can I call my insurance on for the house I own and I was renting and was vandalized after the renters left?

Question

They broke and stole some items and did lots of damage,

Answer 1

I'm a little unclear of the situation. Is this: a) a house you bought as your primary residence, and you were renting it out while you were living elsewhere?; b) Were you renting out a portion of the house you live in (i.e. basement suite)?; c) Is this a house you purchased specifically to rent out while your principal residence is elsewhere? If the answer is a), I hope you switched your policy from a Homeowner's Policy to a Rented Dwelling policy. If you did not, don't bother with the claim, as I can guarantee you will be denied and your policy voided for non-disclsosure of a material fact. If the answer is b) or c), or if it is a) and you have the proper policy, then this will depend on how comprehensive your coverage is. If you have a basic Named Perils or Fire and Extended Coverage policy, damage/theft caused by tenants will not be covered. If you have a Comprehensive or All Risks (on both Building and Contents), then the answer is: maybe. Some companies, even under their most thorough policy may exclude damage caused by tenants. Some may cover but will limit the amount payable (I am looking at an All Risk policy now which EXCLUDES "loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by any tenant, or any guest of tenants, for peril of theft, vandalism and malicious acts for amounts in excess of $5,000"). Your best bet is to check your policy wordings and/or contact your Broker/Agent and ask.

Answer 2

Are you saying it was vandalized by the tenants or vandalized after the tenants vacated by somebody else? If the later then it shouldn't be a problem just as long as the property hasn't been vacant for more than 30 or 45 days. If it's the first then it's more difficult because it needs to be determined if much of the damage is just because that's how the people lived. For some it's quite normal to put holes in the walls and break things believe it or not. If the tenants did it all at once when they vacated the property then make a police report and call your insurance company.

Answer 3

Yes, of course you can file a claim on your insurance. And I would certainly do it right away.
What you will actually get out of the claim will depend on a variety of factors such as:
How much damage the renters did, (if they did less damage than your deductible, there will be no claim)
What type of policy you have. Most homeowners policies will cover the home structure in the event renters vandalized the house, but with a cheaper policy you may have exceptions.
Call your insurance agent and tell them what has occurred, usually they will point you in the right direction (as they are not the claims adjusters, and usually their business is keeping you happy).

Answer 4

Well, you'd better hope that you have it on a dwelling fire policy, and not a true homeowners policy, or they're going to cancel you, because a "homeowners" policy needs to be owner occupied.

Is the DAMAGE covered? Depends on the type of damage. I have seen some types of damage covered, and others denied. And it's going to depend if it's wear and tear type stuff, like carpet staining, or deliberate vandalism - like smearing stuff on the walls.

Answer 5

Got renters insurance if not no you gotta sue them in small claims court file 1. police report 2. take lots of pictures 3. keep all repair recipts (never know you might be on Judge Joe Brown show) sorry dude

Answer 6

As long as there was no one renting the property and what was in the house belonged to you then yes, call your insurance company.

Answer 7

Yes but expect an increase or cancelation.