Exclusions & Limits Explained
Every home emergency policy pays out inside a boundary. This is the boundary on Gold and Platinum — the claim caps, the 12-month service rule, and the one deadline that catches out more landlords than any of them.
Report It Within 48 Hours, Not "When You Get Round To It"
On Platinum, the policy wording is explicit: the emergency must be reported within 48 hours of you or the tenant first becoming aware of it. Miss that window and the claim is declined, unless you can show something genuinely prevented it being reported in time.
For a landlord who doesn't live at the property, this is the exclusion that actually bites — not the exotic ones. A tenant mentions a dripping pipe on Friday, you're travelling, and by Monday the 48 hours has already gone. Whoever manages the property day to day needs the claims number, not just you.
The One Number That Actually Differs Between the Plans
Most of the exclusions below apply the same way on both plans. One doesn't: how old your boiler or main heating system can be before it falls outside cover.
| Condition | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler / main heating system age limit | Excluded over 10 years | Excluded over 15 years |
A 12-year-old boiler is outside Gold's cover entirely but still inside Platinum's — that's the whole difference this one number makes. For everything else the plans exclude (servicing rules, beyond-economic-repair, brands, response times), see the dedicated boiler and heating cover page rather than repeating it here.
What Each Plan Actually Pays, Per Claim
The claim limit is what the insurer pays toward call-out, labour, parts and VAT for a single incident. Beyond it, the balance is yours.
| Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | £115/yr | £125/yr |
| Cover per claim | Up to £500 | Up to £500 |
| Electrical breakdown | Not included | Included |
| Overnight accommodation | Included | Up to £100/tenant, £250 max total |
| New-policy waiting period | 14 days | 14 days |
Weigh the claim limit against a realistic repair bill before you rely on it. A call-out alone typically runs £150–£300, a boiler repair £150–£500, and a full boiler replacement £2,000–£4,000. A repair at the higher end of that range can still exceed the per-claim limit, and the difference is on you.
What's Never Covered, on Either Plan
These apply across both Gold and Platinum, regardless of the incident type:
Wear and tear — dripping taps, hard-water scaling, gradual deterioration, and worn parts are maintenance, not an insured emergency.
Unoccupied property — any claim where the property has been empty for 30 days in a row is excluded, unless you're actively marketing it to a new tenant.
Access damage — if a repairer has to cut into a wall or floor to reach the fault, the insurance pays for the emergency repair, not for reinstating the wall or floor. That sits with your buildings insurance.
Pests in outbuildings — infestations in gardens, sheds or outbuildings aren't covered; only the let property itself.
Internal doors, glass and locks — cover applies to the external doors, windows and locks that secure the property, not internal ones.
Unreported break-ins — any loss from a break-in or vandalism that wasn't reported to the police first.
Mains utility interruption — a power, gas or water cut caused by the utility company itself isn't a claimable emergency.
Roof cover carries its own condition worth flagging for leasehold landlords specifically: on Platinum, roof damage cover applies only if you're the freeholder responsible for the exterior. If you own a leasehold flat and the freeholder is responsible for the roof, that section of the policy doesn't apply to you — the claim sits with the freeholder.
Common Questions
It depends which plan. Gold excludes boilers over 10 years old; Platinum extends that to 15. If you weren't sure which figure applied to you, this is why — the two plans genuinely differ here.
It's set out explicitly in the Platinum wording. Whichever plan you hold, treat any emergency as something to report immediately rather than at the next convenient moment — delay is the easiest way to weaken an otherwise valid claim.
Only if the property has been empty for under 30 days, or you're actively marketing it to a new tenant. A longer void with no tenant search underway falls outside cover.
No. Pest cover applies to infestations inside the let property itself — gardens, sheds and outbuildings are excluded on both plans.
Only if you're the freeholder responsible for the exterior. If your freeholder is responsible for the roof, that part of the policy doesn't apply to you — the claim sits with them, not your plan.
Check the Boiler Age Before You Choose a Plan
Price is the smallest decision here. What decides whether a plan pays out is the boiler's age against the 10 or 15-year limit, a current service record, and whether an emergency gets reported inside the window the policy sets.