Home Insurance - Leak whats the deal?

Question

ok I live in a top floor flat and seem to have a leak in my livingroom it has come in via the roof and has ran down my wall.

What can I do regarding my home insurance im not really sure how it works - can I claim for it to be fixed as well as the decoration value? i.e will they send a roofer to fix or do i need to do that myself then claim for the wall paper damage only?

Im just not sure how the process works?

Answer 1

Depends on your policy, how much your policy covers, and if there's another policy. GENERALLY, if it's sudden & accidental - ie, a leak from a storm that just happened, the roof is not covered unless it was damaged in the storm - ie, a branch landed on it, or wind blew it off, or some such.

Flat roofs are NOTORIOUS for being leaky. They usually have to be maintained every 3-5 years. If they haven't been maintained, then the water damage to the inside isn't sudden and accidental - it's gradual, lack of maintenance stuff - which isn't usually covered.

So, bottom line, you'll have to file the claim anyway. Most likely, the roof repair isn't covered, but the drywall/plaster/paint/paper damage on the inside is; but you'll have to talk to your agent and YOUR company for policy specific information.

Answer 2

Well a lot of it depends on how the building you live in is owned.

You mention you are in a flat. This is not as simple as if you lived in a single family home.

If your flat is like a condo then the roof and other areas of the building other than inside your unit may be commonly owned by you and the other flat owners.

If that is the case, then there may be a source of getting paid to repair the roof (mainly an assessment against all the flat owners in your building) that doesn't involve insurance. Depending on how your units are organized, you may even be able to make a claim to get the inside of your unit repaired to its original condition based on the reason for the leak...a faulty commonly owned roof.

If you can avoid an insurance claim, the better it will be for you in terms of premiums and the ability of the insurer to non-renew you (the nice way of saying they want to cancel your policy).

Answer 3

You might not want to file a claim, because the insurance company will hold it against you and raise the rates (the premium) the first chance they get. You should get an estimate of the cost of repairs.

If you still want to file a claim,you need to contact the agent who represents the insurance company. If there is no agent, contact the company direct.

You should read the polict first, to find out if leaky roofs are on the list of exclusions. Also see how much the deductible is. If it is more than the cost of the repairs, you're out of luck.

Answer 4

some policy examples

Answer 5

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