Why buy-to-let properties are excluded from Flood Re
Key exclusion
Buy-to-let properties, leasehold properties, and properties built after 1 January 2009 are all excluded from Flood Re. Landlords in flood-risk areas must use the specialist commercial insurance market.
Finding flood insurance for buy-to-let properties
- Specialist landlord insurers (Aviva, RSA, specialist MGAs) via specialist landlord insurance brokers — not comparison sites
- Commercial property insurers may include flood cover; premiums higher, per-event excesses of £5,000-£50,000
- Where flood cover is unavailable: standalone flood policy from a specialist, or flood excluded with very high excess (effective self-insurance for smaller events)
- Professional flood risk assessment may demonstrate lower actual risk than EA maps imply and improve insurer terms
Flood risk assessment and disclosure
- Disclose all material facts (including known flood history) to your insurer — failure to disclose known history voids the policy
- Check the Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning before acquiring property: Flood Zone 2 and 3 are highest risk
- No statutory duty to disclose flood risk to tenants — but best practice is to disclose, especially for Flood Zone 3 properties
- Buy-to-let mortgage lenders may require flood cover as a mortgage condition; some decline to lend on very high-risk properties
Post-flood obligations
- Notify insurer immediately — prompt notification is a policy condition
- Make property safe: isolate electricity, board broken windows, remove standing water
- Where uninhabitable: tenant's rent obligation may be suspended; policy may cover alternative accommodation costs
- Professional drying takes 3-6 months — inadequate drying causes persistent mould and may trigger Awaab's Law obligations
- Await loss adjuster before carrying out repairs that destroy evidence of damage
Flood resilience measures
- Install property flood resilience (PFR) measures: flood doors, airbrick covers, non-return valves, raised electrical sockets
- PFR certified under CIRIA C790 may reduce insurer excess or premium
- Check Environment Agency flood defence grant in aid scheme — grants available to landlords in high-risk areas
- From 2039, Flood Re transitions to risk-reflective pricing — landlords in flood zones face rising premiums long-term