Insurance

The council is responsible for your building insurance and part of your service charge covers this cost.

Your building is insured under policy number 3120763 with Protector Insurance.

You must take all reasonable steps to minimise loss or damage to all insured property including keeping the buildings in a good condition and state of repair.

On the happening of an event, which could give rise to a claim under this policy, you shall immediately notify your insurer with particulars and proofs as may be reasonably required, with full details to be provided within 30 days (7 days in respect of riot, civil unrest, strikes, labour or political disturbances or malicious persons).

The Police must be notified as soon as possible in the event of theft, malicious damage or riot.

How do I make a claim?

If you wish to make a claim on your buildings insurance, please contact Sedgwick International UK, claims administrators on behalf of Protector Insurance, quoting policy number 3120763.

Claims are managed by Sedgwick International UK as the council's appointed agents. Sedgwick International UK are Chartered Loss Adjusters and Claims Handling specialists.

You can submit a claim via email to [email protected] or via post to the address below. If the matter is urgent please telephone them on 0161 823 1912, which is answered 24 hours a day.

Sedgwick International UK, Oakleigh House, 14-16 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3DQ.

If the incident date of claim was before 1 April 2024, please contact [email protected] or telephone 029 2029 3964, quoting policy number 3120763.

I think my property is under or over insured

If you are unsure if the level of cover is adequate, you are advised to arrange for the flat to be surveyed and valued for insurance purposes by a RICS qualified surveyor. Where we receive written requests for a change in the fire valuation we will consider them. Please note that Insurance cover runs for a full financial year and no changes affecting the premium can be made until the next renewal date. Where alterations or extensions have been carried out without landlord's consent, you should be aware that in the event of a major incident you may not be fully covered.

If you have any queries regarding the level of insurance provided, please email [email protected] or write to Insurance Section, Town Hall, 8 Hornton Street, London W8 7NX.

Please note that if you short-let your property, you are not covered by our current Building’s Insurance policy as this is a breach of your lease which invalidates your coverage.

Residential Leasehold Buildings insurances

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently issued new rules for Multi-Occupancy Residential Buildings Insurance Policies, which came into effect from 31 December 2023.

Marsh is an authorised intermediary (insurance broker), appointed to arrange buildings insurance for a multi-occupancy building.

Any residential leaseholder who has an interest in the buildings insurance and who pays or contributes to the buildings insurance premium is entitled to receive certain key information about the policy:

A summary of the features of the policy, including main benefits, coverage and exclusions of the policy, the policy duration, and the insured sum.
The policy premium including a breakdown at building (or flat level, where available).
The remuneration which authorised intermediaries (insurance brokers) receive for arranging the insurance, as well as remuneration they pay to other parties such as the building freeholder or property managing agent.
The number of alternative quotes that were obtained, and a brief explanation of why the chosen policy was selected.
Information about potential conflicts of interests.

Most of the information has already been provided or made available to you within the Section 20 Landlord’s Notice of Proposal , Service Charge letter and on the website. Additionally, Marsh has provided a document outlining the key information for Leaseholders which provides further information. The document is available at the bottom of this page.

If you require a certificate specifying your individual property address and buildings reinstatement value please contact [email protected] to request a certificate.

The remuneration which authorised intermediaries (insurance brokers) receive for arranging the insurance, as well as remuneration they pay to other parties such as the building freeholder or property managing agent is available upon request at [email protected]. Please note the Council does not receive any remuneration for the placement of your Buildings and Terrorism insurance.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact [email protected]

Contents Insurance

The building insurance does not cover the contents of your property such as furniture and other personal possessions. It is therefore your responsibility to take out your own contents insurance policy. Insurance policies can be obtained through an independent insurer at your discretion. However, to make things easier for you we have negotiated a home contents insurance policy which has been specifically designed for our tenants and leaseholders.

Aviva have an insurance scheme that is open to both tenants and leaseholders within Westminster

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/media/document/home-contents-insurance

Subletting your leasehold property

Subletting takes place when a leaseholder rents their home out to another person. Under the terms of our leases, leaseholders are not allowed to short-let their property for a period of less than 90 days.

Under the terms of your lease, your property can only be used as a single private flat for residential purposes only.

Your responsibilities as a landlord

By renting out your property, you have become a landlord How to let - GOV.UK.

Some of your responsibilities as a landlord include making sure:

ensuring the property is fit for human habitation and free from hazards at the beginning of the tenancy and throughout
abiding by the provisions in the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which bans charging unfair fees to tenants in connection with a tenancy and also caps tenancy and holding deposits
protecting tenancy deposits in a government-approved scheme
providing your tenants with an up-to-date copy of the ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England’ guide
keeping the property in a good state of repair
carrying out gas safety checks every year and giving a copy of the certificate to the tenant(s) before the start of the tenancy
getting an energy performance certificate if required, and giving a copy to the tenant at the earliest opportunity (rented homes must meet the rating E or above)
having the electrical installations in the property inspected and tested at least every 5 years
installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
ensuring an individual has the “right to rent” in the UK provided they are present lawfully in accordance with immigration law. Under section 22 of the Immigration Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”), a landlord should not authorise an adult to occupy property as their only or main home under a residential tenancy agreement, unless the adult is a British, or Irish citizen or has the “right to rent” in the England
making sure that your tenant has the correct contact details for you or your agent, including a telephone number they can use in case of an emergency – under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, you are required to provide your tenant with your name and with an address, which must be in England or Wales, where they can serve you any notices (rent will not be ‘lawfully due’ until you have done so)

You should also consider getting landlords’ insurance

Landlord Insurance provides financial protection for landlords renting a property to tenants. It differs from standard Home Insurance by covering some of the additional risks associated with renting a property. It’s sometimes also called Landlord Home, House or Property Insurance, or Buy-to-Let Insurance.

Landlord insurance covers the risks you face when letting or leasing a property that standard building and contents insurance may not cover. Also known as buy-to-let insurance, it covers you for damage to the buildings or to your contents against a range of perils such as flood, fire, burst pipes or storm. You can also choose from several optional covers like accidental damage, loss of rent, landlord emergency and legal expenses cover which covers the costs and expenses in dealing with a range of legal matters such as contract disputes, tax and VAT investigations, repossession and eviction of squatters.

Do I need Landlord Insurance?

Legally, no. But your leasehold property is a major investment, so it’s important that you consider protecting it with suitable Landlord Insurance. Regular home cover may not offer the cover you require. Being a landlord comes with its own unique set of challenges and risks. Failing to have Landlords insurance may break the terms of your mortgage agreement.