Landlords without adequate insurance could end up paying out thousands of pounds to repair damage caused by freezing water and leaks from tanks, pipes or heating systems. With temperatures well below freezing point, pipes are most at risk of bursting and boilers of breaking down through increased usage. If the burst pipe is in the attic water can cascade though the house bringing down ceilings. Landlords may also have to deal with the difficulty and expense of having to find and call out a reputable emergency contractor at short notice.

HomeLet, is urging agents to ensure that their landlords have the cover they need to protect them against the risks associated with renting a property. MD John Boyle, explained, “We’ve recently launched Landlord’s Insurance+, a specialist landlords policy which includes Emergency Assistance as standard, providing cover for emergencies arising from plumbing and drainage, electricity supply, cooking systems, security, lost keys and roofing, down piping and guttering at no extra cost. There is also the option to upgrade your policy to cover sudden and unexpected breakdown, failure or damage to your boiler and central heating system.”

HomeLet’s Emergency Assistance is also available as a separate policy that covers boiler and heating and includes a 24-hour helpline for tenants to call in an emergency. HomeLet will respond within four hours, contacting one of their professional, qualified contractors on the landlord’s behalf. If the problem can’t be solved then and there and the tenant needs emergency accommodation, the policy covers the cost up to £250