<a href="https://landlordassociation.org.uk/" class="ilj ilj--auto" data-ilj="1">TLA</a> Member Survey: Boiler Cover Provider Preferences 2025

TLA Member Survey: Boiler Cover Provider Preferences

Independent research conducted with TLA landlord members

Survey Period: September 15–30, 2025

3,847 Responses 7.4% Response Rate ±2.1% Margin of Error

📊 Survey Methodology

Survey Sent To
51,930
Confirmed landlord members
Total Responses
3,847
Completed surveys (7.4%)
Portfolio Size
6.8
Avg properties per respondent
Active Cover
68%
Currently have boiler insurance

Methodology: Email survey sent to all confirmed landlord members. Respondents were asked to evaluate boiler cover providers on price, service quality, claims process, multi-property discounts, and overall satisfaction. Only members with rental properties were included. Margin of error ±2.1% at 95% confidence level.

🏆 Overall Provider Rankings

Ranked by weighted score across all evaluation criteria

#1

Hometree

4.6 / 5.0 average score • 92% satisfaction rating

👑
#2

24/7 Home Rescue

4.1 / 5.0 average score • 82% satisfaction rating

#3

HomeServe

3.8 / 5.0 average score • 76% satisfaction rating

#4

British Gas

3.2 / 5.0 average score • 64% satisfaction rating

👤 TLA Member Portfolio Profile

Understanding the landlords who responded to our survey

📍 Geographic Distribution

London & South East34%
North West18%
West Midlands12%
Yorkshire & Humber11%
East Midlands9%
Scotland8%
Other regions8%

🏠 Property Types Owned

Single-let houses48%
Single-let flats31%
HMOs (5+ bedrooms)14%
Student accommodation9%
Multi-unit buildings6%
Commercial units3%

*Multiple selections allowed

📊 Portfolio Size Breakdown

1–2 properties28%
3–4 properties22%
5–9 properties24%
10–19 properties16%
20–49 properties7%
50+ properties3%

🏗️ Property Age Distribution

Pre-1919 (Victorian/Edwardian)18%
1919–1944 (Interwar)14%
1945–1964 (Post-war)22%
1965–198019%
1981–199915%
2000+ (Modern)12%

🔥 Current Boiler Types

Combi boilers64%
System boilers22%
Conventional boilers11%
Electric heating3%

Average boiler age: 9.2 years

⚡ EPC Rating Distribution

EPC A–B8%
EPC C41%
EPC D38%
EPC E11%
EPC F–G2%

👥 Tenant Demographics

Young professionals42%
Families31%
Students12%
Housing Benefit recipients9%
Over 55s6%

📅 Years as Landlord

Less than 2 years8%
2–5 years19%
6–10 years28%
11–15 years22%
16+ years23%

Average experience: 11.4 years

💼 Landlord Type

Professional landlord (full-time)24%
Portfolio landlord (5+ properties)26%
Part-time/side business38%
Accidental landlord12%

💰 Annual Maintenance Spend

Under £1,00014%
£1,000–£2,49931%
£2,500–£4,99928%
£5,000–£9,99918%
£10,000+9%

Average per property: £538/year

🛠️ Property Management

Self-managed58%
Letting agent (full service)27%
Letting agent (tenant find only)11%
Property management company4%

❄️ Winter Heating Issues (Last 12 Months)

No issues27%
1 incident38%
2 incidents22%
3+ incidents13%

89% of incidents occurred Nov–Feb

📋 Provider Performance & Satisfaction

Q1: How important is multi-property discount pricing when choosing boiler cover?

Extremely important
68%
Very important
22%
Somewhat important
8%
Not important
2%

Q2: Which provider offers the best value for money for landlord portfolios?

Hometree
58%
24/7 Home Rescue
19%
HomeServe
14%
British Gas
9%

Q3: How would you rate response times during your last boiler emergency?

Within 24 hours (Hometree avg)
67%
24–48 hours (24/7 avg)
52%
2–3 days (HomeServe avg)
41%
3+ days (British Gas avg)
28%

Q4: What is your top priority when selecting a boiler cover provider?

Fast response times (24–48h)
42%
Multi-property discounts
31%
All-ages boiler coverage
15%
Annual LGSR included
12%

Q5: Would you switch providers if TLA negotiated exclusive member discounts?

Yes, immediately
54%
Yes, at renewal
32%
Maybe
11%
No
3%

Q6: How satisfied are you with your current boiler cover provider's claims process?

Very satisfied
34%
Satisfied
38%
Neutral
16%
Dissatisfied / Very dissatisfied
12%

Q7: Does your current provider cover boilers over 10 years old without excess fees?

Yes, all ages covered
42%
No, excess fees apply
31%
No, not covered at all
18%
Don't know
9%

Q8: How important is having LGSR (gas safety certificate) included in your cover?

Essential (saves time & money)
71%
Nice to have
22%
Not important (use separate engineer)
7%

Q9: How many times have you needed to chase your provider for updates on a claim?

Never – excellent communication
28%
Once or twice per claim
41%
Multiple times per claim
22%
Regularly struggle to get updates
9%

Q10: Would you recommend your current boiler cover provider to fellow landlords?

Yes, definitely (Hometree: 84%)
52%
Probably (24/7: 61%, HomeServe: 54%)
31%
Unsure
11%
No (British Gas: 42%)
6%

Q11: What would make you switch boiler cover providers? (Select all that apply)

Lower monthly premiums
76%
Better multi-property discounts
68%
Faster response times (24h guarantee)
64%
All-ages boiler coverage
47%
TLA recommendation/endorsement
39%

Q12: How much do you currently pay per property for annual boiler cover?

Under £150/year
12%
£150–£200/year
24%
£200–£250/year
31%
£250–£300/year
22%
Over £300/year
11%

Average spend: £228/year per property (£19/month)

🔑 Key Insights for Partnership Discussion

  • Hometree leads across all key metrics: Price, service quality, response times, and landlord-specific features (LGSR, multi-property discounts, all-ages coverage)
  • 86% of respondents would switch providers if TLA negotiated exclusive member discounts (54% immediately, 32% at renewal)
  • 90% of members prioritize multi-property pricing (68% extremely important, 22% very important) — Hometree already offers this
  • Portfolio concentration is key: Average respondent manages 6.8 properties, with 50% owning 5+ properties — one conversion = 5–10 boilers covered vs 1–2 for typical homeowner
  • Winter urgency is real: 73% of respondents reported at least one heating failure in last 12 months, with 89% occurring Nov–Feb
  • Older stock drives demand: 54% of properties are pre-1980 construction, with average boiler age of 9.2 years — all-ages coverage is critical
  • Self-managed landlords dominate: 58% self-manage, meaning they handle emergencies directly — fast response times and simple claims processes are essential
  • Geographic concentration in high-demand regions: 34% London/SE, 18% North West — aligning with cold-weather heating failure risk
  • LGSR inclusion is a major value driver: 71% consider it essential, saving £60–£80 per property annually vs separate engineer bookings
  • British Gas significantly underperforms: Only 64% satisfaction vs Hometree's 92% — major opportunity to capture dissatisfied customers

Survey conducted by The Landlord Association
Survey Period: September 15–30, 2025 | Sample: 3,847 landlord members | Margin of Error: ±2.1% (95% confidence)
Confidential — Prepared exclusively for Hometree partnership discussions