Entrusting your property to paying tenants always comes with a certain degree of risk, so it is advisable to choose your residents with care to avoid a mishap. It is important to choose a tenant who is committed to looking after your property in the same manner that you would, including refraining from causing unnecessary damage and notifying you about any fixable faults.
If a tenant does damage your property or damage occurs that is nobody’s fault, you may need to make a property insurance claim to return your property to its pre-loss condition at no cost to yourself. While ideally, you will never have to deal with this scenario, it’s always best to be prepared and know your options. Here are some of our top tips for landlords with regard to handling property damage and subsequent property claims.
Regular Property Visits
As a landlord, your insurer will require you to regularly maintain your property and mitigate
damage before it gets worse. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself in case of water
damage or even malicious damage is to make sure that you’re paying regular visits to your
property to check everything is as it should be. Being able to prove that you’ve done this will support your case in the event of having to make an insurance claim, as you can argue that you have been attending to your responsibilities as a landlord.
Take Tenant References
Another way that you can cover your back when it comes to insurance claims is to make sure that you obtain proper references from your incoming tenants. This can help to prove that you’ve taken reasonable steps to prevent damage to your property from misuse or neglect. Keeping hold of copies as evidence can help you if you do need to make an official claim.
Evidential Photographs and Plumber Invoices
If you do get a genuine leak in your property and it gets water-damaged whilst it is being rented, you don’t want the insurer to wriggle out of paying a claim by blaming the damage on wear and tear or lack of maintenance. The best way to support a water damage insurance claim is to make sure that you have gathered a sufficient quantity of evidential photographs before your tenant moves in, as this will show the original condition of the property. If you have called out a plumber to fix the leak, make sure you keep a copy of the invoice to show that the leak was repaired promptly.
Record Damage Carefully
Make sure that you have a clear record of the damage and also of the steps you took to prevent it from getting worse (for example, getting the leak repaired). This will help your case when it comes to making an insurance claim. Deliberately separating claimable damage from normal wear and tear will help to demonstrate that your claim is genuine.
All Property Claims: Insurance Claims Management & Support
At All Property Claims, we can help you manage your home insurance claim, whether you’re
dealing with accidental damage, plumbing leaks, or property misuse. If your tenants are not able to stay at the property or use certain areas of the property due to repairs and stop paying rent as a result, we will also be able to get the insurer to cover this loss of rent. Get in touch with our expert team today for professional support with your property claim.