Landlord Boiler Cover: What's Included, Costs & How to Choose
Boiler problems cause more disruption than many homeowners expect.
Research by Which? found that three quarters of homeowners with an older heating system are completely unprepared for a sudden breakdown.
And those caught off guard are twice as likely to face a heating emergency.
For landlords, the stakes are even higher. A broken boiler isn't just an inconvenience — it's a legal liability.
So, understanding what landlord boiler cover is - and choosing the right provider - can make all the difference.
What landlord boiler cover includes
Landlord boiler cover is a category of boiler cover. So it’s worth first understanding what the latter is.
Boiler cover (sometimes called boiler breakdown cover or gas boiler breakdown cover) protects your boiler and limits the hit to your finances if/when your boiler breaks down.
It usually includes:
- Repairs to your boiler and its controls
- The right to call out engineers (usually via a customer helpline)
- Help with paying the engineers’ labour costs and new parts (if required).
- An annual boiler service and safety inspection.
Landlord Gas Safety Record
Landlord boiler cover comes with a Landlord Gas Safety Record.
This is a legal document that serves as proof that you get your gas appliances checked on an annual basis.
Boiler cover vs central heating cover
Although boilers are part of your central heating, boiler cover and central heating cover are different.
The key difference is that central heating cover applies to the whole central heating system, including:
- Radiators
- Piping
- Controls
- The boiler.
By contrast, landlord boiler cover only focuses on the boiler and its controls.
Landlord boiler cover vs. home owner boiler cover
Legal responsibility
Landlords are legally responsible for covering and arranging maintenance to faulty boilers on their property, and for paying costs involved.
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords are required to keep heating and hot water systems in working order. Failure to act can result in council enforcement, compensation orders, or worse.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reinforces this. Its introduction of a Decent Homes Standard criterion includes a provision for adequate heating.
Eligibility
Tenants can't take out boiler cover because they don't own the property or the boiler.
If they could, disputes with landlords around their authorisation of repairs or replacements of a boiler they don’t own, for example, might be common. Or there could be disagreements on whose policy pays out.
Incentives
Without regulation, some landlords could be tempted to skip boiler cover or delay repairs to cut costs. This is especially applicable to those managing large portfolios where savings multiply across many properties.
This is precisely why legal obligations exist: renters are less likely to have the means to arrange or fund boiler cover themselves.
Without them, poorly maintained heating systems could simply go unfixed, leaving tenants in the cold.
With the rental market making up around 20% of UK housing (4.6 million homes), the scale of this issue could be huge.
Numbers of properties
The average UK homeowner owns one property.
The typical (median) landlord owns one-two properties. But the mean average across all landlords is closer to eight-nine properties (this figure is raised by large portfolio holders).
Because of this, many landlord cover providers offer multiple-property discounts.
Landlord boiler cover vs landlord homecare cover
Landlord homecare cover is a broader type of policy. Besides your boiler, it typically also covers plumbing, drainage, and electrics.
That can sound appealing. But broader isn't always better.
Landlord boiler cover focuses specifically on the boiler and its controls. A more targeted policy is often simpler to manage, cheaper, and easier to claim on.
If your rental property has older plumbing or wiring, for example, a homecare-style policy might be worth considering.
But if your main concern is keeping the boiler running and your legal obligations, landlord boiler cover is likely the more practical choice.
Landlord boiler cover costs
Landlord boiler cover typically has a price range of £6–£20/month per month, per property.
But this depends on the level of cover, and other factors, such as:
- Boiler age
- Excess terms
- Number of callouts.
How to choose landlord boiler cover
Check whether you already have it covered
Before getting cover, landlords should check the terms of their landlord insurance policy.
It may be the case that your boiler is covered by one of the following:
- Your buildings and contents insurance
- The manufacturer's warranty (especially if it's less than ten years old)
- An extended warranty (especially if your boiler was installed by an approved source, such as Vaillant Advanced or Worcester Accredited installers).
However, take note: warranties only cover you if your boiler breaks down during a certain time frame or under certain circumstances.
Outside of that, they may not apply and you will have to pay for the repairs. So it's important to check the terms of your warranty.
Consider your boiler’s age and make
However, Cover costs often - but not always - depend on the make and the age of the boiler. If it's over 15 years old, you're likely to have to pay more for your cover, for example.
(At YourRepair, we provide the same price regardless of your gas boilers’ make, model, or age, or your property type.)
And if it has broken down before, some providers’ plans will have special terms regarding repairs to conditions that already exist.
Look at excess charges
Excess is the money you pay towards the cost of getting an engineer out to fix a problem with your boiler.
Some landlord boiler cover packages will include this excess charge in the monthly fee they set. Others won’t. And the cost of excess you pay may also vary. (A rough guide is around £60, which is the cost for an engineer to visit your rental property. This varies according to region and provider.)
Call outs
The number and times of call-outs you're allowed to make may also vary.
For example, some may limit engineer visits for evenings or weekends. Others may limit the total number of call outs your tenants can make.
You should also check whether the helpline is a 24/7 service or not.
Landlord cover often gives tenants permission to call out engineers to fix the problem without a landlord having to visit the property.
This helps speed up response times and repairs, and it’s particularly important given risks like carbon monoxide leaks.
It's also worth ensuring tenants know how to handle basic maintenance themselves — such as repressurising the boiler — to avoid unnecessary callouts.
Switching landlord boiler cover providers
Switching landlord boiler cover providers is often easier than landlords expect.
It can be a good way to make savings, particularly if you have multiple properties.
Just bear in mind that switching before your plan expires (usually after 12 months) may incur a cancellation charge.
If you're ready to explore your options, YourRepair offers landlord boiler cover plans across the UK, with 24/7 engineer access with unlimited claims designed to give you peace of mind.
Still not sure? Read 6 Reasons Landlords Choose YourRepair.