Property Portfolio Insurance: Managing Multiple Properties

What is Portfolio Insurance?

Property portfolio insurance is a single policy that covers multiple rental properties under one arrangement. Instead of managing separate policies for each property—each with different renewal dates, insurers, and terms—you consolidate everything into one streamlined policy.

Portfolio policies are designed for landlords with three or more properties, though some insurers will consider portfolios from just two properties. If you're just starting out, our landlord insurance guide covers the basics. There's typically no upper limit on the number of properties that can be included.

Benefits of Portfolio Policies

Administrative Simplicity

Managing multiple individual policies is time-consuming. Different renewal dates, different insurers, different policy wordings—it's easy for things to slip through the cracks. A portfolio policy eliminates this complexity.

Cost Savings

Insurers often offer volume discounts for portfolio policies. The more properties you include, the better the rate per property. You may also save on broker fees compared to arranging multiple individual policies.

Consistent Cover

All your properties are covered under the same terms and conditions. This makes it easier to understand what's covered and ensures no property has gaps in protection.

Flexibility

Adding or removing properties during the policy term is straightforward. You simply notify your broker, and the policy is adjusted accordingly. This is much easier than arranging new individual policies.

• Single renewal date for all properties
• One premium payment (often with instalment options)
• Volume discounts on premiums
• Consistent policy terms across all properties
• Easy to add or remove properties
• Single claims contact for all properties
• Reduced administrative burden

How Portfolio Insurance Works

Portfolio policies can be structured in different ways:

Declared Portfolio

Each property is individually listed on the policy with its own sum insured. This provides specific cover for each property and is the most common approach for smaller portfolios.

Block Policy

For larger portfolios, a block policy provides a total sum insured across all properties rather than individual sums. This offers more flexibility but requires careful management to ensure adequate cover.

Blanket Cover

Some policies offer blanket cover with automatic inclusion of new properties up to a certain value. This is useful for active investors who frequently acquire properties.

When to Consider a Portfolio Policy

A portfolio policy makes sense when:

• You own three or more rental properties
• You're spending significant time managing multiple policies
• Your renewal dates are scattered throughout the year
• You're actively growing your portfolio
• You want consistent cover across all properties
• You're looking to reduce overall insurance costs

What to Include in Your Portfolio

Portfolio policies can typically include a mix of property types:

• Standard buy-to-let properties
• HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) — see our <a href="/knowledge-centre/hmo-licensing-insurance">HMO licensing guide</a>
• Holiday lets and short-term rentals — see our <a href="/knowledge-centre/holiday-let-insurance-guide">holiday let insurance guide</a>
• Commercial properties — see our <a href="/knowledge-centre/commercial-property-insurance-guide">commercial property guide</a>
• Mixed-use properties
• Properties in different locations
• Properties with different tenant types

However, some property types may affect the overall terms or require specialist underwriting.HMOs, holiday lets, and commercial properties often need additional consideration.

Cover Options

Most portfolio policies include:

• Buildings insurance: For all properties in the portfolio
• Contents insurance: For furnished properties
• Property owners' liability: Covering all properties
• Loss of rent: Protecting your rental income
• Legal expenses: For tenant disputes and evictions

Optional extras might include rent guarantee, malicious damage cover, and terrorism insurance.

Getting a Quote

To obtain a portfolio insurance quote, you'll need to provide:

• Schedule of all properties (addresses, postcodes)
• Rebuild value for each property
• Contents values for furnished properties
• Property types (standard BTL, HMO, holiday let, etc.)
• Tenant types for each property
• Annual rental income per property
• Claims history across all properties
• Any properties with non-standard construction

Working with a specialist broker is highly recommended for portfolio insurance. They can access markets that don't deal directly with the public and negotiate terms based on your specific portfolio composition.