Commercial Property Insurance Quotes

Commercial Property Insurance Policy Features

Buildings Insurance

Rental properties are deemed higher risk from an insurers perspective, because there is a higher chance of it being damaged or of damage not being reported fast enough. A small leak which your tenant has chosen to ignore could actually be a burst pipe which would have disastrous consequences for your building. Commercial property insurance will help you cover the costs of any repairs or building work which may be required following an accident.

As with any policy, there are exclusions. For example, general wear and tear is not covered, so things like carpets etc. are the owners responsibility. Another is damage caused by acts of war or terrorism; for this type of cover you will require a specialist policy.

Liability Cover

These are other important areas of your policy to consider.

• Public Liability – this will protect you against any claims made against you by a third party, for example is a member of the public had an accident whilst on your premises. These sorts of incidents can end up being very costly for an individual.
• Employee Liability – if you have anyone working for you, whether paid or as a volunteer, this is required by UK law.

Now you have an idea of what features commercial property insurance contains, work out which ones are relevant to you. This type of insurance is more expensive than regular property insurance policies, which is why it is so important that you only pay for cover that you actually need.

Contents Insurance

When your property is being rented by a third party, the onus is no longer on you to protect the building’s contents; responsibility must be established between you and your tenant right at the beginning of the rental contract to prevent any awkward situations farther down the line. Some landlords will arrange for Commercial Premises Insurance and pass on the cost to the tenant, but the responsibility for insuring the contents always lies with the tenant.

You will need to value your stock when applying for contents insurance; remember it is the cost price, not the sale price, which the insurer will be interested in. Sometimes your stock levels may increase, like around Christmas time for example, so it is important to either have a policy in place which can take that into account, or else you must get in touch with your insurer to let them know.  Being underinsured is a far more common mistake than you may realise.

Business equipment like tools and computers can be very expensive to replace. When working out your policy, decide which type of cover suits you better:

• Replacement as new – should an item become irreparable or get stolen, your insurer will replace it with a brand new one
• Indemnity policy – this will take into account any wear and tear, and will replace your item at its current value rather than as new. If something has depreciated in value over the course of a year, your insurer will pay out the new lower figure.

Managing commercial properties requires a certain amount of skill that is not always applied to residential lettings. Commercial properties tend to be frequented by numerous people at the same time, which means health and safety is of the utmost importance.  Furthermore, it means there is a higher risk of wear and tear, which all needs to be covered by your commercial property insurance.

It’s very likely that members of the public will also be frequenting your commercial property, which is why having extensive public liability insurance is essential for all commercial landlords. Legal fees and loss of rent can all also be added to your policy to ensure your business is protected at all times.