In an era where data is vital to business operations — from tenant records in property management to client contracts in a service firm — a data breach can carry significant financial, reputational and regulatory consequences. For businesses in London, including landlords, letting agents, property service providers and SMEs, data breach insurance (or cyber liability cover) provides an essential layer of protection.
At Fraser Bond we advise clients across sales, lettings, compliance and business services. We understand how data-risk links to property operations — and how the right insurance can safeguard both business continuity and asset value.
Data breach insurance (often part of a broader cyber liability policy) is designed to cover the costs and consequences of a breach of personal or sensitive data, whether by cyberattack, system failure or human error.
Key features of this type of cover include:
Notification costs – Expenses related to informing affected individuals, clients or tenants.
Forensic investigation – Costs of determining how the breach occurred, what data was compromised, and what remedial steps are needed.
Legal & regulatory fines or proceedings – Covering legal defence, settlements, and regulatory fines (e.g., under UK GDPR) for data protection breaches.
Business interruption and data restoration – Compensation for lost income or the cost of restoring systems and lost data.
Reputation and crisis management – PR and communications costs to address reputational fall-out from a breach.
London’s property ecosystem—residential blocks, commercial offices, letting agencies, service contractors—holds significant amounts of personal data: tenant records, lease information, service-charge payments, contractor credentials. A breach in any of these areas can lead to:
Disruption of property operations (e.g., access lost, systems down)
Legal claims from tenants or clients whose data has been exposed
Regulatory fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection failings
Damage to reputation and impact on asset value or rental earnings
For example, a maintenance contractor or letting agency that suffers a data breach exposing tenant banking details may face claims, regulatory action and loss of trust. Having data breach insurance helps protect the business and supports asset-owners in verifying their supply chain is properly covered.
When obtaining data breach / cyber liability insurance, particularly with property operations or service providers in mind, key points to review include:
Cover limits – The maximum indemnity amount must reflect your data volume, exposure, and business size.
Scope of cover – Ensure it explicitly includes both first-party (your own loss) and third-party (claims by others) costs
Retroactive/Run-off cover – For past incidents and for the period after you cease trading or change structure.
Notification & regulatory cost coverage – Important in the UK context with GDPR/UK DPA rules.
Business interruption cover for cyber incidents – If systems are compromised and you cannot operate.
Exclusions – Many standard business insurance policies exclude cyber/data breaches.
Policy wording and definitions – What constitutes a “data breach”, whether physical data losses are included (e.g., stolen laptops/hard drives) or only electronic.
Fraser Bond recommends the following steps for London-based businesses or property stakeholders evaluating cover:
Assess your risk profile – What data do you hold (tenants, clients, employees)? How critical are your IT systems?
Check regulatory obligations – UK GDPR and Data Protection Act enforcement continues to increase.
Compare providers – Use brokers or insurers that understand UK cyber/data risk (e.g., Hiscox, Brit Insurance).
Align with property processes – If you are a landlord/owner contracting service providers, ensure your contracts require them to hold adequate cyber/data breach cover.
Negotiate limits and exclusions – For property service supply chains (maintenance, letting agents) the risk may include tenant data, service-charge records, access systems.
Ensure mitigations are in place – Insurers will look at your cyber-hygiene: employee training, system patching, backup procedures. Having these helps both reduce premium and support claims.
Review annually – As your data volumes, property portfolio size or service provider network grows, ensure your cover scales accordingly.
While many insurers offer policies, Fraser Bond brings property-market, compliance and business advisory expertise together. We offer:
Insight into how data risk ties into property operations, portfolio management and landlord/tenant relations.
Review of insurance cover and policy wording to ensure alignment with your risk exposure, especially in London’s premium market.
Guidance on contract structures, service-provider insurance screening and asset-protection implications.
Support across sales, lettings, property management, compliance and insurance — offering a holistic advisory service.
With our support, you gain not just a policy, but an integrated risk-management strategy suited to the London market.
Ensure your business, property operation or service supply chain has robust protection for data-breach risks.
Visit FraserBond.com or contact our London advisory team for personalised guidance on data breach insurance, cyber liability cover and how to align your insurance with your property or business risk profile
