Whatever the reason for wanting possession of your property, you may wish to bear in mind that harassing a tenant is a crime, so proper procedures need to be adhered to:

• have a formal tenancy agreement in place. No matter how well you know the tenant or how short their stay is intended to be, there is no substitute for a properly drawn up tenancy agreement so that everyone knows where they stand;

• keep records of your dealings with them. This may be common sense for anyone acting as a professional landlord, but your records may also be handy if you need to rely on them in court;

• treat your tenant as you would hope to be treated yourself. So threats and physical violence are absolute no no’s!

• cutting off services like water and electricity may be seen as harassment, so even if you know that the tenant has large bills outstanding, you may be seen as harassing the tenant if you do this;

• refusal to carry out repairs may also be seen as unreasonable, even if you are owed large amounts to rent;

• procedure for giving notice is everything. If your tenancy agreement says that you must give two months’ notice, then you must give at least this period – preferably by recorded delivery so that you can prove that the tenant has received the document;

• according to the direct.gov website*, if the tenant is still in the property after receiving a valid notice to quit, you need to issue your tenant with a ‘notice of intention to seek possession’. This means that you plan to apply to the court for a possession order to evict the tenant if they do not leave and you are letting them (ie. the tenant) know:

• the next step is to go to court to get a possession order. The court will look at the documents, the notice that was served and the tenant’s circumstances and decide whether to grant a possession order. If the tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy, as a landlord you may be able to apply for an accelerated possession order, which may mean that no court hearing is necessary – you may be able to deal with the matter by correspondence;

• when you have possession, you may need to notify your insurer that the property is empty. Landlord insurance may only be valid when the property is occupied, so you may need to act quickly to make sure that the cover is still active; and finally

• is there anything that you can learn from the experience? If the tenant was a difficult one, is there anything that you could do differently next time to avoid such problems?

*http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Privaterenting/Problemsanddisputes/DG_189241

• location of your property. There are two main reasons that the location of your property may be relevant to your insurance quote. Firstly, there is the crime issue. A property in a high crime area may be more expensive to insure, on the basis that it may be statistically more likely to be broken into or vandalised. You may wish to check very carefully whether malicious damage is covered by the policy – some insurers may not include this as standard. But the second reason that location may be important may be flood risk. Some insurers may be more sensitive to flood risks than others, and may charge a premium for cover in flood plain areas;
• the excess on the policy. You may be familiar with the concept of an excess from your motor insurance policy. This is the amount up to which a policyholder may have to pay out in the event of a claim. Excesses may be variable, so the prospective policyholder may be able to suggest a higher excess, for example, to secure a lower premium for the policy. This may be one of the advantages of buying landlords insurance online – it may be easy to compare;
• details of what the landlords cover actually includes. After the standard list of perils you may differentiate between policies by considering whether replacement locks cover is included, together with subsidence. Neither may be included as standard, but may be added extras on some policies. Likewise, a feature that may not be included may be employers’ liability insurance. Some landlords (particularly if they have many properties on their books), may have handymen and cleaners who they employ for the purposes of keeping their portfolio up to scratch. However, just because a landlord is an employer, it may not necessarily follow that employers’ liability cover may be included in the cover; and
• what kind of customer service is on offer. Buy to let cover may not just be a product: it is also a service. You may wish to judge, when buying your cover, how customer friendly each provider may be. For example, do they have a telephone number onsite, or is it hidden away? etc

Before jumping in a buying a policy however it is sensible to obtain a range of landlord insurance quotes so that you compare the deals you are being offered. You can do this in a number of ways, you could simply visit a comparison website and hope that they find you the best quote, alternatively you could in a bit of legwork yourself to find the best landlord insurance quotes.

Typically the latter is a more effective and rewarding option. Whilst comparison websites are certainly fast and easy to use, they do not always offer the best deals as many specialist insurers are not on them.

Specialist insurance providers are worth seeking out as you find landlord insurance quotes. The reason being that as they have knowledge and experience specific to the market, you are more likely to be offered a policy that is suited to your needs and requirements, rather than a general policy. It is also important to get specialist landlord insurance as relying on regular homeowner’s insurance may not be adequate, and may actually be invalidated if you are letting the property.

Obtaining insurance should be a major priority for all landlords as it is key to protecting property effectively and ensuring that building and contents are covered in the event of an accident such as fire, floods or bad weather. It is particularly important to consider the contents insurance if you are planning to let your property as furnished, as this can help to protect your furniture and possessions.

Another element to keep an eye for in policies is loss of rent cover, which will payout if your property becomes uninhabitable for any reason, or if your tenants actually refuse to pay. You will also want ensure that you have public liability insurance in case someone is injured on or as a result of your property and employer’s liability insurance if you expect to have cleaners or workmen regularly visiting your property.

Ultimately looking for landlord insurance quotes requires a conscientious approach and the time to speak to as many specialist insurers as possible. Only by doing this is it possible to get a deal that is right for you and your property, providing effective cover without breaking the bank.

There are a number of things which you may want to consider when it comes to making your decision, but some of the most important may include the following:

• when you decide to invest in landlord property cover, one of the first things you may look for is the price of the policy, and that is only natural. Of course, the price is always going to be an important issue, but you may want to remember that only using price as your criteria may not be such a great idea because the least expensive cover does not necessarily mean that it is going to provide the full cover that you require;

• it may also be worth considering the company which is selling the policy. You may want to find out whether they are experienced and have a history of good service. If you do not know this, perhaps give them a call and ask them a few questions to find out how helpful the staff are. This may provide you with greater confidence in knowing that you are dealing with an insurer you are able to trust;

• one of most important things that you may want to get covered with buy to let building insurance is damage caused to your property. The reason this may be so important is because repairs may be very expensive to arrange, so this is generally one of the crucial aspects of all insurance and you may want to check the details of this very carefully in any policy which interests you;

• sometimes it is the little extras which make all the difference, and the same is true when choosing a let property insurance policy. You may find that some policies provide cover for events that others do not, such as malicious damage caused by the tenants. Something like this may be very useful for you, and if so then it may be worth finding a policy which covers this because not all policies may do so.

Having appropriate landlord property cover in place is often recommended for landlords in order to protect their investment. The decision is always up to you, but if you start to look for a company to provide you with cover then the above may be some of the factors which may help you to make a decision which is acceptable in your circumstances.

Some people may tell you that an insurance policy is cheap, but you may find that in your circumstances this is not the case because only you are able to say what is cheap for you or not.

Also, if you are considering going for the cheapest insurance that you are able to buy, you may find that this is not always the appropriate decision.

Cover is more important than price

Cheap landlord insurance may be a great thing, but in general it is the level of cover which is typically the most important concern for landlords.

When you buy a property and let it out to tenants it is an important investment, and the whole reason for taking out insurance is to protect that investment.

If your property is not really covered for all of the eventualities which concern you then you may want to keep looking until you find one which is able to provide you with the cover which you need.

For example, you may need a buy to let insurance policy which provides cover for any damage caused to your property by storms or fire. The amount that you may have to pay in repairs may be too much to afford, and insurance may provide you with the cover which you need.

You may also want buy to let landlord insurance which provides cover for any loss of rent that you may face. Without regular rental income coming in, you may find that you are unable to make payments on your mortgage which may be very difficult to cope with, so this may be worth considering.

Again, the cheapest buy to let policies for landlords may not provide you with useful additions such as cover for malicious damage by tenants. If this is something that you want to consider then you may find that the cheapest policies just do not cut it.

Remember that price is not everything

You may be tempted to go with the lowest priced insurance policy when you start to look for one, but it may be worth remembering that the price of a policy is not the only thing to consider.

Of course, if you are able to find a cheap landlord insurance policy which also provides all of the cover you need then that may be great. But just remember that going with the cheapest may mean that you end up with a policy which does not cover everything you want, which may not be ideal.

If this is the case, it may first be worth remembering that only you are able to say what is best in your circumstances, and this may not necessarily be the same as what is best for someone else in a similar situation.

However, if you are yet to be convinced by the need for landlord insurance, also known as buy to let insurance, then here are four reasons it may well be a good decision to invest.

1. Protect your property from damage

When looking for the best buy to let insurance that you are able to find, you may want to first look at the cover provided for damage to your building.

If your property is damaged the repair bill may be huge, and to protect yourself from having to pay for the repairs insurance may be a necessity.

2. Protect your income

The rent from your tenants may not only cover your mortgage costs but you may also depend upon it as an income.

If you lose this income it may provide serious problems for you, so getting covered with buy to let insurance may be a good idea.

3. Know that your contents are protected from malicious damage

Malicious damage by tenants is not something that all landlord insurance policies may provide cover for, but if you find policy which does provide protectionfor this then it may be very useful if you have expensive contents in your property.

4. Get protection for an unoccupied property

If you are concerned that your property may be left unoccupied for over 30 days then you may be worried that you may not have the cover to protect you if something happens to your property.

If may therefore be worth looking at an unoccupied property insurance quote to provide you with complete peace of mind no matter whether your property is occupied or not.

Find the cover that is suitable for you

If you are a landlord and you want to get cover for your property then the above four reasons are potential ways that you may benefit.

The best buy to let insurance is always something subjective for the person who buys the policy, but if you want to enjoy peace of mind knowing that your property is financially protected then it may be worth taking your search for a policy seriously.

People have different reasons for purchasing it, but the general idea is that it is able to provide you with a greater level of protection than you may be able to receive with a standard building and contents insurance policy.

If you are concerned that you do not have the most appropriate level of cover for your property and you want to start searching for cover, here are some of the things that may help you to find the landlords insurance which is most suitable for you.

The major concerns

The first thing that you may want to do when looking for insurance for landlords is to think about the major concerns that you have for your property, which are the things which may end up costing you the most in the long run.

For example, storm damage to your property may mean you end up with a very large repair bill to pay which you are unable to afford, so finding a policy which includes good cover for this may be essential.

You may also want to find out whether your rental income is covered when you look into buy to let home insurance. This income may be an essential factor of the policy for you to provide an income if you are unable to let out your property, so it also may be worth considering.

Other concerns

Aside from the major concerns you may have, you may also have other things that you may want to be covered on your buy to let building insurance policy.

For example, you may have some expensive contents in the property which you may want to get covered for malicious damage by tenants. Not all policies provide cover for this so you may have to look a bit harder to find it.

You may also want to look into the levels of legal cover provided by an insurance policy. Sometimes you may assume that you may be covered for all eventualities, such as the eviction of your tenants, but this may not be the case so it is a good idea to look into the details of any policy before you purchase it.

Additional options

When looking for a landlords insurance quote there are other things as well which may be considered as additional options. Unoccupied property cover is one of these because it may not be typically included, but it may still be something that you want to invest in.

Get the cover for your needs

Whatever your needs when it comes to finding cover for your property, insurance for landlords is something that you may not be able to afford being without. The above areas are things that you may want to consider when you start looking for a suitable policy, so consider all of your options and find the cover which is most suited to your situation.

• the address of the property. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, insurers may need to search their databases to see if the property is on a floodplain. If it is, you may find that flood cover may not be available, or if providers are prepared to offer cover, that cover may only be offered at a price that reflects the higher level of risk that the insurer has to bear;
• have you had a recent valuation of your buy to let property? If so, insurers may wish to know how much it was worth. The figure they may be particularly interested in may be the cost of rebuilding the property, as this may be what may be offered if you need to make a claim on your landlords insurance;
• what type of tenant do you let to? This may assist the insurer in assessing the risk profile of your property;
• have you made any claims on your previous policy? If you have not made any claims, you may find that a “no claims” bonus may apply.

What about asking your own questions?

When you have answered these types of questions, you may wish to ask some of your own. After all, applying for buy to let property insurance cover should be a two way process. Not only are you finding out whether the insurance is available for your property and for your circumstances, but you may also wish to find out how a provider treats their customers.
When looking for the best insurance for let property for your own individual needs, you may wish to know:

• how much the premium will be. However, this does have to be weighed against how comprehensive the cover on offer is;
• whether the payment be spread monthly;
• what the exclusions on the policy are. Typical exclusions to look out for may include malicious damage and subsidence;
• what the claims process for that insurance provider is. Making a claim may be stressful enough, and an easy to follow procedure may reduce the burden of the stress that you feel at that particular time;
• what kind of customer service the insurer offers. You may be able to work this out from how receptive a provider may be to questions you have about the cover.

When you have answers to these questions, you may have plenty of information to help you decide which is the best insurance for let property for you. Remember, that what is the best cover for another landlord may not be so for you – only you can decide.

Headline advertisement prices for landlords buy to let insurance may be very attractive but they may only provide you with part of the information that you need to allow you to make an informed decision.

Different providers of landlords insurance may offer policies with varying levels of cover and some of these differences may be more important to you than others.

For example, if someone were to claim that they were injured as a result of some defect or problem with your property, then they may decide to sue your for damages.

The public liability component of your landlords buildings insurance is what would protect you from the financial consequences of this. Some policies may be more generous than others though, with some offering cover of up to £5m. The cheapest landlords insurance may provide you with this level of cover but it may not.

If you have a number of properties or perhaps even just two, then you may benefit from property portfolio insurance. This is a multi-property policy, which may work out to be a more cost-effective solution than purchasing individual policies from various providers.

Loss of rental income may be one of your main worries as a landlord and it might happen for any number of reasons.

In a situation where your tenants have to move out of your property while repairs are being carried out on damage caused by an insured event, then there are buy to let policies that may typically recompense you for this loss (up to certain limits).

Not all policies may offer cover for all categories of tenant with some excluding students, for example, or DSS recipients. If this is not a situation that is acceptable to you then you may need to look out for a policy, which makes no such exclusions.

In a similar vein you may find that malicious damage by tenants or subsidence cover may not be offered as standard on all policies.

These may be just a few of the variations in cover than might have an influence on what you would consider to be the cheapest and most appropriate landlords insurance.

Your choice of the cheapest landlords insurance may be very different to that of another landlord who may have significantly different views and requirements.

Consider your budget
When looking around for buy to let insurance quotes, you may be likely to weigh up the prices of the policies offered. Whilst this may not be money you wish to spend, it is going to cost less than rebuilding a property that has been destroyed by fire or storms out of your own pocket if you are uninsured!

Consider the level of cover that you need
Most insurers may offer cover for similar risks that are linked to extreme weather, fire and earthquakes, although you might hope in the United Kingdom that the latter would be unlikely.

Cover for malicious damage seems to divide insurers. Some may offer landlords cover for this as standard, while others may offer it as an additional extra. Cover for subsidence may also not be covered as standard and nor might unoccupied property insurance.

When you are researching the best let property insurance, you may be surprised to discover that an empty property may even be considered the most dangerous kind of all, with insurers suspending their cover if the property remain empty for more than 30 days (although the exact “deadline” may vary between providers – some may say nearly two months).
In this case, unoccupied property insurance may typically be required.

Read the details of the policies

One of the most valuable reasons for reading draft policies and schedules with care may be to discover not only what is in a policy, but what is not covered. For instance, buy to let cover may typically not include employers liability insurance. So if you have people working for you in your lettings business, you may need to consider other options where you liabilities towards them are concerned.

Likewise, legal expenses insurance may not be included. Or if it is included, the circumstances in which you may be able to claim on it may be rather limited.

Compare service levels available

Finally, if all other items are equal, you may wish to compare the levels of service that may be available. After all, if you end up making a claim, this factor may determine which is the best let property insurance for you.