Choose quality over economy

Landlords have been advised to choose quality insurance rather than cheaper policies that may not provide sufficient cover.

The advice came from the Residential Landlord's Association (RLA), which suggested that insurance should be provided by a reputable insurer and cover periods when properties were left empty.

Alan Ward, director, warned: "There is an old adage that you never know how good your insurance is until you make a claim."

He advised that a policy can be lowered by taking on a larger excess, but warned against jumping at the lowest quote.

"Price and quality are not necessarily the best combination," Mr Ward continued. "There is cheap insurance and there is good value insurance. Beware of insurers whose names you have never heard of."

Student properties are rent by the room and are a popular source of income for property investors.

However, students often return home outside of term time and some insurance policies don't provide cover when a property is empty.

08/10/2007 12:44:31