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For unpaid rent and the cost of recovering possession, look for rent guarantee insurance—also called rent protection—combined with legal expenses cover. It is different from the loss-of-rent benefit in a buildings policy, which generally responds when insured damage makes a property uninhabitable, not when a tenant stops paying. There is no official best-buy ranking. On the current seller-published terms available for comparison, Alan Boswell Group is the stronger documented fit for a landlord concerned about a long arrears case: it lists up to 15 months of rent cover and £100,000 of legal expenses. Total Landlord’s terms through the NRLA list six months of rent cover, the same legal-expenses limit and no excess on the rent and legal cover except for a specified tax enquiry. Which is better depends chiefly on how long you could carry the rent shortfall yourself.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Free plan / price | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Boswell Group rent guarantee | Longer published rent-payment period | Up to £2,500 a month for 15 months; up to £100,000 legal expenses; up to three further months at 75% after eviction | £195 for 12 months with its landlord policy, or £250 standalone | UK property; terms and eligibility apply | November 2026 |
| Total Landlord via the NRLA | Nil excess on rent and legal cover, and a lower published rent-cover price | Up to £2,500 a month for six months; up to £100,000 legal expenses | £193.80 per tenancy for rent protection; legal expenses listed separately at £26.20 | UK product; terms and eligibility apply | November 2026 |
Prices checked November 2026.
Prices and limits in this table come from the providers’ own pages or, for Total Landlord, its listing on the NRLA site. They are not a quotation or a guarantee that you qualify. Check the policy schedule and current wording before buying.
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Which landlord insurance covers rent arrears and legal expenses?
Choose a policy that explicitly covers both tenant default and the legal work needed to recover possession. A landlord buildings policy may include loss of rent after insured damage, but that benefit is not the same as rent guarantee insurance and ordinarily does not pay simply because a tenant has fallen into arrears.
Landlord insurance can combine several distinct protections. Buildings cover is for the structure; landlord contents cover applies to the landlord’s belongings, not the tenant’s; property owners’ liability concerns injury or damage connected with the property. Loss of rent usually sits with buildings cover and is triggered when insured damage—such as a covered fire—makes the home unlettable. Rent guarantee insurance responds to tenant non-payment. Legal expenses can fund advice and proceedings, including possession work, subject to the wording and its limit.
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That distinction matters when comparing a quote. Look for the words rent guarantee, rent protection or tenant default, then confirm that the same policy also covers the legal steps you may need. Legal expenses bought without rent protection can help pay for a case while leaving the missed rent entirely yours. Conversely, a rent benefit with a low or restricted legal limit could leave you paying for some of the case.
SimplyQuote’s explanation of rent guarantee versus loss of rent offers a practical check: if the benefit is in the buildings section and requires insured damage, it is loss-of-rent cover; if tenant references are a condition, the product is likely rent guarantee. Read the schedule, though—the policy wording, not the product label, determines what is covered.
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Which of the two documented policies is the better fit?
Alan Boswell Group has the stronger published match if the length of the rent benefit is your priority. Total Landlord via the NRLA may suit a landlord who values its stated nil excess and can manage a rent shortfall after the sixth month. Both list legal expenses up to £100,000, but their rent periods and claim conditions differ.
Alan Boswell Group: longer rent cover on its published page
Alan Boswell Group’s rent guarantee page lists rent cover up to £2,500 a month for up to 15 months, plus up to three further months after eviction at 75% of the monthly rent. It lists legal expenses up to £100,000 and a 24/7 legal-expenses helpline. The legal section described on the page includes eviction costs and other matters such as tenant-related property disputes, certain health and safety or tax investigations, squatter removal, lock replacement after bailiff or sheriff eviction, and storage of a tenant’s goods. Those categories remain subject to the policy wording.
The listed price is £195 for 12 months when bought with Alan Boswell’s landlord insurance, for rent up to £2,500 a month, or £250 for 12 months per property when bought without that policy. The page also lists legal expenses without rent guarantee at £60 with its landlord policy or £80 without it. That legal-only option does not replace rent lost when a tenant defaults. Confirm whether the quoted price matches your property, rent, and chosen cover before relying on it.
There is an important timing condition: Alan Boswell says a rent-guarantee claim must be submitted within 90 days, recommends notifying within 60 days, and deducts one month’s rent if notification is between day 61 and day 90. It says to contact the tenant and try to agree a payment plan first. Once the claim is accepted and a second rental payment has been missed, the policy arranges the relevant notice and makes rent payments, subject to its terms. Do not treat the 90-day outer limit as a reason to wait.
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The eligibility information on the page includes tenant income of at least 2.5 times the monthly rent, or three times the monthly rent if self-employed. The income may include earnings, benefits, pensions or a mix. It also specifies a clean record of IVAs, CCJs and bankruptcy for at least three years; two identity documents, one photographic; and a legal tenancy agreement. Gas safety and EPC documents, and prescribed deposit information where a deposit was taken, must have been issued. These are meaningful underwriting conditions, not paperwork to sort out after a claim.
Total Landlord via the NRLA: six months of rent cover and a stated nil excess
The NRLA’s Total Landlord rent protection and legal-expenses page lists unpaid rent up to £2,500 a month for up to six months, and legal costs up to £100,000 for eviction, property disputes or damage claims. It also describes tenant mediation and eviction costs, a 24/7 legal helpline, hotel expenses of up to £150 a day for up to 30 days if the landlord needs possession to live in the property, and storage of up to £20 a day for up to 30 days if possession is delayed. The hotel benefit is not a general alternative-accommodation allowance for the tenant.
The NRLA page lists £193.80 per tenancy agreement for rent protection and £26.20 per tenancy agreement for legal expenses. It says there is no excess on this rent and legal cover apart from a £200 excess for a business-aspect tax enquiry. Treat the two listed prices as separate: together they total £220 per tenancy agreement before any other insurance or charges. The page presents the cover as an add-on to a buildings and contents policy.
Its conditions include four-point referencing for the tenant and any guarantor: proof of identity, a utility bill or bank statement, a credit check and confirmation of employment. A written tenancy agreement signed by both sides and a retained deposit of at least one month’s rent are also required. Rent protection claims must be reported as soon as possible and within 45 days of the insured event. Legal-expenses claims have a 180-day notification period, except tenant mediation and eviction, which must be reported within 45 days. These are different deadlines; use the one relevant to the event.
The NRLA says it introduces the contract; it is not the insurer or the party supplying the insurance. Its page states that a contract is between the customer and provider and that the NRLA acts only as an introducer. Get the identity of the contracting provider, the schedule and the full wording before purchase.
How to choose between them
- Prioritise the rent period if your mortgage or household finances depend on rent. Alan Boswell publishes a 15-month period plus a reduced post-eviction tail; the NRLA page lists six months. A cap of £2,500 also leaves any monthly rent above that amount uninsured.
- Prioritise excess and stated price if you can carry the rent after month six. Total Landlord’s NRLA page states a nil excess on the rent and legal cover, with the tax enquiry exception, and shows separate add-on prices.
- Compare total protection, not one headline number. Both list £100,000 for legal expenses, but you still need to confirm what the limit includes, how claims are handled, and whether the terms fit your tenancy.
- Check eligibility before buying. Referencing, tenancy documents, deposit requirements and notification deadlines can decide a claim regardless of the headline limit.
How long might an arrears case take in England?
Possession can take long enough for a six-month rent benefit to run out, so the headline duration deserves close attention. The figures below describe England’s private rented sector as reported in 2026 guides; they are not a legal opinion or a substitute for checking current official guidance and the policy wording.
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Those guides describe the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 as having received Royal Assent in October 2025, with phase one—including the end of Section 21 for private tenancies—in force from 1 May 2026. They describe fixed terms as converted to periodic assured tenancies and say a landlord now needs a Section 8 ground to end a tenancy. The possession mechanics and dates here are attributed to those guides, rather than presented as a direct reading of the Act.
The guides describe mandatory Ground 8 for rent arrears as requiring at least three months’ arrears for monthly rent, or 13 weeks for weekly or fortnightly rent, both when notice is served and at the hearing. They describe a four-week notice period, compared with the former two-week period, and say arrears caused only by a delay in Universal Credit housing payments are excluded from the Ground 8 calculation. If arrears fall below the threshold by the hearing, the mandatory ground may fail; a discretionary ground such as Ground 10 may still be relevant, but the result is not guaranteed.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPossession timing is uncertain and depends on the case and court. SimplyQuote’s 2026 guide gives a planning range of seven to 12 months, compared with four to seven months before the change. LetCompliance estimates about 29 to 38 weeks from notice for an undefended case and nine to 14 months if defended. It also reports Ministry of Justice data for private landlord claims from April to June 2026: a median 24.6 weeks and mean 33.6 weeks from claim to repossession. That is a claim-to-repossession measure, not a promise of the total time from the first missed payment.
The court fees are a separate cost from solicitor fees and lost rent. SimplyQuote, reporting the NRLA, says the county-court possession issue fee rose from £404 to £415 and the bailiff fee from £148 to £152 on 13 July 2026; LetCompliance reports the same amounts. LetCompliance gives a further £500 to £1,500 if a case transfers for High Court enforcement, a range from that guide rather than a fee schedule reviewed here. Verify current fees and enforcement costs when planning.
These timelines explain why comparing six months with 12 or 15 months is not academic. The policy’s rent cap, duration and any reduced post-eviction tail should be considered against the time you could realistically carry unpaid rent and costs. A longer limit does not mean every month is automatically payable: notification, accepted liability, legal process and other wording conditions still apply.
What should you check before buying rent guarantee insurance?
Check the conditions that can determine whether a claim is accepted before comparing premiums. The two published products show that referencing and deadlines are not interchangeable from one policy to another.
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- Confirm the rent trigger and monthly cap. Make sure the cover responds to tenant default, and compare the cap with the actual rent. If rent is £3,200 and the policy cap is £2,500, the difference remains your responsibility each month.
- Check the payment period and when it starts. Find out how many months are covered, whether payments begin after a specified missed payment, and whether there is a post-eviction tail. A lower monthly cap or shorter period can make a large difference to the claim value.
- Read the legal-expenses section in detail. Check the limit and whether it covers notices, hearings, enforcement, mediation, debt recovery, property disputes and tax enquiries. A 24/7 helpline is useful, but it is not the same as legal costs being covered.
- Complete the required referencing before the tenancy. Ask exactly what checks and evidence the insurer requires, and whether the guarantor must meet the same standard. Keep the documents. A tenant’s financial circumstances or benefits status alone does not establish that the policy’s reference conditions have been met.
- Keep a signed tenancy agreement and required property records. Confirm what is required for gas safety, EPC, deposit protection and prescribed information. Total Landlord’s NRLA terms require a deposit of at least one month’s rent; Alan Boswell’s page requires deposit information if a deposit was taken, but does not state that a deposit is compulsory.
- Know exactly when and how to notify. Record the first missed payment and contact the insurer promptly. Alan Boswell’s 90-day window includes a one-month rent deduction for notice on days 61–90; the NRLA listing gives 45 days for rent and mediation/eviction claims, and 180 days for other legal claims.
- Ask who appoints the solicitor. Some policies direct the landlord to an appointed legal provider. Do not assume costs from a solicitor chosen independently will be reimbursed; get approval and follow the claims process.
- Check the property and tenancy are accepted. HMOs, student lets, company landlords, non-standard buildings and overseas landlords can have different conditions. Do not assume a standard single-let quote extends to a different tenancy type.
Arrears that already exist when cover begins are not a standard insurable event. Buying a policy after a tenant has stopped paying should not be treated as a way to insure that known loss. Also check what happens if rent is withheld over disrepair: rent guarantee and loss-of-rent cover do not necessarily respond to that dispute, and tenant damage may fall under a separate buildings or contents provision.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much does rent guarantee insurance cost?
The clearest figures are the seller-published prices above: Alan Boswell lists £195 for 12 months alongside its landlord policy or £250 standalone, and the NRLA page lists Total Landlord rent protection at £193.80 per tenancy plus £26.20 for legal expenses. These prices were checked in November 2026 and are not universal quotes; eligibility, rent, property and selected cover affect what is offered.
2026 guides give broad market ranges rather than a standard tariff. August puts standalone cover at roughly £90–£300 a year for a standard single let in one guide and £150–£300 for average UK rents in another. SimplyQuote gives £150–£370 standalone and £100–£200 as an add-on. These ranges overlap but are not interchangeable with the two sellers’ listed prices. The cost of the landlord buildings policy is separate: August cites a £274 median annual premium for UK landlord cover without optional extras, attributing it to Alan Boswell Group’s 2026 statistics.
Compare like with like: the same rent, tenancy type, monthly limit, benefit period, legal limit, excess and required add-ons. Ask whether a quoted premium is per property, per tenancy agreement or per year, and whether a separate legal-expenses price is needed. A cheap headline price can be poor value if the tenant or property does not meet the conditions, the cover period is too short, or the rent cap leaves a large monthly gap.
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The financial exposure can greatly exceed a premium, but published examples are scenarios, not official average losses. August illustrates a six-month dispute as potentially £6,000–£15,000 in missed rent plus legal costs, and gives another example of £12,000–£20,000 total exposure on a £1,500-a-month property through a contested case. LetCompliance estimates £15,000–£22,000 at that rent when combining 8.7–10.7 months of rent, solicitor fees, issue fee and enforcement. These are guide estimates with differing assumptions, not guaranteed costs or a prediction for your case.
Is rent guarantee insurance worth it?
It is most useful when one tenancy’s rent is essential to meet a mortgage or other fixed costs, you have limited cash reserves, or you could not comfortably fund a prolonged possession case. For a landlord with a small portfolio, one tenant’s default can remove a large share of income at once. The legal benefit may matter as much as the rent benefit because proceedings have fees and can take months.
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It may be less valuable if you own several properties outright, have enough liquid reserves to carry a long interruption, and can absorb the legal costs without affecting other commitments. Self-insuring is not the same as being protected: set aside a realistic reserve for rent, court fees, advice and enforcement, and assess whether a single property could still create a cash-flow problem.
For HMOs, one room’s arrears may be a smaller proportion of total rent than a whole single-let default, but only if the insurer accepts the HMO and the specific tenancy arrangement. Check the insurer’s eligibility rather than assuming that a product for a standard buy-to-let covers a room-by-room let. A separate buildings-policy loss-of-rent benefit remains worth checking regardless, because damage that makes a property uninhabitable is a different event from tenant default.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →There is no regulator-issued ranking of the best rent guarantee policy. Treat “best overall” lists as opinions, compare the live wording, and request a current quote from an FCA-authorised firm. A product’s large legal limit, award history or provider reputation cannot make up for a short rent period or a referencing condition you did not meet.
How we picked the documented options
This comparison prioritises seller-published terms for the two products that document both rent protection and legal expenses: monthly rent cap, covered period, legal limit, price, excess and claim conditions. Where seller terms conflict with secondary round-ups, the seller page takes precedence. Other market routes are not ranked here because the 2026 descriptions retrieved disagree on important limits and current insurer wording was not available for confirmation. No product has an official best-buy status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy rent guarantee insurance after my tenant has stopped paying?
Do not assume you can insure arrears that already exist: a known loss is not a standard insured event. Tell an insurer or broker the accurate arrears history before taking cover, and ask in writing what future events, if any, would be eligible.
Does rent guarantee insurance cover a tenant who receives Universal Credit?
A benefits payment is not automatically the same as passing or failing an insurer’s referencing rules. Check the product’s permitted income evidence and underwriting criteria; the landlord guides cited here say insurers can cover tenants receiving Universal Credit if they pass the required checks.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWill the policy pay if my tenant withholds rent because of disrepair?
Do not assume it will. A dispute about repairs can be treated differently from ordinary tenant default, so report the circumstances to the insurer promptly and check the wording for rent withheld over disrepair and any separate property-damage cover.
Can I claim if I hire my own solicitor?
Check the claims process before instructing a solicitor. Policies may require the insurer to appoint or approve the legal representative, and the available product information does not establish that either policy will reimburse an unapproved solicitor.
