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With the potential for freezing temperatures and adverse weather conditions, winter can be hard on any home.
High winds, heavy rainfall, ice and snow can all cause damage to the fabric of a property and our own data shows that property insurance claims increase significantly over the winter months. So, as a landlord with responsibility for the safety and security of your tenants, what can you do to minimise the chance of your rental falling victim to the harsh winter weather?
Well, the good news is, there are plenty of preventative measures you can take to protect both your property and your tenants against winter weather. And as long as you’ve kept up with maintenance and your tenant has reported any problems quickly, most winter property damage should be covered by your landlord insurance.
Here, we’ve put together a round-up of the potential threats to look out for in winter and the steps you can take to make sure your rental is ready to withstand anything winter weather throws at it!
To begin with, here’s a handy summary of the contents so you can skip ahead to anything that’s of particular interest:
As climate change continues to take effect, we’re seeing increasingly extreme weather events in the UK. That means it’s more important than ever to prepare your property for the onset of winter, when harsh elements are likely to cause the most damage.
Properties that are kept in good condition fare much better in severe weather, so if you don’t already have a comprehensive maintenance schedule in place for your rental, it’s worth putting one together.
The main things that will make your property vulnerable to the effects of bad weather are:
All these things should be picked up through regular property checks and fixed as part of a routine maintenance schedule. However, it’s a good idea to run through this checklist ahead of winter and again after any bouts of bad weather – including high winds, heavy rainfall, snow and icy snaps – and make sure you carry out any repairs as quickly as possible.
Storms are on the rise in the UK, with February being the peak month for storm damage claims. At Total Landlord, the number of storm claims quadrupled between 2018 and 2022, with the average claim paid out peaking at £10,801 in the 2020 storm season. Since 2018 storm claims have climbed from being the fourth to the second most common claim.
The most common hazards associated with storms are roof tiles cracking or breaking, trees falling, flooding and fences collapsing. In fact, 66% of all storm claims made between January 2019 and January 2022 were because of roof damage. The average claim value for storm-related roof damage has risen by over 50% in recent years - from £2,310 in the period 2014 to 2019,to £3,672 between 2019 and 2022.
Most recently, landlord insurance claims for storms Dudley and Eunice (both in February 2022) averaged £4,156, with one claim coming in at an eye-watering £93,020 for damage when, due to storm Eunice, a fir tree at the rear of a property fell, impacting the roof, sash windows and rear balcony.
Strong winds in particular have the potential to be hugely damaging. They can rip off loose roof tiles – and dislodge anything else on or around the property that’s not secure – and flying debris can break windows and cause other damage.
So, once you – or your agent – has checked that none of your tiles are broken or loose and any flashing is secure, what else can you do to minimise the chance of having to make a claim?
Here are five steps you can take ahead of a storm that should help reduce the risk of damage to your property:
For more tips on preparing for storms and windy weather, check out our five-step plan for landlords and watch the video below:
Although only 2.7 per cent of storm damage insurance claims are as a result of hail, it’s the second most expensive type of winter weather claim we receive, with an average cost of £2,713.
Most of these claims relate to roofs and windows, so the best way to protect against hail damage is by investing in good-quality, modern roof tiles and windows.
Meanwhile, our most expensive average winter weather claim – coming in at over £13,000 – relates to flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall. And with Met Office modelling predicting that intense rainfall associated with flash floods could be up to five times more likely by the end of this century, and the Environment Agency predicting 59% more rainfall by 2050, it’s certainly something to take seriously.
If your rental is in a flood-prone area, it’s worth taking advice from your local council or the National Flood Forum charity on the specific flood prevention and protection measures you could invest in to protect your property, as well as how much that might cost. According to Flood Re, it typically costs between £20,000 and £45,000 to repair a flooded home.
Even if your property isn’t particularly liable to flooding, any ground can become waterlogged when there’s persistent heavy rain. And if your property ends up with blocked drains and guttering, that could cause rainwater to pool and leak in through your walls.
So, make sure you run through this checklist ahead of forecasted heavy rainfall:
If your rental property is in a flood-risk area, you’re likely to need specialist insurance and not every insurer will provide cover. Total Landlord is signed up to the Flood Re scheme, which will cover buy to let properties as long as they meet certain criteria. To find out more and get a quote, contact us on 0800 63 43 880 or complete our quote form online. For more information you can also read our NRLA guide, which is packed with tips on the measures you can take to prevent flooding in your rental property.
Heavy snowfall is getting less common across most of the UK and the Met Office regional climate model simulation has shown that this trend is likely to continue. Nevertheless, with climate change causing increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather events, we’re still likely to see occasional periods of very heavy snow.
As it falls, snow can build up and increase the strain on your roof, which – in the most severe cases – could lead to sagging or even structural damage.
The other risk is ‘ice dams’, which can form along the edge of the roof and around guttering as snow melts and then refreezes. This blockage can cause water to build up and seep through the brickwork, just as happens when the guttering gets blocked by leaves and other debris. And if melting snow on the roof is unable to escape, it will find any gaps between and underneath tiles and you can easily end up with a leak in your loft.
The only thing you can really do to tackle these problems is ask your tenants to let you know if there’s a build-up of snow or ice, then have a contractor do what they can to clear it.
Of course, the other danger for your tenants is when it’s slippery underfoot. Ideally, have gravel drives and pathways at your rented property – not only does this help reduce the risk of slipping, but it’s also a good deterrent for intruders, as it’s noisy to walk on! In any case, it’s advisable to provide your tenants with a snow shovel and some salt or grit that they can use to keep the entry to the property clear and safe. Read our guide for more information on how to protect your property against snow damage.
‘Escape of water’ is the term used by the insurance sector to describe a leak in the home. The definition is: “When water has entered the property by the mains water supply and caused damage.”
It’s comfortably one of the most common home insurance claims, with our own 10 years of property claims report revealing that 34% of all claims paid out between 2008 and 2018 were for escape of water situations. This figure has remained remarkably consistent, with escape of water still accounting for 34% of claims between 2015 and 2021.
The reason it’s such a common claim is that even the smallest leak can lead to significant property damage if it’s not spotted and dealt with quickly. And that can be particularly tricky in winter when pipes can easily freeze and burst behind the scenes before your tenants are aware there’s even a problem!
In 2019, The Association of British Insurers estimated that escape of water claims during winter cost the insurance industry around £1.8 million a day. At Total Landlord, the average escape of water claim between 2015 and 2021 cost on average £3,057, an increase of £600 compared with the five year period from 2014 to 2019 when the average claim was coming in at £2,657. With the cost of escape of water claims increasing and around a third of all claims consistently related to escape of water, you must check that you’re properly covered by your landlord insurance policy.
Both our Essential and Premier policies provide cover for ‘escape of water and resultant damage arising from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes’ – simply contact us for a quote.
According to our own data, over the winter of 2018-19, just under 69% of all escape of water insurance claims were caused by burst pipes.
This type of claim is so common because even a small fracture in a pipe can release major volumes of water and result in surprisingly large claims. Although the average escape of water claim is for just £3,057, some water damage and repair bills have clocked in at over £100,000 – the highest ever claim, paid in 2018, was for £145,855!
Burst pipes can lead to:
One of the main causes of burst pipes is water inside them freezing – head to the next section to find out more. Read more on burst pipes and how to avoid them in your rental property.
One of the most important things to do when a new tenant moves into your property is make sure they understand what to do and who to contact in an emergency situation. Show them where the mains water stop-cock and electricity fuse box are located and how to turn them off, and include all this information in a welcome pack. Our guide contains a useful template for you to download and share with your tenants.
Then, in the case of a burst pipe, follow our seven-step checklist to keep the damage and size of the insurance claim to a minimum:
When the temperature drops in the winter, there is an increased risk of frozen pipes, even inside your property. As water freezes, it expands, which can force joints in the pipework apart and even burst the pipes themselves. Then, when the ice thaws, the water escapes and you could end up with a big leak – and a big problem.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid frozen pipes in your rental property:
And if your property is going to be unoccupied for a period during the winter, turning off the water and draining the system will make sure there’s no water in the pipes to freeze.
If you do end up with frozen pipes, you have to proceed carefully because if a pipe has already burst, you could start a flood. We’d suggest that, rather than trying to thaw the pipes yourself, you (or your tenants) turn off the water at the stopcock and call in a professional plumber.
Increasingly, technology is allowing landlords to monitor their properties from afar, which is particularly handy for those with multiple properties scattered across the UK.
So, this winter you might want to consider investing in a smart device that:
To find out more, read our guest blog from Aqualeak, Can proptech help prevent your property leak?
Having an efficient heating system that works properly goes a long way to protecting your property against burst pipes. And if you have a gas boiler, there’s no better time to have your legally required annual gas safety check than just before winter.
If you can’t arrange an appointment ahead of winter – after all, many other landlords will be trying to do the same thing – you can give your boiler an informal inspection yourself:
Finally, make sure your tenants know what the boiler pressure should be and make them aware that the recommended temperature in a home during winter is 18 to 21 degrees. As a landlord, you’re legally responsible for the safety of the gas appliances and pipework in your property, so if you or your tenants are ever in doubt about the safety of your boiler, always call a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.
Check out our guest blog from JustBoilers.com, looking at the top five boiler problems you may face this winter and what to do. And here’s a short video on how to prepare your boiler for winter, elaborating on some of the tips above:
The long hours of darkness during winter create more opportunities for burglars. Our own trend data for the ten years from 2008 to 2018 shows that attempted break-ins peak in January and theft claims are highest through late autumn and early winter. Over the five years from 2014 to 2019, 8.4 per cent of all claims we received at Total Landlord were for break ins, with an average claim value of £2,250, although many are considerably higher – the highest ever claim, paid in 2018, was for £80,438.
So, what steps should you be taking to deter intruders and protect both your property and your tenants through the winter months?
Your first line of defence is deterrence, so here are three things you can do that will make it much harder for burglars to sneak up and break in to your property once the sun’s gone down:
Fit motion-activated lights to the front and back of the property – and anywhere else where someone might be able to gain access at night, such as a garage. Not only will that help deter burglars, it’ll also be more convenient and safer for your tenants coming and going through winter.
Gravel makes an unavoidable crunching sound when you walk on it, which could alert your tenants to someone approaching the property. So, rather than tarmac or block paving, go for a gravel drive and pathways. And the added benefit is there’s much less chance of tenants slipping when it’s icy.
You don’t want to give an intruder anything to hide behind, so either cut back or completely remove any trees, bushes and large plants that are close to doors and windows.
According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, around 70% of burglars break in through a door, with roughly one in five finding the door unlocked! Around 30% gain entry through a window and about a third of those find the window either open or unlocked.
So, although your tenants are far less likely to leave windows open during the winter, remind them to always close and lock the doors and windows when they leave the property. Properly fitted, modern double-glazing units are pretty difficult to break into when they’re locked from the inside, so that’s ideally the type of windows and doors you should install.
It’s also worth considering changing the locks for each new tenancy and if a tenant loses their keys. Some landlords choose to install security alarms, but they can be more trouble than they’re worth if tenants don’t know how to operate them properly. Unless your property is in a high-crime area, taking the steps above to deter burglars and secure windows and doors should be sufficient for your tenants to feel safe and secure in their home.
For more on securing your rental property, see our ultimate guide.
The winter months can wreak havoc on a property, especially when you’re letting it to tenants who may not have dealt with issues such as leaks, storm damage or burglaries before. Prevention is definitely the key to having a hassle free winter, and it’s important to make sure you have the right level of insurance cover in place as things will happen. And, just in case the tenant causes damage, that you have a deposit that you can recoup some or all of your costs through. Read our separate articles on winter related insurance issues and winter related deposit issues, for more in-depth advice on these topics. And you can find out more from a landlord’s perspective in our ‘Landlord voice’ article by seasoned landlord, Tom Entwistle, who shares his insights on preparing your rental property for winter, focusing on the need to view repairs and maintenance as an investment, rather than a cost.
When there’s an emergency at your rental property, a big factor in keeping any resulting damage to a minimum is how quickly your tenants respond.
Of course, not every tenant does inform their landlord about problems at an early stage and sometimes you won’t find out about an issue until damage has been caused, which is why it’s vital that you have comprehensive landlord insurance cover, as well as good lines of communication with your tenants.
But there are things you can do to prepare your tenants in case issues arise.
As part of their check-in, make sure they know exactly what to do if something goes wrong. Three key questions they must know the answers to, are:
Winter emergency ‘action sheet’
Here are some of the main issues your tenants could encounter over the winter and some suggestions as to how they might deal with them. It’s worth drawing one up specifically for your rental and including it in your tenants’ welcome pack:
Event Action Primary contact Leave the property?
Minor storm damage, e.g. cracked window, tree down Take photos Property manager No
Major storm damage, e.g. structural damage to property Take photos Property manager If unsure, yes
Boiler breakdown Property manager No
Minor water leak Turn off water Property manager No
Flooding Turn off water and electrics Emergency plumber Yes
Frozen pipes Turn off water Landlord/agent No
Power cut Check trip switch on fuse board Electricity supplier No
Heavy snow/ice build up Property manager No
Attempted break in Take photos 101 - police No
Burglary or vandalism Take photos 101 - police If unsure, yes
Intruder in the property Leave the property 999 - police Yes
Smell of gas Leave the property Emergency Gas Safe engineer/999 Yes
Fire Leave the property 999 - Fire brigade Yes
Also include on the sheet contact numbers for:
And advise your tenants to save these numbers to their mobile phone.
Sometimes tenants – and even the occasional landlord – can misunderstand whose responsibility it is to fix property problems. As a general rule of thumb, anything to do with the fabric of the property and health and safety is the responsibility of the landlord, regardless of how the problem arose and who caused it. See our ultimate guide to legislation for landlords for details.
For example, if the tenant hasn’t been ventilating the property properly over winter and that’s led to damp and surface mould, it’s down to the landlord to fix the problem so that the property is safe for the tenant to continue living in.
On 8 September 2023, the Government published comprehensive guidance on damp and mould in homes. The aim of the guidance is to make sure that landlords have a thorough understanding of their legal responsibilities and the serious health risks that damp and mould cause.
The guidance explicitly states that tenants should not be blamed for damp and mould and that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify and address the underlying causes of the problem, which may be structural or inadequate ventilation. Our guide to damp, mould and condensation contains lots of advice and includes a tenant checklist for you to share with your tenants.
Tenants simply have a responsibility to look after their home in a ‘tenant like manner’. So they should expect to look after minor issues, such as:
With attempted break ins peaking in the winter, remember to close and lock windows and doors securely when leaving the property and overnight. And having a couple of lights on timers, set to come on and go off at different times, can give the impression that someone’s always home.
Lots of people go on holiday or visit family over the Christmas period and if it’s only for a week or so, there’s not usually any need to let the landlord or agent know. However, during winter there could easily be freezing temperatures or adverse weather events and if the property is vacant, any damage might not be discovered for several days. Let your landlord or agent know about any trips away so they can make checks on the property if necessary.
We all love extra warmth and a cosy atmosphere in winter, but make sure any free-standing heaters are kept away from curtains and furnishings and all fires and candles are properly extinguished before leaving the property or going to bed.
Less ventilation combined with the cold can lead to damp problems as excess moisture trapped inside the house will settle on cold surfaces, where it can develop into mould. Opening the windows as often as possible is the best solution, but if that’s not comfortable, use extractor fans, open trickle vents and make sure there’s always some background heating on, which will also help prevent pipes from freezing.
Excessive wet weather, snow, ice and wind can all damage garden furniture and if there are high winds, the furniture could get blown into fences, sheds and windows and cause damage itself. So, if there’s a garage or large shed at the property, put the furniture away for the winter, or simply store it in the most protected area of the garden.
You can also direct your tenants to our series of free advice sheets to help them look after their home this winter.
Keeping your property safe from adverse weather conditions and other winter property problems such as break-ins, is about getting the basics right and following a few simple rules. If you maintain the property’s general upkeep, invest in good fittings and think proactively about risk mitigation, you can reduce the odds of needing to make a claim for damage caused by severe weather and other risks this winter.
That said, no matter what measures you put in place you can’t eliminate risk entirely. Landlord insurance is essential if you want to protect your property and investments. Total Landlord Insurance offers comprehensive cover for landlords, providing peace of mind that, should the worst happen, you are covered. Get a quote today to find out how much you could save.
