Are Rent Guarantees Worth Buying?

Are Rent Guarantees Worth Buying?

12:35 PM, 6th March 2013, About 11 years ago 15

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Rent GuaranteeIncreasing rents, a difficult economy and job losses mean a growing number of tenants are struggling to pay their rent. When rental income is relied upon to cover a buy-to-let mortgage, arrears can be a very real risk and it doesn’t look like the economy is going to improve significantly any time soon.

As rents typically increase towards the summer months, we could see tenant’s budgets being squeezed, leading to some unwanted arrears. The question is, if you’re a buy to let landlord, how can you protect yourself against every landlord’s worst nightmare: a tenant who can’t, or won’t, pay the rent?

Many with landlord insurance may be disappointed to find that unpaid rent isn’t covered in their standard policy. Whilst most landlords have some form of insurance in place, this is most commonly simple buildings cover, which would offer little support if a tenant were to stop meeting rental commitments.

One way to protect yourself is to take out specific rent guarantee insurance, a policy designed to limit risk should a tenant be unable or unwilling to pay the rent. But is it worth taking out, or is it an expense you could live without?

How do rent guarantee insurance policies work?

Obviously they vary from one insurer to the other, but common features are:

  • You will normally need to let a property under an assured shorthold tenancy
  • Insurers will insist each tenant named on the tenancy agreement and is property credit checked and the relevant references are obtained.
  • Policies generally only pay out for a maximum fixed period (6 or 12 months).
  • Some policies charge a premium based on the amount of rent covered, while others charge a fixed price per tenancy agreement.
  • There is likely be an excess which means you may not be covered for the first month’s rent arrears.
  • Rent will be covered until the policy expires, or when the tenancy agreement ends, or you gain vacant possession of the property so it can be re-let.
  • Some policies (mainly comprehensive policies) may cover rent for a limited period even after possession of the property is obtained.
  • Legal expenses insurance might be included which covers the legal costs incurred in proceedings against tenants.
  • Some insurers may deal with the tenant eviction process on your behalf.

Do you need rent guarantee insurance?

If you’ve decided that cost is not prohibitive and like the idea of being insured to reduce the risk of rent arrears, is there anything else to consider? You might be able to recover arrears through any normal arrears process you use, contacting and visiting tenants or through the courts if the situation deteriorates. You may have a savings cushion to fall back on and arguably this is a better way of protecting yourself, but this isn’t always easy to achieve. So you may think paying a few % of the rent is a small price to pay to cover the rent and provide legal protection. Afterall, you don’t want to fall into arrears on your mortgage just because your tenant has let you down. There are two important points each should consider here 1. what’s the likely risk i.e. what’s the impact of the tenant defaulting and the chance of this occurring? 2. what level of risk am I comfortable with? If you’re comfortable with risk a rent guarantee may not be for you, but if the risk and impact are high and you’re uncomfortable with your level of risk, it’s worth considering a policy.

Last, but not least, beware of exclusions and read the small print. Insurers can be strict when it comes to following procedure, particularly with regard to how tenants have been referenced.

This is a Guest Post submitted by Andrew Sainsbury of Go Property Services, an ARLA member letting agent based in Nottingham.


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Comments

4:50 AM, 7th March 2013, About 11 years ago

MA £97 solution is the best way to go.
I don't use them presently but a similar operation
For £99 you receive cover for up to £50000 including legal costs that would be 4 years and 10 months for me!
Just ONE CHEAP simple premium.
You have to be barking to use H----t; 6% of rent!!
I remember getting a quote from them and had to laugh at the adviser who didn't appreciate why his quote was so funny!!
So on an annual policy; which I always obtain will if a claim is made in the 11th month pay out until the tenant or the claim monies run out.
For my situation that could be 4 yrs 10 months!!!
Just had a successful claim.
Received £10400 for rent not paid by tenant until eviction enforced.
I feel duty bound out of loyalty and their performance to use them again as required.
How many LL could cover things if a tenant doesn't pay rent!?
RGI saved me from bankruptcy.
For the cost of nearly £100 you take a punt on RGI.
If it works; great, if it doesn't all it has cost you is £100!!!
Look on it as a gamble.
You have to be in it to win it!!
If it doesn't work you will have to do everything yourself and pay the mortgage etc., until tenant evicted and new tenants sourced.
RGI of course means there are certain tenants you will be unable to take.
Of course guarantors can also qualify for RGI so that is another way of using a guarantor.
A guarantor without a RGI policy in place on them is pretty useless.
It takes ages to deal with a guarantor and even if eventually successful how has the mortgage been paid!!
Even with RGI you need a credit line equal to about 4 months of mortgage payments as it takes time to process the claim....................................aren't all insurance companies the same!!?
I swear by RGI as I do not have ANY spare resources.
I know that is not a very clever position to be in but when you've been ripped off as many times as I have...........................NO I DID NOT HAVE RGI ON them......................DOH!..........but I have learnt the errors of my ways.
So basically I believe many LL are in the position that they cannot afford rent defaults and therefore the financial imperative of RGI is overwhelming.
It means you have to change the profile of your tenants to those or their guarantors that can qualify for RGI.
I would gladly accept £50 less per month on a tenant who qualified for RGI rather than a LHA tenant who would pay £50 more but couldn't qualify for RGI.
I think for the little LL who does NOT have the capbability to self insure or resource otherwise mortgage payments; if rent isn't paid then RGI is about the only choice.
It is the cheapest; and I have found it WORKS! With the UC train crash coming down the tracks LHA LL should be very; very afraid!!
They need to start squirreling away fiance to pay the mortgage when inevitably the tenant stops paying.
When you realise that UC can be stopped at a whim by DWP adviser you need to realise that UC is no certain rent payment unlike usually LHA.
Time maybe for LL to consider exiting the HB market; accept less cashflow; but rent to tenants on whom you are able to source RGI.
All down to the individual doing the job properly.
This can mean many things to other LL.
In my particular situation; it means I MUST have RGI
This doesn't mean that other LL will be in the same situation as me.
Everyone has to decide how to manage their risk.
I'm forced by circumstance to use RGI
Other LL won't be in such a parlous position and will view their risks differently.

17:32 PM, 8th March 2013, About 11 years ago

Sorry It's taken a day or two to respond to your query, Mark, which I assume relates to robustness of the franchise businesses. As a protection for clients caught up in failing companies there are safeguards in the franchise agreement. It is strongly in the interest of the franchisor to protect the brand and image and they have the power to manage the continuity of any guarantee contract. We are no more susceptible to failure than any letting agent. Landlords also can/will be placed in direct relationship with the (our) tenant. The vulnerable time is right at the beginning but as part of the set-up process the franchisees are expected to have adequate cash reserves to acquire a franchise. After the initial stage we are probably less at risk because we have contracts of at least twelve months and so would experience a 'soft landing' in the event of a failure. I have already stated that our branches tend to be members of NALS, SafeAgent and the Property Omudsman. Therefore, as a group, we take our business responsibilities very seriously. I hardly need to state that there is never a risk free option.

18:22 PM, 11th March 2013, About 11 years ago

Anyone fancy paying 20 % Management fees? No? Don't use **MODERATED** then..
The business plan is simple-they pay the Landlord 20% or so below market rent, then all the 20%'s are cumulatively used to pay for defaulting rents, enabling them to guarantee the rent, albeit much lower than market level.

Michael Holmes

8:31 AM, 26th March 2013, About 11 years ago

The terms required by the insurance company before they pay out on claims make most of them invalid. I doubt if you would qualify for any re-imbursement by the time the underwriters or claims specialist have gone through all the small print. I know from experience, don't bother with this insurance, it is a con.

2:35 AM, 27th March 2013, About 11 years ago

Michael mate you are just plain wrong.
You have to choose the correct RGI company of course.
I must have been lucky as my one works and always will.
So from my perspective of RGI £10333.00 later it does work!!
So be warned don't take the right RGI and be possibly ruined by ONE non-rent paying tenant.
RGI does work though with the right provider.

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