House Insurance for a RAS property

thegills

Howdy all. I'm renting a house in SDCC via the Rental Accommodation Scheme but am struggling to find a house insurer. Anyone recommend a good insurance company to work with?

Lumen

There's no such thing as "house insurance". There's "buildings insurance" which covers the structure and "contents insurance" which covers everything else, and "home insurance" which is a category that includes both.

Contents insurance for people who don't own the property is sometimes called "renters insurance".

thegills

Correct. It's home insurance I'm looking for. I own the house but rent it via RAS. I was buying the insurance through a broker but now they can't get me any quotes as it's with RAS.

thegills

Does anyone have any recommendations here?

Dardania

I got the home insurance for rental in the past with Zurich Insurance

aLou991

Zurich cheapest for me. Think it's 25 a month or so. Nearly half the price of 123

Caranica

Did you try the banking and insurance forum? Otherwise check for providers of landlord insurance, at the end of the day you're still a landlord.

circular flexing

Are you renting out under the scheme where you give your house to the council, they pay the rent to you and they place tenants inside it? If so you may have trouble getting insurance for it. My understanding is that as you cannot vet the tenants in the property (the council does this) then insurance companies don't want the risk.

Dardania

circular flexing wrote: »

Are you renting out under the scheme where you give your house to the council, they pay the rent to you and they place tenants inside it? If so you may have trouble getting insurance for it. My understanding is that as you cannot vet the tenants in the property (the council does this) then insurance companies don't want the risk.

When I got the Zurich insurance, I was never asked anything about the nature of the tenancy

circular flexing

Dardania wrote: »

When I got the Zurich insurance, I was never asked anything about the nature of the tenancy

Then I would check with them to be sure - non-disclosure may not help if you have to make a claim. I had similar concerns so I contacted Aviva and they said they only cover if I'm responsible for placing the tenants - if the council were then I wouldn't be covered (like you I wasn't asked the nature of the tenancy).

The_Conductor

Dardania wrote: »

When I got the Zurich insurance, I was never asked anything about the nature of the tenancy

It is a material factor you are supposed to disclose when asked for any pertinent information during the quotation. FYI- I've tried to get cover from Zurich on behalf of a sibling (at the start of September). They refused to quote (on the basis of a RAS tenant).

Dardania

circular flexing wrote: »

Dardania wrote: »

When I got the Zurich insurance, I was never asked anything about the nature of the tenancy

Then I would check with them to be sure - non-disclosure may not help if you have to make a claim. I had similar concerns so I contacted Aviva and they said they only cover if I'm responsible for placing the tenants - if the council were then I wouldn't be covered (like you I wasn't asked the nature of the tenancy).

Didn’t think of that - but in my case it’s fine, just my brother living in my house for a while - so definitely I could select who!

Maybe it’s pushing OP to only insure the building, and not contents - and therefore let it without contents?

thegills

I had to email broker to confirm that I vet the tenants. Still can't get insurance. Fingers crossed the storm doesn't hurt me.

Grumpypants

I got mine through the AA. It's landlords insurance. Covers building, contents and public liability. Think it is about €270 a year.

Brioscai

A renter here . I've contents insurance as the building insurance is up to the landlord.

The_Conductor

Brioscai wrote: »

A renter here . I've contents insurance as the building insurance is up to the landlord.

Contents insurance is an entirely different thing- and would be up to a tenant to secure their own contents insurance.

The issue here is landlord insurance (which covers buildings and (depending on the policy) white goods etc). It is exceptionally difficult to secure basic landlord insurance cover (even just for buildings) if the tenant is a RAS or HAP tenant- and if a landlord does not volunteer that the tenant is a RAS or HAP tenant- if something does go wrong- the policy is void, as the landlord has deliberately neglected to disclose a material fact.

HAP and RAS tenants- are considered, from an underwriting perspective, for all intents and purposes, to render property uninsurable for landlords in Ireland.