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Tenant arrears are an "occupational hazard" of letting property, according to a buy-to-let expert that says all landlords must have the right insurance to cover them against missing rents.

In fact, nearly half of landlords admit that they have had tenants fall behind on their rental payments at some point in their letting career, research by Redbrick Landlords has revealed, so it really is something that could happen to any landlord.

The survey of landlords showed that 46% had experience of tenant arrears, with an average of two months’ rent owed by the tenant. Landlords have a limited number of options available if the tenant does fall behind – evict, negotiate a reduced rental rate or help the tenant to obtain advice regarding the availability of state benefits.

Tony Armitage, managing director of Redbrick Landlords Insurance says: "Unfortunately, tenant arrears are one of the major occupational hazards of letting property and all landlords must be prepared for a tenant to fall behind on payments at some point in their letting career. Carrying out a full tenant assessment to get a good tenant in the first instance helps, but even the best tenants can experience financial difficulties, particularly in the current economic environment, and fall behind on their payments.

"The good news is that landlords can protect themselves further by taking out a robust insurance policy that is specifically designed for landlords and includes rent guarantee and legal expenses insurance. This will cover the loss of rent if the tenant defaults and also the legal costs if eviction becomes the only option."

Talk to a buy-to-let mortgage adviser about your landlord insurance. You might be paying too much, you might not be covered in the right areas or you might just not be covered at all. As the expert says, tenant arrears are a fact of life, so protect yourself from that eventuality for just a few pounds a month.

SOURCE: Redbrick, 30/10/09

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