Insurance for UK Commercial Property Owners
Insuring UK property owners against uncertainty
Protecting key physical assets is essential for creating a successful and sustainable business and is perhaps the most important protection that a company will buy. It is the cornerstone that helps ensure businesses continue to trade after a disaster. At Travelers we understand the wide and varied exposures faced by property owners in the UK.
Our bespoke and detailed policy has no maximum limit for locations and offers an option to quote for both residential and commercial risks. It also includes a broad range of cover extensions as standard. We also offer a risk consultancy proposition for larger risks. Property owners can feel reassured that their business will be protected − even if the worst happens.
Spotlight video: Property owners insurance
Discover the key highlights of our property owners insurance in just a few minutes. Watch Dan Edge, Portfolio Manager, as he shares an overview of who our specialist cover is tailored for and what sets Travelers apart.
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Logo: A red umbrella. Text: Travelers. Spotlight on Property Owners. Overview of Travelers Property Owners Insurance. Dan Edge, Portfolio Manager – Property Owners.
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DAN EDGE: As one of our specialist segments, we can help with your customers real estate needs from micro SMEs, through to mid-market to large corporate risks.
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Text: Coverage for all sizes of businesses
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We pride ourselves in offering high levels of cover as standard, and being Travelers, we also offer a host of value-added services as well. Some examples are;
• Free access to Cardinus risk management which comes as standard and at no cost to our property owner customers
• Free use of our in-house risk consultancy services for larger risks
• And we make it easy to deal with us by providing direct access to our specialist underwriters throughout the UK via direct e-mail and direct dial phone numbers.
No long call centre queues causing extra stress.
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Text: Our value added services include:
• Cardinus Risk Management e-learning resource
• In-house risk consultancy services and expertise
• Direct access to specialist underwriters
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Text: Why does a business need this insurance?
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By definition, a property owner uses their property rental income and the increase in property value over time as the bedrock of their property owning business. Property owners need to sweat their expensive property assets in order to get the best returns, so it goes without saying that they need the highest quality insurance to protect those crucial assets. Whilst the core of a property owner’s policy will always be the buildings insurance, there’s so much more to it such as protecting rental income, liabilities to the public and any employees; so it’s critical for property owners to have the right insurance in place at all times. In fact, we’re seeing an increase in the frequency of public liability claims on property owners from things such as slips and trips in public areas, so it’s therefore critical to ensure you have the right public liability protection in place, in addition to insuring the actual fabric of the building.
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Text: Who is this product for?
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We specialise in portfolios of well-managed, properties for property owners, investment trusts and specialist managing agents. We have a particular specialism in commercial led risks such as offices, retail, industrial risks and mixed use properties.
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Text: Appetite sweet spots include:
• Offices
• Retail
• Light industrial
• Mixed use properties
• Surgeries
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That being said, we’ll consider many types of risks including residential, although we might need a bit more information to help you and your clients get the best possible solution.
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Text: Why Travelers?
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We’re a long established specialist in the marketplace, with an online eTrade product for SME businesses which complements our established mid-market offering.
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Text: SME and Mid-market solutions available
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We have the capacity and the product suite to insure businesses as they start out in this sector and as they grow, and we can help with coinsurance solutions too. We provide all the cover extensions you’d expect from a high-quality wording, such as, capital additions loss of metered water, fly tipping, and trace and access.
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Text: High quality wording and comprehensive cover
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Plus, we can cover an unlimited number of locations as well. Ultimately, Travelers goes that bit further in how we support our policyholders with a comprehensive range of cover extensions, protecting our clients as fully as possible.
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Logo: A red umbrella. Text: Travelers. This video is provided for general informational purposes only. It does not, and it is not intended to, provide legal, technical or other professional advice, nor does it amend, or otherwise affect, the provisions or coverages of any insurance policy issued by Travelers. Coverage depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss, all applicable policy provisions, and any applicable law. Travelers operates through several underwriting entities in the UK and Europe. Please consult your policy documentation or visit the websites below for full information. travelers.co.uk travelers.ie
Our appetite
We cover
These fall within our appetite, and we’re happy to discuss details.
- Leisure, museums & cinemas
- Offices
- Retail
- Surgeries
- Light industrial, commercial, manufacturing & warehousing
- Medium industrial, commercial, manufacturing & warehousing
We’ll consider
We may need more information to confirm a fit.
- Mixed residential and commercial portfolios
- Heavy industrial/commercial risks
We do not cover
Sorry, we’re currently unable to insure the following.
- Unoccupied (some temporary unoccupancy can be considered as part of a larger portfolio)
- Property developers
- Chemical, waste and heavy manufacturing risks
UK property owners covers & highlights
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Property damage
- Buildings, contents and rent
- High capacity available and where we can’t underwrite 100% of the property risk, we can help with coinsurance solutions
- Buildings, contents and rent
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Property owners’ liability
- Cover limit of up to £10 million, higher upon referral
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Employers’ liability
- Cover limit of up to £10 million
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Terrorism
- Cover for UK only
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Capital additions
- Cover limit of 20%/ £250,000
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Loss of metered water, gas, oil & electricity
- Cover limit of £25,000 any one event and £50,000 in any one period of insurance
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Unauthorised use of electricity, gas, oil or water
- Cover limit of £25,000 any one event and £50,000 in any one period of insurance
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Fly-tipping
- Cover limit of £2,500 any one event and £5,000 in any one period of insurance
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Legal expenses for the eviction of squatters
- Cover limit of £5,000 in any one period of insurance
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Removal of wasp, bee and hornet nests
- Cover limit of £1,000 for any one event
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Removal of vermin
- Cover limit of £1,000 for any one event
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Keys
- Cover limit of up to £5,000 for any one event
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Outdoor trees, shrubs, plants and landscaping
- Cover limit of up to £250 for any one tree, shrub or plant and £25,000 in any one event
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Inadvertent omission to insure
- Cover limit of £500,000 in any one period of insurance
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Trace and access
- Cover limit of £50,000 in any one event
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Clearance of drains
- Cover limit of £10,000 in any one event
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Loss prevention and mitigation expenses
- Cover limit of £100,000 in any one period of insurance or 10% of the property sum insured (whichever is the lower)
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Prevention of access
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Cover limit of £25,000/3 months maximum indemnity period (MIP)
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Public utilities, electric, gas, telecommunications and water
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Cover limit of £25,000/3 months MIP for each utility
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Loss of attraction
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Cover limit of £25,000/3 months MIP
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Managing agents/named insured’s premises
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Cover limit of £50,000
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Add-ons & extensions
These items may be available to add on to your policy
- Legal expenses
- Governors and officials indemnity
Business questions
Help us better understand the risk
- Please provide the full construction information, including composite panel core material.
- Does the business have any lease agreements? If so, are full repairing leases in use?
- Is there a property management company in place? If so, what are they contractually responsible for? Do you require an indemnity to managing agents?
- Who is responsible for maintenance and insurance in any common areas such as stairwells and open car park areas? What is the repair/inspection regime of such areas?
- Is there automatic fire detection in place with an appropriate maintenance contract?
- Are there any automatic ‘leakstop’ devices installed and in full operation at the premises that can autonomously switch off the water supply where a leak is detected? This is particularly important in multi-occupancy residential risks.
- In respect of building sum insured, has this been recently reviewed by a professional valuer in the last three years (ideally last 12 months)?
- In respect of any residential policies, can you please tell us about the tenant profile of any residential buildings? Are the risks sprinklered? In respect of multi-occupancy residential blocks over 11 metres, we only accept sprinklered risks.
- For industrial and/or manufacturing property owners risks, what are the fire separation standards between units, particularly in terraced units? If known, what is the proximity to nearest staffed fire station?
- If there are car parking facilities, are electric vehicle chargers provided? Who is responsible for them? How are they maintained and controlled?
- If there are sprinklers at any premises, what are the standards and specifications for their installation and maintenance?
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