Occupiers’ liability insurance

Provide us with your details and one of our insurance experts will contact you to discuss your requirements

Lisa Mary

Excellent service today. Thank you to driver 318, Rich, for making me feel calm and relaxed, and also to the Brazilian driver. Both very pleasant and approachable. I would deffo recommend Swoop

Aug 28, 2025

Iulia Popescu

James has been absolutely fantastic throughout the entire funding process. He guided us with clear, straightforward advice and was always quick to respond to any questions we had. Thanks to his support, we were able to secure the funds we needed swiftly and without any unnecessary complications. His professionalism, efficiency, and deep understanding of the funding landscape made what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth and manageable. I would highly recommend Swoop—and especially James—to any business looking for reliable, expert support in securing finance.

Aug 5, 2025

Mr B

Simple- Helpful - Accurate

Aug 5, 2025

Jodie Marshall

At a time when I needed some extra funding for my business, I went to SWOOP. They were absolutely amazing. My business is a social enterprise, we so have a not for profit clause which often means mainstream lenders don't like to lend. But these guys found me a company willing to lend at an amazing rate and with amazing terms (better than any social investor I've come across). I gave them what I thought was an impossible task on the off chance, and they delivered! So impressed with their professionalism, friendliness and super quick turn around! Thank you SWOOP!

Aug 5, 2025

Neil Jones

Just when you need that additional business boost, Swoop have you covered. Fantastic turnaround from Adrian and team. They kept me fully informed from start to finish, and with a follow up to make sure everything went well and all is good. Fantastic, highly recommended.

Aug 4, 2025

susan allan

had an amazing experience with BEN nicest taxi driver ever . helped us with a stressful end to the night and couldn’t thank him enough staying with us until we were all safe . if anyone needs a taxi i would recommend ben with swoop .

Aug 3, 2025

Jack

Absolutely brilliant company to deal with. Farhan was extremely helpful, friendly and very efficient from start to finish and have helped us get funding with minimal interest rates which will help the company repay quicker and expand faster. Thanks so much Swoop

Jul 21, 2025

Canada Business Leasing

Love working with this group.

Jul 17, 2025

Lindsay

Cynthia made the process really easy, the customer service was great through out the whole process. Would definitly recommend talking with Swoop and Cynthia!

Jul 11, 2025

Jamal Ogungbola

Great experience from start to finish, helped us secure funding for a new dryer for an independent care home. Very grateful to Adrian and Nichola for their support throughout.

Jul 8, 2025

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Page written by Chris Godfrey. Last reviewed on August 28, 2025. Next review due April 6, 2026.

Read this article to me

What is occupiers' liability insurance?

Accidents happen. There’s no getting around that. However, if they happen on your business premises, you could be on the hook for compensation claims, legal and medical expenses and more. Occupier’s liability insurance is designed to eliminate these kind of risks. Let the policy take care of all the problems, while you carry on doing what you do best. Read on to find out more.

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Defining occupiers’ liability insurance

Occupiers’ liability insurance is type of business insurance that covers the occupier of a commercial premises against personal injury or property damage claims made against them by their customers, suppliers, or members of the public. This type of insurance product is also known as public liability insurance, and it’s a must for any business that comes into contact with the general public.

How does occupiers’ liability insurance work?

If a visitor to your commercial premises is accidentally injured, or their property is damaged, they may make a claim against you and your business for compensation. Depending on their injuries or the scope of the property damage, the claim could run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. Few UK SMEs could afford such a blow. Instead, occupiers’ liability insurance can cover the compensation claim and any related legal or medical expenses up to the limits of the policy.

Accidents at work and occupiers’ liability

Occupiers’ liability insurance does not cover your business from employee claims for accidents at work that cause personal injury or property damage. Business owners must take out employers’ liability insurance to protect against these type of claims from members of staff. This insurance is mandatory by law for virtually all employers, and you must have at least £5million in cover with the policy issued by an authorised insurer.

Example of occupiers’ liability

A customer trips over a loose floor tile in your shop. The break their arm in the fall and cannot work for several weeks. They may make a claim against your business for loss of income, medical and legal expenses and emotional stress. Or, one of your delivery vans scrapes a customer’s car while it is parked on your premises. Instead of going through their car insurer, they make claim against your business to repair the damage and provide a spare car while theirs is off the road.

What are the benefits of occupiers’ liability insurance?

Occupier’s liability insurance has major benefits:

Eliminate the risk of expensive claims for personal injury or property damage
Meet your legal responsibility to provide a reasonably safe environment for visitors to your business premises
Satisfy insurance demands from trade guilds, associations and professional bodies
Gain full peace of mind

Is occupiers' liability insurance a legal requirement?

No. Only employers’ liability insurance is legally required. Other business insurances are optional, although some clients and customers may require your organisation to have occupier’s liability insurance in place before they will trade with you.

What other type of insurance do I need?

There are many types of business insurance. Depending on the industry you work in and the work you do or the goods you sell, you should purchase essential cover and then add optional extras according to your circumstances:

Essential business cover

Accidental death – provides compensation in the event that an employee is killed whilst working for you.
Employer’s liability – protects you and your employees should they be injured or become unwell as a result of working for your business.
Contents insurance – pays out in the event the contents of your business premises (including construction sites and site offices), are stolen, damaged, or lost to fire and flood. This is essential cover if you operate a workshop or office. Protect your equipment, computers, furniture and more.
Tools and equipment – protects your vital tools and equipment from damage, fire, flood, or theft.
Legal expenses – pays for legal advice and representation in the event of any claim or business dispute.

Optional business cover

Product liability – covers you from claim in the event that products or materials you have supplied are faulty. (You don’t have to make the products or materials to be at risk, simply distributing or providing them can make you liable for claims of personal injury or property damage).
Professional indemnity – essential for individuals or businesses who provide expert advice, information and skills – such as accountants, solicitors, designers, financial advisers, architects and chartered surveyors. This policy covers you in the event that erroneous information you have provided creates a financial loss for a client or customer.
Owned-plant insurance – covers the caravans, site huts, light and heavy machinery that you own from damage, theft, fire and flood.
Hired-in plant insurance – similar cover to above, except this policy protects the machinery and plant that you have rented or leased from a supplier.
Stock and inventory – protects you from loss if the unsold goods and raw materials you hold in stock are stolen, damaged, or lost to fire or flood.
Van and truck – it is illegal to drive an uninsured vehicle on UK roads – including commercial vehicles. Protect your vans and trucks and their contents from fire, theft and accident.
Goods in transit – covers your raw materials and finished goods as they travel from A to B. This applies to shipping in your own vehicles as well as those of third-party couriers.
Cyber-insurance – protect your technology from cyber criminals with a policy that covers malicious malware, hacking, phishing, ransomware and more.

How much does occupier’s liability insurance cost?

Premiums for some occupiers’ liability insurances can start at less than £4 per month, but just as no two UK businesses are alike, so no two occupier’s liability insurance needs are the same. Costs will depend on your business type, where you operate, and the risks attached to what you do or sell.

How Swoop can help

All business involves risk, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer the consequences if things go wrong. Don’t let an accident or oversight become a catastrophe for your organisation. Contact Swoop today to compare top-quality occupiers’ liability cover from different providers and to discuss all your business insurance needs.

Written by

Chris Godfrey

Chris is a freelance copywriter and content creator. He has been active in the marketing, advertising, and publishing industries for more than twenty-five years. Writing for Barclays Bank, Metro Bank, Wells Fargo, ABN Amro, Quidco, Legal and General, Inshur Zego, AIG, Met Life, State Farm, Direct Line, insurers and pension funds, his words have appeared online and in print to inform, entertain and explain the complex world of consumer and business finance and insurance.

Swoop promise

At Swoop we want to make it easy for SMEs to understand the sometimes overwhelming world of business finance and insurance. Our goal is simple – to distill complex topics, unravel jargon, offer transparent and impartial information, and empower businesses to make smart financial decisions with confidence.

Find out more about Swoop’s editorial principles by reading our editorial policy.