What Is Landlord Boiler Cover?
Keep your tenants happy. Avoid paying out lots of money to fix boiler breakdowns. Take out landlord boiler cover. Boiler cover, which you might have heard called boiler breakdown cover or gas boiler breakdown cover is an insurance policy that may help protect your boiler and limit the hit to your finances if/when your boiler develops a fault or completely breaks down. In the event of a problem, having boiler cover means you may be entitled to get help with paying the costs engineers will charge to fix your boiler problem and pay for new parts if required. Their call out charge may also be covered, and most boiler cover plans include a free annual visit. More about that later.
Do I need landlord boiler cover? Is landlord boiler cover worth it?
Landlords are legally responsible for covering the cost of repairs and maintenance to faulty boilers on their property. You will also need to arrange for an engineer to visit the property to carry out the boiler fix. It's not up to your tenants, as they won't be eligible for boiler cover. Before getting cover, check the terms of your landlord insurance policy. It may be the case that your boiler is covered by your buildings and contents insurance. Your boiler may also be covered by the manufacturer's warranty, especially if it's less than ten years old. An extended warranty may also apply, especially if your boiler was installed by an approved source, such as Vaillant Advanced or Worcester Accredited installers.
If not, it's a good idea to take out boiler cover. As well as the peace of mind it offers, the cover allows you to give your tenants permission to call out engineers to fix the problem without you having to visit the property, which is handy if you live a long way away. The cost of cover will depend on the make and the age of the boiler. If it's over 15 years old, you're likely to have to pay more for your cover, as the chances of a breakdown will be higher. If your boiler has broken down before, some landlord boiler cover providers will have special terms stated in their policy regarding repairs to conditions that already exist.
Why bother with landlord boiler cover? I've got a manufacturer's warranty
This warranty only covers you if your boiler breaks down during a certain time frame. Outside of that, or if your boiler problem is caused by unpredictable physical damage or other parts of your central heating set-up, your boiler warranty might not apply and you will have to pay for the repairs. So it's important to check the terms of your warranty.
What landlord boiler cover do I need?
The differences between landlord boiler packages are mostly in the details. Often, the excess you need to pay will vary, as will the number of call-outs you're allowed to make. You should also check whether the helpline is a 24/7 service. Be sure the cover fits your needs-for example, check that you can schedule engineer visits for evenings or weekends. And check to see if the annual visit is all part of the package. Some landlord boiler cover only permits a limited number of call-outs per year, while others are unlimited. Be sure to compare landlord boiler cover before committing to one supplier.