Almost three quarters of landlords have experienced an escape of water incident in their properties over the last five years, according to new research from Direct Line business insurance.

On average, landlords that experienced escape of water issues, faced 4.8 cases over the period.

Such incidents are typically pricey for landlords. On average each escape of water has cost £458 to pay an emergency plumber to deal with the immediate consequences. 

It can also take time to address the problem, with emergency contractors taking an average of nine hours to arrive at a landlord’s property.

The insurance firm’s study found that DIY mistakes are usually responsible for the water escape.

Four in 10 landlords had tenants move out of their rented property permanently after an escape of water, because they were worried it was going to happen again. 

Over a third said that it caused an argument with their tenants and a quarter reported that their property was so badly damaged from the escaped water that not only did their tenants have to move out, but they couldn’t let out the property for an extended period.

Many landlords are taking steps to minimise the risk of escape of water in their properties. 

Over a third are ensuring professional tradespeople carry out work in their properties, while 32 per cent are checking that water pipes are properly insulated to help stop them freezing. 

Landlords are also showing tenants where the stopcock is so that they can turn off the mains water supply quickly (31 per cent), while just over a quarter (27 per cent) keep clear records of all work, guarantees/warranties and inspections relating to the plumbing system.

However, fewer than one in five have specific insurance in place to help them deal with this kind of emergency quickly – January and February are peak months for frozen water pipes and escape of water claims.