We provide buildings insurance if we are the freeholder of a building or we are employed as the manager or managing agent for a building. 

If we provide buildings insurance for your home you will be paying for this within your monthly service charges. 

Please note that we do not provide contents insurance, so you will need to sort this. You can find information on a discounted scheme here.

We usually provide buildings insurance if:

  • You own a shared ownership home.
  • You own a flat and you pay us a service charge.
  • You rent a home from us.
  • You lease commercial property from us.
  • Your transfer requires us to do so.

Sometimes buildings insurance is provided by someone else if we do not own the building, and there are a small number of freeholders who have a contract with us to provide insurance for their homes. If you are unsure whether we insure your home or not, get in touch and we can tell you.

The insurance we provide is only for buildings. You will need to arrange your own contents insurance to cover your personal possessions.

Where can I get a copy of the policy?

The current summary of cover for leaseholders and shared ownership owners is available here.

A key information document is also available here. 

If you require hard copies of these documents or would like to request them in a different format, please contact us at homeowner@livewest.co.uk. 

Frequently asked questions

Can I arrange my own buildings insurance cover? 

No, if the relevant contract requires us as the Landlord/Freeholder to insure the building, the onus is on us to procure and provide suitable cover.

Does the insurance obligation end if a shared owner staircases to 100% full equity? 

LiveWest must provide Buildings Insurance for shared ownership properties. This is a fundamental clause in all shared ownership leases and not something which can be opted out of. If you own a house and staircase to 100%, our obligation to insure the property ends and you can then arrange your own cover as you become the freeholder. However, please be mindful that if you own a flat and staircase to 100%, LiveWest is still obliged to insure your property. This is because LiveWest (or the relevant managing agent if applicable) remain the freeholder and must insure the building.

What does building insurance cover? 

Where LiveWest is the freeholder, we take out buildings insurance for the building you live in. This covers the costs of major damage to the structure of your building. This includes external walls, the roof and communal areas, and provides cover for events such as fires, storms, floods, leaks or subsidence. Buildings insurance does not cover general repairs and maintenance.

If I need to make a claim on the buildings insurance, is there an excess? 

Yes. There is an excess payable of £150.

How do I make a claim? 

Claims are to be notified as soon as possible, with full details to be provided within 30 days of the claim (7 days in respect of riot or malicious damage) including supporting evidence in writing. The Police must be notified as soon as possible in the event of theft or malicious damage. You can lodge a claim with Protector by:

Please see the summary of cover for detailed information.

What if I notice damage in the communal area (that LiveWest own or manage) or there has been an incident? 

For damage in communal areas, please contact us. If you’ve contacted the police too, please have the crime number and any other details to hand. If your development is managed by a third-party managing agent, please ensure you report such incidents directly to them.

Where can I find out more about Protector Insurance? 

You can find out more information about Protector insurance on their webpage. 

What is contents insurance? 

‘Contents’ mean your belongings which is essentially everything that would fall out if you were to tip your home upside down such as white goods, carpets, electronic devices, jewellery, ornaments, curtains and even the food in your freezer.

Who is responsible for arranging and paying for contents insurance? 

You are responsible for arranging your own contents insurance, regardless of whether you are a leaseholder, shared owner, tenant, freeholder or commercial customer.  

Where can I get more information about contents insurance? 

We have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks, and Ageas Insurance Limited who provide the My Home Contents Insurance Scheme, a specialist Tenants Contents Insurance policy. The My Home Contents Insurance Scheme can offer you insurance for the contents of your home including cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, pictures and ornaments. Thistle have confirmed that they can also offer their home contents insurance to shared ownership customers. You can find out more here.

Where can I get further advice and guidance? 

You can get further free independent advice and guidance from the Leasehold Advisory Service and Citizens Advice.

In line with recent changes made by the Financial Conduct Authority, your buildings insurance now has to be more transparent in terms of its cost and the commission our broker receives. You can find more information in the key information document above. Please note that we receive no payment from Marsh or the buildings insurer, Protector. The exact amount you pay for your building’s insurance will be detailed within your service charge.