Residential properties

A package designed to the meet the needs of commercial customers looking to insure residential properties let for income, including private houses and blocks of flats.

Buildings. Rent. Contents. Liability.

Residential property owners face a unique combination of risks by entrusting their accommodation to tenants and, however well-prepared they may be, accidents and disputes can and do happen. Having adequate insurance is vital to protect residential property owners’ investments and safeguard their financial future should an unpredictable event occur such as vandalism, fire, or flood.

Why choose RSA?

Our Residential Properties insurance has been designed by our in-house property experts to the meet the needs of commercial customers looking to insure residential dwellings let for income – from a single house or block of flats to an entire portfolio of UK properties. Depending on the size of the business, we have two routes to trade with us as follows:

Trading online

For risk features that fall within our standard parameters, our online platform enables swift ‘straight-through trading’ of our Residential Properties product. This includes portfolios of up to 20 properties, covering up to £5million in value on blocks of flats and £1.5million on a single house.

Trading regionally

For more complex requirements or risk profiles, you can trade manually with our expert underwriting team. You will have access to a specialist underwriter in your region with vast local knowledge of the commercial property sector. They will work closely with you to deliver a speedy, solutions-focused approach and tailor the appropriate level of cover for your individual customer’s needs.


Choose from a pre-packaged product that you can put in place swiftly and simply online, or we can tailor cover to your customer’s unique needs by combining any of the following elements:

  • Buildings insurance – to cover the cost of rebuilding or repairing the structure if the building is damaged or destroyed
  • Landlords contents insurance– to cover the value of landlord’s contents such as white goods and furniture in residential properties or block of flats
  • Loss of rent insurance – should the property be damaged and unfit for tenants to live in for a period of time
  • Alternative accommodation insurance – to cover the cost of rehousing tenants if the property becomes uninhabitable
  • Public liability insurance – to protect residential property owners against claims where they are legally liable due to accidental injury to another person or accidental damage in or about the property
  • Employers’ liability insurance – to cover any staff employed by the landlord.
  • Legal expenses – for disputes in relation to contractual, residential and employment matters

Our risk appetite

Find out more about our risk appetite by exploring the tabs below.

Our Residential Properties policy is designed to be competitive for:

  • Purpose-built blocks of flats
  • Converted blocks – 3 years post-conversion
  • Low-rise properties
  • Mixed portfolios of the above
  • Non-combustible construction
  • Professional lets

Our Residential Properties policy is designed to be competitive for:

  • Purpose-built blocks of flats
  • Converted blocks – 3 years post-conversion
  • Low-rise properties
  • Mixed portfolios of the above
  • Non-combustible construction
  • Professional lets

We have a particular appetite for the following positive risk features:

  • Post-1960s build
  • Standard construction including concrete floors
  • Over three years old and up to 10 storeys in height
  • Professional lets
  • Majority occupied
  • Low flood and subsidence exposure
  • Well-managed (on-site personnel, maintenance, caretaker)
  • Robust security (electronic entry, 24-hour concierge, alarms), and moderate values for fixtures and fittings

As part of a portfolio of residential property we will consider:

  • Private dwellings (minimum 3 properties per policy)
  • Mixed demographic tenants
  • Commercial elements within the block (e.g. retail units to ground floors)
  • Grade II listed properties
  • Properties located in high or extreme flood and subsidence areas
  • Luxury properties
  • High-rise properties

The following risks sit outside our appetite:

  • Blocks with combustible cladding
  • Newly-built blocks of flats (under 3 years old)
  • Recent conversions (less than 3 years ago)
  • Student accommodation
  • Social housing and Housing Associations
  • Holiday lets
  • 100% unoccupied blocks or blocks undergoing refurbishment
  • Asylum-seeking tenants
  • Bedsits
  • Country mansions and converted country mansions
Insurance document and laptop

Speedy, streamlined property claims

We understand the impact a property claim can have on your customer’s business. That’s why our dedicated team will provide a fast and efficient claims service to get people and businesses back on track as quickly as possible.
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Building against blue sky

Mitigating risk

We offer a wide range of risk control guides to help safeguard your customers’ businesses and interests. From fire safety to escape of water, you can help your customers put in place a comprehensive risk mitigation programme by supplying them with a wide range of content created by our risk experts.
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Downloads and documents

View and download policies, fact sheets and more.

Residential houses

How to trade with us

You can trade online for portfolios of up to 20 properties - £5 million in value on blocks of flats and £1.5 million on a single house. Or speak to our team with a dedicated Residential Property underwriter in each of our regions:
RSA Online