Why buildings insurance can be more expensive for older properties

The short answer

Older homes usually get higher buildings-insurance quotes. Uswitch analysis reported on 7 August 2026 found pre-1919 homes had a higher median buildings-only quote than post-1980 homes in every UK region it examined, from about 31% higher in the North West to almost 80% in the South West. That matters for landlords because 32% of England's privately rented homes were built before 1919. For wider context, the ABI's market average actually paid for buildings-only cover was £309 in April to June 2026.

That does not mean every older rental will cost more to insure, or that the figures below predict the premium for a landlord or buy-to-let policy. The Uswitch figures are median buildings-only quotes, not a quote tailored to your property, tenancy or chosen cover. They are a useful prompt to budget cautiously and ask detailed questions when reviewing an older property.

Key facts

• Pre-1919 homes had a higher median buildings-only quote than post-1980 homes in every UK region in the Uswitch analysis, ranging from about 31% higher in the North West to almost 80% in the South West. Landlord Today
• 32% of private rented dwellings in England were built before 1919, compared with 20% of owner-occupied and 6% of social rented dwellings. English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025
• The average price paid for buildings-only insurance was £309 in the second quarter of 2026, 5% lower than a year earlier. Association of British Insurers
• Altering or extending a listed building in a way that affects its character requires listed building consent. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7
• Flood Re only helps with homes built before 1 January 2009 that meet its other criteria, which a typical tenanted buy-to-let is unlikely to meet. Flood Re

What the reported research found about property age

The Uswitch analysis, as reported by Landlord Today on 7 August 2026, compared median annual buildings-insurance premiums across build eras. The source defines a period property in its regional comparison as pre-1919, and a modern home as post-1980.

Nationally, the reported median annual premium was £151.50 for a modern post-1980 home. The reported figures rose across older eras, including:

• Late 20th century (1960–1980): £175.84
• Post-war (1940–1960): £180.13
• Inter-war (1919–1939): £214.41
• Victorian (1830–1901): £224.36
• Edwardian (1901–1918): £256.80
• Georgian (1714–1830): £389.56
• Tudor and Stuart (1485–1714): £503.75

These are not price targets to use for a purchase appraisal. They do, however, show why build era is worth raising early with an insurer or broker when you are considering an older rental.

The regional gap can be substantial

The same reported analysis found a higher median premium for pre-1919 homes than post-1980 homes in every region. The size of the gap varied.

For example, the South West had the largest reported difference: £242.68 for a pre-1919 property versus £134.84 for a post-1980 property, an uplift of almost 80%. The smallest reported gap was in the North West, where the pre-1919 median was £178.39 compared with £136.64 for post-1980 homes, an uplift of about 31%.

Other reported uplifts above 50% included Scotland (66%), London (61%), the South East (52%) and the East of England (51%). Read the full report of the Uswitch analysis for the regional figures and methodology described by the publisher.

Older-property features that may deserve a closer look

Age is not the only detail to note. The reported analysis also identified several property features with higher median annual buildings-only premiums:

• Oil heating: £287.04
• Within 200m of water: £269.50
• Flat roof covering more than 30% of the property: £244.50
• Solid-fuel heating: £205.04
• Multi-fuel heating: £204.92

Landlord Today’s report says oil heating is common in some older homes without mains gas. It also links homes within 200m of water to greater flood risk. These findings are useful context rather than a substitute for an individual quotation: the source does not say that every property with one of these features will receive the same premium, nor that the figures apply specifically to landlord insurance.

Listed status

Many older homes are listed. Under section 7 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, works to alter or extend a listed building in a way that affects its character need listed building consent. That can make repairs and rebuilding slower and more specialised, so tell the insurer if the property is listed and check the rebuild cost reflects it.

Flood risk

Use the GOV.UK service to check the long-term flood risk for the property's location before seeking quotes. Do not assume Flood Re will help keep flood cover affordable for a rental. Flood Re's eligibility criteria require a property built before 1 January 2009 and include occupancy and policy conditions that a typical tenanted buy-to-let is unlikely to meet.

What to do before buying or renewing cover

For a rental property with a long history or unusual construction, make insurance checks part of your early due diligence rather than leaving them until completion or renewal.

1. Identify the build era accurately. Establish whether the property is pre-1919, inter-war, Victorian or from another era used in the research. A listing description such as “period” may not give enough detail.
2. List notable features before seeking quotes. Record the heating type, whether a substantial part of the roof is flat, proximity to water, the flood risk check result and whether the building is listed, alongside the basic property information.
3. Compare cover, not only the headline price. Ask prospective insurers or brokers what information they need about an older building and what their quote includes.
4. Keep the documents that support your answers. Store quotations, policy schedules, renewal notices, property details and relevant records together, so they are available when you review costs or seek alternative cover.
5. Build contingency into your purchase budget. Treat insurance as a cost to investigate for the specific property, rather than assuming a newer-property estimate will translate to an older home.

Keeping the insurance paperwork manageable across a portfolio

Insurance becomes harder to review when policy documents, renewal dates and property-cost records are spread across inboxes and folders. For landlords managing more than one home, keeping those records alongside the wider property portfolio can make annual reviews more straightforward.

You can explore Portfoliq's landlord features to see how it can help keep property costs and insurance documents organised. Once you have gathered the information for each property, you can also start organising your property portfolio.

A final perspective

The reported Uswitch figures show a consistent pattern: older build eras and some features associated with period properties were linked with higher median buildings-insurance premiums. Use that pattern as a reason to investigate an individual older rental carefully, not as a promise of what its insurance will cost.

Sources

• Landlord Today: Uswitch analysis of insurance costs by property type (7 August 2026)
• English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025, chapter 1: profile of households and dwellings
• Association of British Insurers: Q2 2026 property insurance figures
• Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7
• GOV.UK: Check long-term flood risk
• Flood Re: eligibility criteria

This article is general information, not insurance, legal, tax, financial or investment advice.