Arc and Axa in landlords tie-up

Arc Legal Assistance has launched a tenant referencing and legal expenses package with AXA that provides landlords with direct access to information on tenants before entering into agreements.

In an exclusive contract with financial risk analysts, Experian, Arc enables landlords insured by AXA to run credit and other financial checks on residential tenants using Experian’s ‘Check My Tenant’ tool – one of the most advanced and comprehensive tenant verification services available, a service previously only available for letting agents - and for commercial tenants, the ‘Busibody’ business credit checking tool.

The service will be offered in addition to legal expenses cover to customers of AXA’s Buy to Let and Small Commercial Property Owners product. The cover includes costs of tenant eviction, defence of criminal prosecutions and pursuit of non-tenancy property disputes. Commercial property owners also receive business legal costs insurance, which covers the other commercial risks that professional landlords face such as employment disputes and tax investigations*.

Mike Keating, managing director of personal lines intermediary at AXA, said: “Arc’s experience in this sector means we benefit from their ability to develop tailored services for landlords, delivering real value to the customer. Direct access to tenant’s references ensures landlords have all the relevant information they need to protect their assets.”

Richard Finan, director of Arc, added: “Working with Experian enables Arc to offer a powerful referencing tool as a key part of our specialist landlord and tenant products. We work with many other referencing companies, however Experian were the only provider able to deliver a ‘direct to landlord’ solution for AXA. We have built a very specific niche in this sector and will continue to grow and develop bespoke products that offer important differentiators to insurers and brokers alike.”