Rent guarantee insurance
An insurance policy a landlord buys that pays the rent, and often legal costs, if a tenant falls into arrears. It is the landlord's cost, never the tenant's.
In short: Rent guarantee insurance pays a landlord the rent, up to a limit, when a tenant stops paying, and often covers the legal costs of recovering the home. It is optional and bought by the landlord. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the cost cannot be passed on to the tenant.
英格蘭。 已於 5 October 2026 對照法律查核. 僅供參考，並非法律建議。
Policies differ, so read the terms. Typical conditions:
- the tenant must have passed referencing that meets the insurer's standard, sometimes with a guarantor;
- arrears must be reported within a set number of days;
- there is often an excess period before payments start, and a monthly or total limit;
- legal expenses cover may only apply to certain grounds or courts.
Since 1 May 2026 landlords in England can take no more than one month's rent in advance, which has made insurance and guarantors more common ways to manage the risk of arrears.
A landlord cannot require a tenant to buy or pay for this insurance: that would be a prohibited payment.
Related: Guarantor, Prohibited payment, Grounds for possession
資料來源
Guides on this
Guide
Rent in advance and rent bidding: what the Renters’ Rights Act allows
Since 1 May 2026 you cannot take rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, can take at most one month's rent before it starts, and cannot invite or accept offers above the rent you advertised.
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Landlord insurance: is it a legal requirement, and what does it cover?
No law makes a landlord in England buy insurance, but your mortgage, your lease and your existing policy may. What landlord policies usually cover, what they leave out, and what you cannot pass to the tenant.
Guide
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From deciding to let to the first rent arriving: the consents, safety checks, licence, right to rent, written statement, deposit, inventory, landlord database and tax, in order, as the law stands after 1 May 2026.
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