Renters v Landlord Insurance – what’s the difference?

by Melanie May | 4 min read   August 18th, 2021

Whether you are a tenant or a landlord the property that you rent/own — as well as its contents — should be protected with insurance. 

If you are a landlord, it is highly recommended that you take out Landlord Insurance. 

If you are a tenant, it is highly recommended that you take out Renters Insurance.

What is Landlord Insurance?

Landlord Insurance covers the premises and/or the contents that a landlord may have in the home while their property is being rented, including furniture and décor. There is also a host of other benefits including cover for your liability to tenants, emergency home assistance and in the event of serious damages to the property, we will cover the costs to provide alternative accommodation, along with storage for you or your tenants contents.

What’s the difference between Landlord Insurance and Home Insurance?

Like Home Insurance, Landlord Insurance is designed to protect the landlord’s property and contents.

However, Landlord Insurance also provides Loss of Rent cover which compensates you for lost income should your property become uninhabitable. At Allianz, we cover up to 15% of the Buildings insured if the premises is deemed inhabitable following loss from an insured peril. It also covers legal liability for injury to others and damage to the property, for example, if the tenant trips and fall  landlord provides a faulty electrical item and the tenant gets injured.

What are the different types of Landlord Insurance?

At Allianz, we offer different types of Landlord Insurance depending on your needs. Apartment owners can take out a Contents Only policy which provides protection for the landlord’s contents kept at their rental apartment. This cover also comes with Landlord Liability Protection, Loss of Rent cover, Emergency Home Assistance and plenty of other benefits too. 

Home owners can take out Buildings Only cover or avail of all cover and benefits with Buildings and Contents. Our Buildings Only policy covers a damaged or destroyed building, garage, fences, patio, driveway, fixed domestic appliances. It also includes Emergency Home Assistance, plus a whole lot more.

Landlords can also avail of Buildings and Contents Landlord Insurance covers both the property and the contents inside the property. It is our most complete Landlord Insurance package and is ideal if for landlord’s who are renting out a furnished house.

Find out more about the different types of Landlord Insurance Allianz offers hhttps://www.allianz.ie/landlord-insurance/cover-info/ere.

How much does Landlord Insurance cost?

Probably not as much as you think! Allianz Landlord Insurance policies cost from less than a tenner a month. That’s a small price to pay for a lot of peace of mind.

Get a quote for Landlords Insurance

We know that time is money, so for an accurate quote in minutes, just fill in this form. You’ll also save 20% if you take your cover out online.

Are tenant’s possessions covered by Landlord Insurance?

Landlord Insurance does not cover any possessions owned by the tenant. It’s the responsibility of the tenant to get their own contents insurance, in other words, Renters Insurance.

What is Renters Insurance?

Renters Insurance is a type of insurance that covers the contents owned by the tenant. It covers the tenant’s contents from fire, storm, flood and smoke damage. It also covers the tenant’s possessions if they are damaged, destroyed or stolen when a burglar forces their way into your home. Your possessions are also covered in the event of an attempted burglary.

With Renters Insurance you can opt in for Unspecified or Specified All Risk to cover your belongings outside of the home.

Unspecified All Risk - You can opt to cover up your day to day personal possessions outside of your home, for an additional premium. For those everyday possessions –such as bicycles, sports equipment, jewellery, mobile phone - each item is insured for up to €2,000, with no excess.

Specified All Risk - You can also add up to six individual items onto your policy, which are over the €2,000 limit. For example that expensive luxury watch you got for Christmas or your precious Diamond Engagement ring.*

*The maximum value for each specified item is €10,000 and the total value of all your specified items cannot be more than €20,000. For more information read our Household Policy Document.

Renters insurance also automatically covers the tenant’s TV and audio equipment from accidental damage up to €1,300. It includes Emergency Home Assistance should you get locked out of the house and need to call upon a locksmith to get you back in safely. On top of that, renters insurance also covers liability if a visitor injures themselves in the rented property.

Let’s say there is a fire in the rental property. If you are the tenant and your laptop and clothes get destroyed, your landlord's policy does not cover your possessions. It is up to you to have the proper insurance in place to ensure that your belongings are covered. Just because you don’t own the place where you live, doesn’t mean you don’t need extra protection for your belongings.

To learn more, have a read of our article Renters Insurance Explained.

What’s the average cost of renters insurance?

Allianz Renters Insurance starts from €10 a month. That’s roughly the same price as buying four or five cups of coffee a month^. We know you would much rather spend your money on tasty beverages, but you’ll get a much better return on your investment with Renters Insurance.

Not convinced? Have a read of all the great benefits and cover provided with Allianz Renters Insurance.

^Based on average cost of Allianz Renters Insurance cover in Ireland for “The Basics” bundle and “A more complete package” bundle of €9.72 and €15.08 respectively.

Get a quote for Renters Insurance

We’ve made it quick and easy for you to get an online quote with Allianz. Just fill in this form

So, there you have it, the difference between Renters and Landlord Insurance is that tenants take out Renters Insurance to cover their possessions and  Landlords take out Landlord Insurance to cover their premises, contents, rental income and liability to tenants.

Do You Need Renters or Landlord Insurance?

As you can see, there are a ton of hidden benefits when it comes to both Renters and Landlord Insurance. With Allianz Renters Insurance and Landlord Insurance, you’ll get peace of mind knowing that the cost of repairing or replacing your property and possessions is taken care of if the worst should happen. 

Allianz p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Standard acceptance criteria and policy conditions apply.