The claim that was notified too late
A tenant falls into arrears. The property manager chases, the tenant promises to pay, and the weeks pass. When it becomes clear that the landlord will need to claim on the rent guarantee policy, someone reads the policy wording and finds the insurer needed to be told much earlier. The claim is in doubt, and the landlord, who paid for cover through your agency, wants to know why.
Even when notification is on time, the insurer asks for the referencing report, the tenancy agreement, deposit protection evidence and a rent statement, and assembling them takes days.
Why claims go wrong
Each policy has conditions: which tenancies qualify, the referencing standard required at the start, how soon arrears must be notified, and what evidence is needed. What your policies say is for your insurer and broker to confirm; we do not interpret insurance terms. The problem is that the conditions sit in policy documents, while the arrears sit in the lettings software, and nothing connects them.
Cover also varies within a portfolio: some landlords have it, some do not, and some policies started or lapsed at different times.
| Claim requirement | Where it slips |
|---|---|
| Knowing a tenancy has cover | Recorded in a separate spreadsheet |
| Referencing met the policy standard | Checked at claim time, too late |
| Early notification of arrears | Deadline not linked to arrears |
| Evidence for the claim | Scattered across systems |
| Claim progress | Tracked by email |
What failed claims cost
Landlords who pay for cover and cannot claim are among the angriest a letting agent will meet, and many hold the agent responsible, whatever the cause. Your team spends days on claims that could have been straightforward. And the relationship with the insurer suffers when claims arrive late and incomplete.
There is a sales cost as well. Many agencies offer rent guarantee as part of a premium management service. If claims fail because of the agency's own process, that service loses its value, and landlords who hear about it are less likely to pay for it. A dependable claims process is part of what makes the premium service worth buying.
Cover, deadlines and claim packs in one place
- Cover register: each tenancy's cover, policy, start and end dates and key conditions, as confirmed by your broker or insurer, are recorded against the tenancy.
- Start-of-tenancy check: when cover is added, the referencing outcome and documents are checked against the recorded conditions, so problems are found before they matter.
- Arrears link: when a covered tenancy misses a payment, the insurer's notification timeline is started automatically, and the property manager is alerted as each point approaches.
- Claim pack: the tenancy agreement, referencing report, deposit evidence, rent statement and correspondence are gathered into an ordered pack for your team to check and submit.
- Claim tracker: submitted claims are tracked with the insurer's requests and responses, and landlords are updated in your approved wording.
- Renewals: policies approaching renewal or lapse are flagged to the property manager and landlord.
Claims that start on time
Everyone can see which tenancies are covered. Arrears on a covered tenancy start the insurer's clock on screen, not in someone's memory. When a claim is needed, the pack is ready for checking rather than being assembled from scratch, and landlords see the claim progressing.
Problems with referencing are caught at the start of the tenancy, when the property manager can still ask for a guarantor or an extra document, rather than surfacing as a reason for rejection months later. Landlords can be told clearly, at renewal time, whether their cover is current and what it requires.
Is your rent guarantee cover at risk?
- Rent guarantee cover is tracked separately from your lettings software.
- A claim has been rejected or delayed for late notification.
- Claim evidence takes days to gather.
- Referencing is not checked against policy conditions at the start of the tenancy.
- Landlords are unsure whether their cover is current.