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HMO Insurance

HMO Landlord Insurance

Keep your properties and tenants covered with HMO insurance from PML.

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What is HMO Insurance?

HMO insurance is specialist insurance designed to cover houses of multiple occupation. This is usually a single property which is let to multiple tenants or under multiple tenancy agreements.

HMO insurance can be complex due to the complicated nature of HMOs themselves. That’s why it pays to use a specialist insurer like PML when covering your HMO.

What does HMO Landlord Insurance cover?

*Does not include boiler servicing
**Please note this is available at no extra charge if you take out a policy with MS Amlin. We have a panel of thirteen insurers, most of which offer cover for Legal Expenses.

HMO Landlord Insurance – what’s under the cover roof?

While we’ve provided a basic outline above, you’ll want to know more about whether the property or properties in question actually qualify as HMO, and what are the key features and benefits of HMO landlord insurance. In other words, exactly how your policy protects you, your property, and those living in it:

  • Loss of rent and alternative accommodation cover, so nobody is left out of pocket or out of a home
  • Portfolio cover – with one renewal date for all your rentals, you only have much less paperwork to handle
  • HMO building insurance and/or contents cover, including fixtures and fittings in flats – including walls, staircases, and cupboards
  • Accidental damage caused by tenants
  • Property owner’s liability
  • Malicious damage and theft by tenants
  • Trace and access cover
  • Complete insurance cover for buildings (fire, subsidence, storm, escape of water, flood, vandalism)
  • Cover for different construction types
  • Terrorism cover
  • Landlord legal expenses cover
  • Tenancy eviction cover, e.g. serving eviction notices
  • Pursuit of rent arrears

How do I know if my property is a HMO?

We stipulate three main criteria by which you can tell if your property should be classed as an HMO, which are:

  • A flat or house let to three separate tenants on separate tenancy agreements (including students)
  • A house split into separate flats or bedsits where three or more separate tenants share facilities
  • A building containing flats that doesn’t meet the 1991 building regulations, where a third of the flats are let on short-term tenancy agreements

If you’re unsure whether your property is an HMO and whether you need to get landlord HMO insurance, you can always check with your local council.

However, it’s worth noting that not all properties with multiple occupants are classed as HMOs and not all have to be registered as HMOs with your local council. But when it comes to insurance, it’s still essential for you to have the right landlord cover – which is essential not only for your tenants, but yourself too.

At Protect My Let we understand that all HMO properties are different. That’s why we always offer complete cover to make sure your HMO let is protected.

Complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your quote with you.

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Why choose Protect My Let?

Read our Policy Documents

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Frequently asked questions

What is an HMO?

HMO stands for ‘house with multiple occupation’ and refers to a rented property with several tenants who share living spaces but are not part of the same household. Therefore, each will have their own tenancy agreement with the landlord.

Do I need insurance for an HMO?

HMO insurance isn’t mandatory, but if you’re a landlord, we recommend you take it out. It’s likely that standard home insurance may not provide adequate cover for the types of issues likely to arise, which means any claim may be rejected for your HMO property without the right policy.

Who is responsible for HMO Insurance?

Ultimately, this is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure the right level of HMO insurance is in place, thus protecting the property, tenants, and best interests of that landlord.

How are insurance requirements different for HMO properties than from other rented properties?

HMO landlord insurance is a cover solution that understands the many and varied additional risks associated with a rental property housing multiple tenants.

With a number of people sharing a kitchen and bathroom there is a greater chance of either accidental or malicious damage. And leak, flood, and fire risk is also different when considered as common living areas.

But you can also insure multiple HMOs under a single policy, so this is a clear benefit in terms of organising and streamlining assets.

Read more about fire safety and your HMO let.

Are legal expenses covered with HMO landlord insurance?

At PML, we can provide legal expenses for up to £100,000 at no extra cost*.

This includes:

  • Limit of indemnity (per claim) £100,000
  • Legal defence
  • Recovery of rent arrears
  • Repossession of residential property
  • Property disputes
  • Property damage, nuisance, and trespass

*Please note this is available at no extra charge if you take out a policy with MS Amlin. We have a panel of thirteen insurers, most of which offer cover for legal expenses.

My rented property doesn’t need to be registered as an HMO with my local council. Is it still classed as an HMO?

Any property that houses as few as three separate tenants or where three separate tenants share facilities (kitchen, bathroom, living room) may need to be covered as an HMO, even if it doesn’t need to be registered as one with your council. Don’t worry, at PML, we can provide HMO landlord cover for either situation, as well as answer an further queries on this topic.

What if I currently have one tenant?

Provided you have one room in the property occupied, this is classed as an occupied property, and would not be classified as a situation requiring HMO landlord insurance. If you the number of tenants reaches three or more, please follow our guidance above.

Does PML landlord insurance cover properties that have been converted to HMOs?

Yes, we can provide HMO landlord insurance for conversions where you have more than three tenants, such as student accommodation.

Can PML provide rent guarantee insurance for HMOs?

No, this cannot be provided with rent guarantee insurance for HMOs.

Can I cover students and DSS tenants on an HMO insurance policy from PML?

Yes, both DSS tenants and student tenants can be covered by a PML HMO landlord insurance policy.

Stepping away from students? Find out about converting your student let into a standard HMO.

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Protect My Let is a trading name of Howden UK Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 307663. Registered in England and Wales under company registration number 02831010. Registered Office: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF. Calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes.
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