Stark warning as landlord faces £1m public liability case

In the last two years, public liability claims received by Total Landlord Insurance have reached an estimated £1.7million. These claims are the slips, trips and falls by tenants that have taken place at a property where the landlord is found responsible and although often unavoidable, without insurance protection such incidents can prove extremely costly for landlords.

In an ongoing case being handled by Total Landlord Insurance, the guest of a tenant, fell from a set of stairs and claimed that the stairs were not ‘fit for purpose’.  Because the claimant is of a young age, if the landlord is found legally liable as a result of negligence, the cost of the claim is likely to escalate into several millions including ongoing care and loss of potential earnings. 

Fortunately for the landlord in question, he is protected by his public liability insurance which not only covers any damages which might be awarded to the claimant but also the legal costs of defending the claim and the claimants’ legal costs if the landlord is found at fault. Legal fees alone are expected to cost hundreds of thousands.

Eddie Hooker, CEO of Total Landlord Insurance, comments:

“This is a particularly extreme case, but without insurance, this landlord would have been responsible for all costs associated with this incident. Not only could he have risked losing his buy to let investment, but his own home too in order to cover the costs in defending his case.

"Many landlords have very little idea of the level of their property insurance but this should serve as an eye-opener for anyone who has inadvertently cut corners when is comes to both property maintenance and insurance.”