As a general rule, insurers will not accept an application for cover if the tenant is in arrears and the tenant must have demonstrated a period of consistent payment of rent during the period immediately prior (say, three months) to the request for cover.  In most cases, a bond equivalent to four weeks rent must be in place prior to the commencement of the tenancy and regular inspections reports should be carried out over the tenancy period.  The landlord is also obliged to let the insurer know of any pre-existing issues which are likely to be excluded from cover.