Flood risk insurance helps cover homes or rented properties where flood history or location may make standard cover harder to find.
Flood risk insurance is home insurance for a property that is more likely to flood, or has flooded before. It is not always a separate policy. In many cases, it means buildings insurance, contents insurance, or combined cover where the insurer agrees to include flood cover.
A property may have higher flood risk because of rivers, the sea, surface water, reservoirs, or groundwater where data is available. The GOV.UK long-term flood risk service can help you check area-level flood risk in England, but it does not give a full risk score for one exact home.
An insurer will usually look at the property, its location, flood history, claims history, and other details before deciding whether to offer cover. The insurance premium, excess, exclusions, and cover limits can vary by insurer and policy.
Some higher-risk homes may be helped by Flood Re. Flood Re is a joint government and insurance industry reinsurance scheme. It aims to improve the availability and affordability of flood insurance for UK homes at high flood risk.
You do not buy cover from Flood Re direct. You buy home insurance in the usual way. If the insurer chooses to pass the flood-risk part of the policy to Flood Re, the insurer still deals with the policy and any valid claim. Flood Re explains that insurers set the policy price, excess, and terms.
Flood Re has detailed rules. A property must meet its eligibility criteria, such as being used for private residential purposes, having a domestic Council Tax band or equivalent, being insured on an individual basis, and being built before 1 January 2009.
Landlord and buy-to-let cases need care. Some residential buy-to-let properties may qualify if they meet the rules, but others may not. This depends on the property and how the insurance is arranged. If you need landlord insurance for a flood-risk property, it is important to check the policy terms, exclusions, and any flood excess.
Flood risk can affect whether a standard insurer will quote, how much you pay, and whether a higher flood excess applies. The ABI says comparison sites may not always be the best route for a flood-risk home, as these homes may need more detailed checks or help from an insurer or broker with suitable experience in flood insurance.
Flood claims can also be complex. The Financial Ombudsman Service says disputes may involve whether a flood happened, whether it caused the damage, repair quality, preventative work, and alternative accommodation.
Answer the insurer’s questions carefully and accurately. For consumer insurance, the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 says you must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation before entering into or changing a policy. Different duties may apply to business insurance.
If the insurer asks about previous flooding, answer accurately. You should also check your policy wording so you understand what is covered, what is excluded and what excess may apply. MoneyHelper also advises checking the flood parts of buildings and contents policies before buying or renewing.
At Got You Covered, we arrange home insurance for many non-standard situations, including homes affected by flood risk, subsidence, or unoccupancy. We may also be able to help landlords who need cover for a rented property.
Cover depends on the insurer, the property details, and the policy terms. We do not underwrite every policy ourselves, and we cannot promise that a quote, price, or level of cover will be available in every case.
Flood risk insurance can help protect a home, contents, or let property where flooding is a concern. The right cover depends on the property, flood history, insurer rules, and policy terms. Always check the flood excess, exclusions, cover limits, and conditions before you buy or renew.
