Landlord Boiler Cover: Who offers the best cover?

Looking for boiler coverage specific to your rented accommodation?

If so, landlord boiler coverage might be for you.

But what exactly is landlord boiler cover and how does it differ, from say, homeowner boiler cover?

Let’s dive in!

What is Landlord Boiler Cover?

This type of cover is a service plan designed primarily to protect a landlord’s boiler from unexpected breakdowns.

Moreover, it gives your tenant the ability to book in with a heating engineer if there’s a breakdown or some sort of emergency (e.g., a gas leak).

With that said, if your boiler is more than 15 years old, you may face an excess charge (e.g., a call-out fee).

This is because the older your boiler is, the more likely it is to break down.

For those reasons and more, it’s best to replace a boiler before it gets that old.

But what exactly does landlord boiler cover involve, in more detail?

Here is what landlord boiler cover tends to feature:

• Lowers the cost of boiler repairs.
• Annual boiler service.
• Gas safety inspection.
• 24/7 helpline.

Of course, the exact details of any given landlord boiler cover will vary from provider to provider.

Therefore, you’ll want to spend a bit of time looking around at different options before making a decision.

Some, more extensive coverage plans will include drainage, home electrics, and your property’s gas supply pipe.

Another thing worth considering is that not all applications for boiler cover will succeed.

If your boiler is particularly old, you may not get coverage.

So, this only adds to the reason mentioned above for why it’s best to replace a boiler if it’s in or around 15 years old.

Why Should I Get Landlord Boiler Cover?

You probably already have a boiler warranty under your manufacturer.

However, the landlord boiler cover is still worth considering.

It will add to your existing warranty, which will likely be more limited or only covers specific repairs.

Landlord boiler cover goes further and is more suited to landlords in particular.

Types of Landlord Boiler Cover

Many providers will offer several landlord boiler cover options.

So, instead of one fixed warranty, you’d have various options to choose from.

Usually, this means progressively increasing prices as you go down the list of options, which, naturally will come with more and more coverage.

Let’s look at British Gas as an example. Here are the packages they offer in relation to landlord boiler cover:

 

Each of the above comes with a gas safety certificate. Beyond that, HomeCare Two through Four are exclusively available online.

Landlord Boiler Cover Vs. Alternatives

So, what distinguishes landlord boiler cover from homeowner boiler cover or central heating cover?

Landlord Boiler Cover Vs. Homeowner Boiler Cover

The landlord boiler cover and homeowner boiler cover are very similar.

However, there is one notable distinction between these options.

That being a landlord’s gas safety record.

It is legally required that a landlord maintain records of gas safety inspections of their property/properties.

In contrast, homeowners are not legally obliged to have, say, an annual boiler servicing (although homeowners are still expected to ensure basic safety is followed and issues are dealt with).

Landlord Boiler Cover Vs. Central Heating Cover

Just as there are many comparisons between landlord boiler cover and homeowner boiler cover, the former is also similar to central heating cover.

Central heating cover expands to cover your heating system’s pipes, cylinder, and radiator.

In some cases, the central heating cover is referred to as ‘boiler and heating cover’.

In many cases, you could add to a central heating cover to cover areas like drainage, plumbing, and electrical emergencies.

Best Providers of Landlord Boiler Cover

With so many providers to choose from, you might not know where to start. Let’s explore some popular examples:

 

Each provider will offer a host of different insurance details and, as we showed earlier with British Gas, there are generally various types of landlord boiler insurance.

Therefore, when comparing what several companies’ have to offer, you should look at their equivalent insurance packages.

This would be the best way of making a comparison that is most relevant to you.

Is Boiler Cover Required?

A related topic worth considering is landlord insurance.

You may be a little surprised to know that landlord boiler cover is not legally obliged.

But without it, you could run into issues (e.g., inability to get a loan). 

Moreover, a landlord still has various legal obligations that they must meet.

Any rented property must have an Energy Performance Certificate or EPC. And, as mentioned, a Gas Safe Register engineer must undertake an annual servicing. 

Beyond that, you must make sure that:

• Hot water is continually available for the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen.
• The boiler in your property is taken care of and maintained at a healthy standard.

Getting back to insurance cover for a moment, you can see how it can pay off because if an issue arises that needs fixing ASAP, you’ll be covered.

How to Make a Claim Under Your Insurance

This is generally quite straightforward.

You can usually make a claim with your boiler cover provider online or over the phone.

If in doubt, get in touch with your provider to find out more information.

For instance, with HomeServe, you can make a claim through their online landlord portal (assuming you have a Gas Safety Certificate or/and annual servicing is part of your cover) or you can call them.