Best rent guarantee insurance: 6 providers compared | August

Best rent guarantee insurance UK 2026: providers compared

Rent guarantee insurance, also called rent protection insurance or landlord rent guarantee insurance, is one of the most valuable policies a UK landlord can hold in 2026. With Section 21 no-fault evictions abolished from 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, removing a non-paying tenant now requires a Section 8 possession claim, a court hearing and a warrant of possession, a process that can take three to nine months depending on court listing times. Through every one of those months the rent stops but the mortgage does not. A well-chosen policy covers that exposure. This guide compares six providers on the criteria that matter, including cover limits, legal expenses, cost, referencing requirements and who each one suits. For how the cover works and how claims are processed, see our complete rent guarantee insurance guide and the definition of rent guarantee insurance.

The provider details below are accurate to the best of our research at the time of writing in June 2026. Cover terms and prices change, so always confirm the current policy wording and check the firm on the Financial Conduct Authority register before you buy.

What to look for when comparing providers

Not all rent guarantee insurance (RGI) policies are structured the same way. Before comparing premiums, understand the variables that determine how much protection you actually have.

The monthly rent cap is the maximum the insurer will pay each month regardless of your actual rent. Standard policies cap at £2,500 per month and premium policies go higher, so if your rent exceeds the cap you absorb the difference during a claim. The maximum claim duration is how many months the policy pays out for, with standard cover running to 12 months and some policies extending to 24. The legal expenses sub-limit is the amount the insurer will pay for solicitor fees, court costs and enforcement, with £50,000 standard and some policies reaching £100,000. The referencing standard required varies by provider, and meeting a higher standard protects your claim at no extra cost. The arrears notification window is the period after the first missed payment within which you must tell the insurer, and missing it is one of the most common reasons for claim rejection. Finally, check the excess and any exclusions, since most policies exclude pre-existing arrears, unreferenced tenants and disputes that are not genuine non-payment.

The six providers compared

Hamilton Fraser (Total Landlord Insurance)

Hamilton Fraser's RGI through its Total Landlord Insurance brand is widely regarded as the most comprehensive standalone policy in the UK market. The monthly rent cap sits at £5,000, notably higher than the £2,500 standard elsewhere, which makes it the standout choice for higher-value properties in London and the south-east. Legal expenses cover reaches £100,000. The policy requires a full tenant reference including a credit check, income verification and a Right to Rent check, and claims must be notified within 60 days of the first missed payment.

Best for: landlords with monthly rents above £2,500, or anyone who wants the highest legal expenses limit in the market. Approximate annual cost: £200 to £350 for a single property at average UK rent levels, more for premium properties.

Alan Boswell Group

Alan Boswell operates as a specialist landlord insurance broker and offers RGI through its own panel. Its distinguishing feature is portfolio discounting, so landlords with several properties can access meaningful premium reductions compared with buying policies individually. Legal expenses cover is £100,000 and the monthly rent cap is £2,500 on standard policies. The arrears notification window is 30 days, which is tighter than average and calls for disciplined monitoring.

Best for: portfolio landlords seeking multi-policy discounts, or those who want a broker relationship rather than a direct insurer. Approximate annual cost: £150 to £280 per property depending on portfolio size.

Simply Business

Simply Business operates as a comparison broker rather than a direct insurer, placing rent guarantee cover through partner underwriters. Its main advantage is speed, with quotes available online in minutes and cover that can begin immediately. The monthly rent cap is £2,500 and legal expenses is £50,000 on standard policies. The product is usually offered as tenant default cover within a broader landlord insurance policy, which suits landlords who want buildings, liability and rent guarantee on one renewal date.

Best for: landlords who want buildings and rent guarantee bundled together with a fast online quote. Approximate annual cost: from around £8 to £10 per month for the rent guarantee element; bundled costs vary by property and location.

NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association)

The NRLA offers RGI to its members as a benefit of membership, administered through a specialist panel. The monthly rent cap is £2,500 and legal expenses is £50,000. The NRLA provides its own discounted tenant referencing service to members, which creates a joined-up pathway from referencing to cover. As across much of the market, a risk event arising in the first 90 days of the policy is excluded.

Best for: NRLA members who want referencing and insurance managed through one organisation, or landlords new to RGI who want a supported process. Approximate annual cost: in line with the market at £150 to £300 per year, within the membership package.

Homelet

Homelet is a landlord insurance specialist whose RGI product sits alongside its tenant referencing service. The two are tightly integrated, so landlords who use Homelet referencing can move to Homelet RGI without re-submitting documentation, and a tenant who passes Homelet referencing is insurable under its policy. The monthly rent cap is £2,500, legal expenses is £50,000 and the arrears notification window is 60 days.

Best for: landlords who want one provider handling both referencing and insurance. Approximate annual cost: £150 to £280 per year, with discounts when referencing is carried out through Homelet.

Towergate Insurance

Towergate is a specialist broker with a long-established landlord division. Its RGI offers a £2,500 monthly cap and £50,000 legal expenses cover. Its advantage is breadth, since it can accommodate more complex arrangements including HMOs with the correct licensing, mixed-use properties and certain holiday lets, where bespoke underwriting matters more than a standard online quote.

Best for: HMO landlords, mixed-use owners or anyone with a non-standard tenancy that standard policies decline. Approximate annual cost: in line with the market for standard lets, with bespoke pricing for complex cases.

Provider comparison at a glance

How much does rent guarantee insurance cost in 2026?

A standalone rent guarantee policy for a single property at average UK rent levels typically costs £150 to £300 per year, with premium policies on higher-value lets costing more. Some brokers price the cover per property per month instead, in the region of £8 to £10, which can work out similar over a year. The premium scales with the monthly rent insured, the claim duration, the legal expenses limit and the tenant profile, and a lower headline premium often comes with a higher excess, so it is worth comparing the excess alongside the price.

The cost is not as high as it first looks, because rent guarantee insurance premiums are an allowable expense that you can deduct from your rental income, which lowers the effective cost once tax relief is applied. Our guide to the best landlord insurance covers how the wider cover fits together and where rent guarantee sits within a complete policy.

Is rent guarantee insurance worth it after the Renters' Rights Act?

The case for RGI is materially stronger in 2026 than it was two years ago, for a purely structural reason. Under the old regime a landlord facing a non-paying tenant could serve a Section 21 notice and regain possession without proving arrears in court, which gave a parallel route many landlords used to resolve disputes. That route closed on 1 May 2026. Possession now requires a Section 8 claim, and the mandatory arrears ground, Ground 8, now requires three months' arrears rather than two, at both the date the notice is served and the date of the hearing, with a four-week notice period. Arrears caused by delayed Universal Credit payments are excluded from that calculation.

A higher threshold means more rent is lost before the mandatory ground is even available, and the court timeline for an arrears possession claim then runs on top. The financial exposure on a £1,500 per month property through a contested case, counting rent lost, legal fees and court costs, can reach £12,000 to £20,000. A policy costing £300 to £400 per year removes almost all of that exposure. For landlords with a mortgage the calculation is starker still, because the rent stops but the mortgage payment does not.

From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the ones who most often say they wish they had taken RGI out sooner are those who had a single bad tenancy. One arrears event more than covers several years of premiums. The clearest exception is a landlord with substantial reserves, no mortgage and a single low-rent property, where the exposure is manageable without insurance.

The referencing requirement: what to keep on file

Every policy on this list can be voided if referencing was not completed before the tenancy started, and this is the single most common reason for claim rejection. For each tenancy, keep the full tenant reference report (or a documented self-conducted reference with the credit check result, income evidence and a previous landlord reference), the Right to Rent check record with the document checked and the date, the signed tenancy agreement and any guarantor deed, and proof that the tenant was given the How to Rent guide. Our guide to tenant referencing explains the standard most insurers expect.

August stores all of these within the tenancy record. When you add a tenant, the platform prompts you to upload the reference report and compliance documents and flags any gap before the tenancy goes live, so if you ever claim, the insurer's evidence checklist maps directly onto what August already holds.

Can I get rent guarantee insurance for Universal Credit tenants?

Yes, in most cases, though referencing requirements are often stricter. Following the Renters' Rights Act 2025, refusing to let to a prospective tenant solely because they receive Universal Credit is unlawful in England from 1 May 2026. Landlords can still apply their usual referencing criteria, so a tenant who does not meet the income or credit standard can be declined on those grounds, just not on the basis of Universal Credit status alone.

Most insurers will cover Universal Credit tenants who pass referencing. Where a tenant cannot meet the standard income threshold, usually 2.5 to 3 times the annual rent in gross income, insurers typically require a UK-based guarantor to cover the shortfall. With the correct referencing and guarantor agreement in place, the policy will be valid.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need rent guarantee insurance if I have a deposit?

A deposit and RGI serve different purposes. A deposit covers damage and short arrears up to its cap, usually five weeks' rent, while rent guarantee insurance covers ongoing arrears across a multi-month possession process and the legal costs of recovering the property. For a contested eviction lasting six months at £1,500 per month, a deposit of around £1,730 covers less than two months of exposure, and RGI covers the rest.

How much does rent guarantee insurance cost?

A standalone policy for a single average-rent property usually costs £150 to £300 per year, or roughly £8 to £10 per property per month where priced monthly. The premium rises with the rent insured, the claim duration and the legal expenses limit, and the cost is an allowable expense against your rental income.

Is rent guarantee insurance tax deductible?

Yes. Rent guarantee insurance premiums are a legitimate business expense for a residential let and can be deducted from your rental income, reducing your taxable profit. Keep the policy documents and premium receipts with your records so the deduction is easy to evidence at tax time.

Can I take out rent guarantee insurance mid-tenancy?

Yes, although most policies apply a 90-day inception exclusion, so no claim can be made for arrears arising in the first 90 days after the start date. You cannot take out a policy after a tenant has already stopped paying and expect those arrears to be covered.

Does rent guarantee insurance cover Section 8 Ground 8?

Yes. Ground 8 is the mandatory arrears ground under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, now requiring at least three months' arrears at both the date the Section 8 notice is served and the date of the hearing. The policies reviewed here cover the legal costs of a Ground 8 claim under the legal expenses element.

How does rent guarantee insurance work with rent arrears tracking?

The best way to protect a claim is to track arrears from the moment they arise and notify your insurer within the required window, which can be as short as 30 days. Landlords who manage their rent on August tell us this is where claims are won or lost. August tracks rent payments automatically via Open Banking, flags a missed payment on the day it occurs and keeps a timestamped record of the rent account, which is exactly what insurers ask for. You can start tracking rent for free, with no credit card required.

Written by the August editorial team. Last reviewed: June 2026. Insurance products and pricing are subject to change. Always obtain personalised quotes from FCA-authorised firms before purchasing. This article does not constitute financial advice. August is not an insurance broker or intermediary.