Help - insurance!

[atswimtwolengths]

Hi everyone, newcomer here - hope someone can help.

I have a leak from a flat roof and want to claim on my house insurance.

Can I only claim if it's accidental damage or can you always claim for a leak? No idea why it's leaking, but it's pretty bad and I think it'll be expensive to fix.

Does anyone have experience of this?

Thanks!

We had a leak from a flat upstairs and could claim, the cost of drying, sealing and repainting the damp walls was paid by the buildings insurer and the cost of replacing the carpet by the contents insurer, minus excess x 2 obviously. You can ring your insurers and they might send a loss adjsuter out before you book the repair work.

I doubt you will be covered for the cost of fixing the roof itself, but you should be covered for the damage the leak has caused. I have a vague memory of being told that sometimes the amount is reduced for leaks from roofs because if it has leaked it is deemed not to have been in a good state of repair. I may be wrong about that though. Best bet is to call your insurance company.

Fixing the roof may well be covered on the buildings insurance I think, just not on the contents insurance.

PS love the Flann O'Brien inspired name! Also a big fan of Spaced, Daisy!

You might find you're not covered as it may have been caused by wear & tear. Therefore the insurers may say it's down to lack of property maintenance.

Thanks duplo!

Thanks all - do you know with structural insurance whether it has to be accidental? I've noticed it leaking since my son got up there to put up fairy lights at Christmas - god knows what he did - I can't get up there myself to find out!

You can only claim if you have storm cover or accidental damage cover and you can pinpoint a certain event that caused the leak. Your policy schedule and booklet will tell you this.
You are not insured for wear and tear, so you need to say "There was a storm on 1st November and that caused the leak". Obviously this needs to be true, as the insurers will check weather reports etc. No one is covered for wear and tear, because then insurance becomes a maintenance contract.

That's what I'm worried about, pesto.

Hence checking before I call them!