Landlords Property Tips & Advice
Roof Maintenance
Neglecting the proper maintenance of your roof can lead to inconvenience, financial outlay, and potentially some serious damage to your home.
Essential roof maintenance includes making sure your guttering is clear of leaves, twigs and other debris that can cause blockages. These blockages prevent rainwater from draining away and will lead to water pooling on your roof. It's advisable to clean your gutters at least once a year.
We all know that severe weather conditions can cause serious damage to our roofs. Strong winds and gales cause slates and tiles to become dislodged or blow off completely. If you suspect you have a problem with your roof then ask a professional to check this out for you straight away.
We can help by
- Protecting your property against storm damage
Fires
House fires can be devastating. A fire can spread very quickly and become deadly within minutes.
Ask your tenants to make sure they don’t overload electrical circuits and they check their appliances regularly for loose connections or damaged cords.
Make sure that you have smoke detectors installed in areas throughout the house and especially near bedrooms. Check smoke detectors regularly and replace the batteries at least once a year.
Make sure that your tenants have an emergency escape plan and ensure that possible escape routes aren’t obstructed.
We can help by
- Protecting your property and contents against fire
- Providing up to £45,000 for your loss of rent and furniture storage costs and alternative accommodation costs for your tenant if the property is uninhabitable following an insured event
Water leaks & floods in the Home
Firstly, you should make sure you and your tenants know how to switch off the mains water supply. You can usually find this under your kitchen sink or in your garage. It’s essential to know where this is in case you experience a burst water supply.
You should also make sure that your cold water tank is insulated and lag your pipes with rubber insulation.
Central heating systems also help to stop pipes and tanks freezing so it’s important to maintain a warm and constant temperature throughout the house. In between tenancies if the property is unoccupied you could keep your central heating on low in cold weather to help prevent situations like finding out the pipes have frozen or burst.
We can help by
- Protecting your property against storm & floods
- Protecting your property against escape of water or oil
- Offering access to a 24 hour Home Emergency helpline
- Providing up to £45,000 for your loss of rent and furniture storage costs and alternative accommodation costs for your tenant if the property is uninhabitable following an insured event
As with all insurance policies there are certain circumstances when you will not be able to make a claim, known as exclusions. You can read full details of the exclusions which apply in our Policy Document.