Landlord Insurance with Pet Damage Cover — Protecting Your Property from Tenant Pets
Allowing tenants to keep pets in your rental property can make it easier to find and retain good tenants — but it also carries real risk. Pet damage to floors, carpets, doors, skirting boards and gardens is one of the most common complaints from landlords, and it is a risk that standard landlord insurance policies often exclude.
Specialist cover that lets you say yes to pets
Abcord provides specialist landlord insurance that includes cover for pet damage caused by tenants — giving you the confidence to consider pet-friendly lets without leaving your investment unprotected.
Did You Know?
Research consistently shows that pet-friendly rental properties attract more applicants, reduce void periods, and often command higher rents. But only 7% of landlords currently advertise as pet-friendly — largely due to concerns about damage. Abcord pet damage cover removes that barrier.
What is Pet Damage Cover for Landlord Insurance?
Pet damage cover is an addition to your landlord insurance policy that provides protection against damage caused to your rental property by tenants' pets. This includes accidental damage — such as scratched floors and chewed skirting boards — and in some cases contamination damage, such as pet urine soaking into floorboards.
Without this cover, any pet-related damage would need to be recovered from the tenant's deposit — which may not be sufficient to cover the full cost of repairs.
What Types of Pet Damage Does Landlord Insurance Cover?
Scratched flooring
Scratched and damaged hardwood or laminate flooring
Carpet damage
Carpet damage — staining, tearing, burns from pet waste
Chewed skirting & doors
Chewed skirting boards, door frames and doors
Damage to walls
Damage to walls — scratches, marks, holes
Garden damage
Garden damage — digging, destruction of lawns and fencing
Contamination damage
Pet urine or faeces soaking into subfloors
Broken fixtures
Broken fixtures caused by pets — cat flaps, panels, glass
What is Not Covered?
It is important to understand what pet damage cover does not include:
- Wear and tear — normal aging of surfaces is not claimable regardless of pets
- Pre-existing damage that was present before the tenancy began
- Damage not documented with a proper inventory and check-in report
- Damage to tenant's own pets or belongings
Essential: Get a Detailed Inventory
Pet damage claims are significantly stronger when you have a thorough, photographic inventory completed at the start of the tenancy. Without this, it is extremely difficult to demonstrate what damage was caused during the tenancy. Abcord strongly recommends using a professional inventory clerk for all pet-friendly lets.
Landlord Legal Obligations When Renting to Pet Owners
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 changed the rules around pet damage significantly. Here is what landlords need to know:
- You cannot charge a pet deposit separately — all deposits must comply with tenancy deposit scheme rules
- The total deposit cannot exceed five weeks' rent for most tenancies
- You can require tenants to take out pet insurance as a condition of the tenancy
- You can request that carpets are professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy
- You cannot automatically refuse pets under newer tenancy agreements — but you can set reasonable conditions
Because the deposit cap limits what you can recover from tenants for pet damage, landlord insurance with pet damage cover is increasingly important as a financial safety net.
Frequently Asked Questions — Pet Damage Landlord Insurance
Most standard landlord insurance policies do not cover pet damage as a default inclusion. It is typically an optional add-on that must be specifically requested. Abcord provides landlord insurance that can include pet damage cover — contact us to confirm availability and what is included in your specific policy.
Yes. As a landlord, you can require tenants to take out and maintain their own pet insurance as a condition of the tenancy agreement. This can provide an additional layer of protection alongside your own landlord insurance. However, pet insurance policies vary considerably in what they cover, so you should not rely on tenant pet insurance alone.
This area of UK law is evolving. The Renters Reform Bill and associated changes to tenancy law are moving towards giving tenants stronger rights to request permission to keep pets, with landlords required to have reasonable grounds to refuse. Abcord pet damage cover allows you to confidently grant permission to tenants with pets, knowing you are financially protected.
To make a successful pet damage claim, you will need: a thorough photographic inventory from the start of the tenancy, a check-out report documenting the damage found at the end of the tenancy, receipts or quotes for repair or replacement, and evidence that the damage was caused during the tenancy. Contact Abcord as soon as damage is discovered — do not wait until after the tenant has vacated.
Pet damage cover applies during the tenancy period. Once a tenancy ends and the property becomes vacant, the terms of your unoccupied property cover apply. If there is damage discovered at check-out, this should be claimed during the tenancy period rather than after the tenant has left.
Add Pet Damage Cover to Your Landlord Insurance
Call Abcord on 01923 911 202 to add pet damage cover to your landlord insurance policy — or to get a new quote that includes this cover from the start.
