Rebuild costs for Landlords Insurance are now higher than market value?

Rebuild costs for Landlords Insurance are now higher than market value?

10:45 AM, 27th February 2023, About A year ago 17

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Landlords – How do you calculate your properties’ rebuild value when your insurance is due for renewal? For those who don’t know, the rebuild cost is the amount it would cost to completely rebuild your property if it was destroyed beyond repair. It includes the price of labour and materials. This cost is usually lower than your property’s sale price or market value.

Ensuring an accurate rebuild cost will prevent you from over-insuring and paying higher premiums than necessary (or possibly under-insuring and not having enough to rebuild in the worst-case scenario!)

Personally, I make use of the Building Cost Information Service calculator (https://abi.bcis.co.uk/) to review my rebuild costs. Normally, you would expect this to give a cost less than the market value, but THIS year I’ve got back rebuild costs all higher than the current market value. I know building costs have risen dramatically, but this is despite all my properties having increased in market value by around 80% in the last 4 years.

Has anyone else experienced this?

If this IS the new normal, I couldn’t help but think that arson might become the new S21 in landlord land…

Raz


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Comments

Jireh Homes

14:08 PM, 4th March 2023, About A year ago

Limitation of BCIS Calculator is it does not cover purpose built flats built before 1946!

Contango

14:23 PM, 4th March 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Jireh Homes at 04/03/2023 - 14:08
The BCIS is not so accurate. Furthermore one should add VAT because HMRC won a case quite recently where a building needed rebuilding following catastrophe and it was held that where even the stumps of the foundations remained, it was a repair rather than the construction of a new dwlling which would be zero rated. hence you have to add VAT at 20% to your sum insured to arrive at a true reinstatement value.....

Graham Bowcock

9:00 AM, 5th March 2023, About A year ago

If a neighbouring property is damage/destroyed by a fire on your property, it is down to the owner of that property to insure, or meet costs. The only caveat to that (which needs covering off by an insurer) is where damage is malicious or would need to be covered by public liability.

Adrian Jones

9:14 AM, 5th March 2023, About A year ago

Thanks Graham.

Crossed_Swords

10:30 AM, 7th March 2023, About A year ago

It is recommended to get a reinstatement valuation every few years - otherwise indexation overinflates it

Smiffy

7:56 AM, 10th March 2023, About A year ago

If an insurer states that only OMV will be paid, and the rebuild has been quoted in excess of this, are you entitled to demand the OMV as a single payment before commencing the rebuild?

If so, it would make sense to take the payment and stick the derelict site straight into the next local property auction with no reserve!

Ian Narbeth

11:28 AM, 10th March 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Smiffy at 10/03/2023 - 07:56
Smiffy, I am unaware of any case where insurers say that only OMV will be paid. Such a policy would not be at all satisfactory as the property might be under-insured or over-insured.. The property owner should insure for the reinstatement cost, whether that is higher or lower than OMV.

If the property has been damaged by fire then s83 Fires Prevention (Metropolis) Act 1774 may apply. The insurance proceeds would not be paid to the insured but insurers would repair or reinstate except in certain circumstances.

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