Pi-Property Insurance

Our bespoke policy wording and services clarify costs from the outset to ensure you have viable, tailored policy coverage in place, coupled with a cost-efficient and straightforward administration process to reduce the time you spend on your portfolio insurance and the claims process.

PIP Hero Bkg
Pi Property 2

Specialist guidance

Pi-Property Insurance was developed in 2004 in response to a demand among property owners and managers for an insurance scheme that recognised their unique property portfolio circumstances. 

Our understanding and experience in protecting property assets and arranging block policies are why we have grown to become an established property portfolio insurance provider. We focus on removing the problems from the insurance mediation process and provide specialist policy cover, which reduces the true cost of property insurance.

Looking at the bigger picture, our assistance in areas besides the insurance premium will prove a valuable additional benefit, ensuring the overall effective management of your property insurance provisions.

Pi-Property Insurance services and covers

*Subject to underwriting criteria **With certain insurers

PIP Hero Bkg

Market leading policy wording with exclusive cover enhancements

PIP Hero Bkg

Cover wider than the standard ‘All Risks’ cover

PIP Hero Bkg

Nil Excess for all claims* - other than £1000 for subsidence and £250 for malicious damage by tenants**

PIP Hero Bkg

Property Owners Liability cover – £10million

PIP Hero Bkg

Loss of rental income - 36 Months’ Rent Cover (but can be increased)

PIP Hero Bkg

Full ‘All Risks’ cover available on vacant properties*

PIP Hero Bkg

Less onerous inspection requirements for vacant properties

PIP Hero Bkg

35% Inflation protection (day one basis)

PIP Hero Bkg

Underwritten by S&P rating A and Above

Where we can help

Commercial Property insurance

Commercial Property Owners Insurance is a specific insurance policy aimed to cover a landlord’s property against damage and liability arising from its ownership. This could be cover for commercial or mixed use properties which could include industrial estates, office blocks and shops with flats above. 

It is significantly different to a buildings policy that is insured by the owner who also occupies the property. This can be confused with landlords insurance so it is important to be aware of the difference.

What is the difference between commercial and domestic landlord insurance?

Domestic landlords insurance is designed for residential properties which are occupied by tenants who use the property as their private dwelling. The landlord will receive a rental income from the tenant but there will be no element of business being transacted at the property by the tenant. Commercial landlord insurance is where the property is occupied by a tenant transacting business – whether that be as a retail shop, office or warehouse. Some commercial properties do have flats above but this would still be insured under a commercial contract because of the business being transacted elsewhere in the property. 

As insurance brokers we do the legwork and find you the most suitable solution for your specific risk. 

Pension Portfolio insurance

Pension Administrators including Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) and Small Self Administered Scheme (SSAS) operators will have property held as part of the pension fund with the purpose of producing returns on that investment for the benefit of the pension holder. SIPP's are purely for commercial/ industrial property whereas SSAS' can also include residential properties. The administrator will therefore invest pension funds in property and administer a pension portfolio of properties across their books. Insurance cover providing some of the best protection available is critical in ensuring the value of the property within the SIPP / SSAS is protected.

We are the market leaders in Property Risk Protection and we would be more than happy to talk through the details of how we help SIPP and SSAS property pension portfolio clients.   

What is the difference between standard property portfolio insurance and pension portfolio insurance?

The main concept of the “portfolio” model remains the same for both, providing consistency in policy wording, excesses and renewal date. The main difference being that the pension portfolio is designed with SIPP and SSAS providers in mind and their requirements may be different to our other property clients.

Property Investors

Arranging insurance for property portfolios is our forte. It is our specialism and indeed the concept upon which Pi-Property was launched. We work on the two key advantages of portfolios: bulk purchasing power and economies of scale. Our services are closely aligned to those of your own key objectives to reflect your need for a professional approach to the protection of your property portfolio.

Pi-Property Insurance is a unique product that meets the needs of property investors and was developed as a result of investors requesting a scheme that recognised the unique circumstances of their property portfolios. We offer a ground breaking insurance solution that takes the traditional strengths of portfolio management and combines them with unparalleled cover, an award winning claims service and an online delivery system.

Property Manager insurance

Property Manager Insurance is a specific insurance policy that covers customers who manage properties on behalf of their landlord clients. A property manager requires insurance products to be tailored to their requirements. Off the shelf products can sometimes be unsuitable and the property managers may not be aware of the covers lacking within their existing contracts. Why not consider a comparison of cover with Pi-Property Insurance, this is something that we can highlight and help you with. 

What are the benefits of using a specialist property insurance broker?

There are many benefits of using a specialist property broker and we would always recommend using a specialist for all property owners insurance. We have an extensive knowledge of the property sector and regularly keep abreast of changes in legislation which might affect our clients.

We are a chartered broker which means we have a professional standard to uphold and sit on various property panels including RICS. The insurers respect our model so much that they have provided us with Delegated Authority on underwriting and claims meaning we can provide quotations in a much faster way and deal with your insurances without always having to await a response from the insurer.  This also means that we have a bespoke policy wording which is market leading and provides essential covers that are not readily offered elsewhere. 

Chartered Surveyors insurance

Pi-Property Insurance specialises in dealing with the property portfolios managed by Chartered Surveyors whether it be commercial, residential or mixed.  Surveyors need to be aware of the type of policy they are offering to their clients. Many policy wordings have hidden warranties and exclusions.  Chartered Surveyors should seek assistance from a specialist property insurance broker who has a wealth of knowledge in the property sector with bespoke policy wordings and administration solutions.

What are the benefits of using a specialist property insurance broker?

Pi-Property Insurance have listened to the issues that their Chartered Surveyor clients face and have responded by offering a bespoke policy wording to meet their unique requirements.

There are a number of key features detailed below which can have a significant financial benefit to your client. Always ensure your clients properties cover includes a non-invalidation and non-vitation clause whereby the insurances will not be vitated or avoided against any insured party as a result of circumstances beyond the control of that insured party. 

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The true cost of insurance

We have identified how standard insurance programmes may not always be the most competitive. There are many other insurance-related costs that, if not known, can increase your overall insurance cost during the course of the year.

The total annual cost for a standard property insurance policy may not be fully known until the year end. Dependent on unknown factors, the final annual cost could well exceed the initial budgeted cost. In addition, there are administration costs for handling the insurance and notification of changes to your broker to consider and, of course, the claims management.

The true cost of insurance

We have identified how standard insurance programmes may not always be the most competitive. There are many other insurance-related costs that, if not known, can increase your overall insurance cost during the course of the year.

The total annual cost for a standard property insurance policy may not be fully known until the year end. Dependent on unknown factors, the final annual cost could well exceed the initial budgeted cost. In addition, there are administration costs for handling the insurance and notification of changes to your broker to consider and, of course, the claims management.

The unknown costs, which can include:

The deductions of excesses each and every claim

Pi-Property can offer policy cover with no deductions of policy excesses (subject to claims history and other than subsidence and malicious damage by tenants*), which removes the unknown factor of the aggregate policy excess deductions.

(*Subsidence £1,000, malicious damage by tenants £250).

The inspection frequency of vacant units

Any vacant property within a portfolio incurs additional management costs to maintain the property and ensure insurance policy terms and conditions are adhered to so as not to invalidate cover. Pi-Property can offer less onerous inspection terms when insuring a vacant property than other intermediaries in the market.

Premium increases on vacant property

Many insurers will increase the buildings premium rate for vacant
property that become vacant during the insurance period. Pi-Property do not increase the premium rate for vacant property during the policy period, which benefits the landlord/policyholder at no additional cost.

Restrictive cover

Generally, the insurance market will restrict the insured perils for vacant units, thereby increasing the risk of uninsured losses arising. This practice adds to the overall cost because of the burden of uninsured losses falling back on the owner. Also, standard
property policies do not offer wordings as extensive as our own bespoke offering.

Managerial administration time and cost

Our delegated authority arrangements enable us to offer tailored service level agreements and our online portal ensures you have immediate access to all of your property insurance records. The combination of our specialist services and system, specifically designed for property owners, ensures your time and costs dealing with insurance and claims are kept to a minimum.

Frequently asked questions

Can Pi-Property cover unoccupied properties?

Yes. Pi-Property would not automatically restrict or refuse cover for any unoccupied property but rather gain an understanding of the property, e.g. how long has it been vacant, what are the intentions for the property, what security measures are in place, etc.

We can offer more flexible terms for inspections of vacant properties, giving up to 45 days between inspections, as opposed to our competitors, which could be as little as every seven days, which can be inconvenient, costly and impractical. In extreme cases, insurers may restrict cover and/or increase the excess, but before we get to that stage, we will negotiate with the insurers on your behalf to gain the most satisfactory terms for all parties.

Can Pi-Property cover me for buildings insurance if the building I am looking to insure is listed?

Yes. We just need to take a note of the building construction and what level of grading has been applied and understand any non-standard elements (such as a thatched roof).

Insuring a listed building requires care and attention, most importantly by utilising the services and advice of a professional valuer specialising in reinstatement cost assessments for listed properties. The declared value must make allowance for the method of construction, unusual features and craftsmanship required to repair or rebuild a listed property. Our cover includes additional clauses to make allowances for unique issues that may arise in the event of damage, such as archaeological finds and local authority intervention if overseeing repairs.

As with all property insurance, the declared value for buildings must represent the cost of reinstatement and not market value. 

How soon can I get my documents?

We operate through a delegated authority from the insurers and have an online system which produces a certificate per property. As soon as cover has been confirmed we are able to forward a copy of your certificate and policy wordings within 24 hours.

I have a bad claims history, how will this affect my insurance?

All insurers will review past claims history, but we recognise that incidents do happen. When we review the insurance for a prospective client, we assess your past claims history, discuss with you the cause of the loss or damage and establish what measures are now in place. Our insurers underwrite on a portfolio basis so if you have a problem property(s), this is taken into consideration within a portfolio.

How are claims dealt with?

Our experienced, knowledgeable claims team is on hand to ensure a prompt efficient service for any claims that arise. We have delegated claims authority provided to us by our insurer partners to handle claims on their behalf.

This enables us to take control of the whole claims process. 

  • Reducing the lifecycle of the claim
  • Minimising disruption to occupants
  • Taking out the hassle factor of the repair process.

What to know more?

Find more information from our knowledgeable professionals in these downloadable documents

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Why Clear?

Industry-recognised for being people-first, our team of specialists supports start-ups, SMEs, corporates, multinationals and individuals.

Trade specialists

Trade specialists

We offer broad and bespoke sector specialist insurance solutions for peace of mind.

Chartered status

Chartered status

In recognition of our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of knowledge, ethical practice and guidance.

Exceptional service

Exceptional service

We're dedicated to providing exceptional customer service to respond proactively to the needs of our clients.

The bigger picture

Stay up to date with news about the insurance landscape and how it affects you and your business