a claim is turned down and you think the decision is unfair, follow the insurer’s complaints process, then take an eligible complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Our guide to complaining about an insurer or broker sets out the steps.
Sources
- Financial Conduct Authority, Consumer Duty and fair value for add-on products in general insurance.
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlord duty to carry out annual gas safety checks.