In the event of a leak, flood and other water damage, reacting quickly and well can limit damage and obtain better coverage by your home insurance. Declaration of water damage, amicable report, compensation… Everything you need to know, whether you are a tenant or an owner. Water leakage is the most common disaster in housing. Your home insurance (compulsory for tenants and co-owners, strongly recommended for owners of single-family homes) includes water damage coverage. The scope of coverage is specified in the contract and may vary from one insurer to another.
Between the time you take out your comprehensive home insurance and the time the water damage occurs, it can take several years. As a result, you are no longer really aware of what your contract covers and what not. That is why, in all cases, it is advisable to respect the following steps in order to maximize your chances of obtaining compensation.
Step 1: stop the leak to prevent the disaster from getting worse
As soon as you notice the water damage, you must act to stop the water leak and prevent the situation from worsening: turn off the water supply tap, mop up, protect your furniture … However, take a few photos that you can send it later to your insurer if it asks you to do so. If the flooding is severe, also cut off the electricity to avoid any risk of short circuit or electric shock. If your house is completely under water, obviously contact the fire brigade to intervene.
If you cannot find the source of the Water Damage Las Vegas or if you cannot repair it on your own, you must call a plumber. If you do not have the contact details of a plumber, and to avoid the risk of frequent scams in this situation, you can contact your insurer who will certainly have a recognized plumber to recommend you. Most often, home contracts cover the search for a leak, but only if your loss is part of the damage covered by your insurance (see below). Keep, in fact, the proof of repair and other invoices. These documents will be used to estimate the damages and the compensation to which you may be able to claim.
However, it is too early to tackle the indirect consequences. In the event of damage to the paintings, furniture or floors, you must wait for an expert to visit or for the agreement of your insurer to start work. However, you can take photos, bring proof of purchase or possession in order to build up a solid file to present to your insurance.
What if the water damage comes from the neighbor?
After checking, you think that the traces of humidity on the ceiling or the overflow of the pipes do not come from your home but from the adjacent accommodation. In this case, tell your neighbor to stop the leak. If he is absent, contact the caretaker of the building who may have a duplicate of his keys. As a last resort, you can contact the fire brigade.
If the water damage appears to come from the common parts of a condominium, contact a member of the union council or the trustee directly. The latter being in charge of the building, he will search for the water leak.
Step 2: inform the people involved
Even if the leak is localized in your home, it may have repercussions on neighbors. This is why you must notify all those potentially affected by the disaster: your neighborhood, the condominium association or your landlord if you are renting.
As a tenant, you may be required to assume responsibility for Water Damage Las Vegas and its consequences. In any case, it is advisable to report the incident to your landlord. Then, it is the origin of the loss that will determine whether it is up to you or your owner (or your respective insurance companies) to pay the bill. To put it simply, if the leak is the result of obsolescence, poor workmanship or a construction defect, it is up to the owner to take charge of the loss and even to compensate you if your property has been damaged. On the other hand, if the leak, flooding or infiltration is the result of improper use or non-routine maintenance (seal not changed, annual check-up of the boiler not carried out, etc.), you are responsible. It’s up to you, the tenant,
Step 3: make a declaration of water damage to your insurance
Within 5 working days of discovering the water damage, you must report it to your insurance company or to the broker who manages your home contract. Start by contacting him by phone or by going directly to an agency. Your insurer may ask you to notify them of the incident by mail or to make a declaration online, from your customer area.
This letter (preferably sent with acknowledgment of receipt) or this web declaration must mention your contact details (last name, first name and address), your home insurance contract number (it can be found on the invoices), the description of the loss (date , location of the leak, origin), a description of the damage (material but also bodily injury) affecting you or your neighborhood or other stakeholders (specify the contact details of the victims). If possible, also provide an estimate of damaged furniture and items.
Often, and sometimes even if only your home is damaged, your insurer asks you to send him an amicable report of water damage at the same time as the above declaration. If several people are affected by the water damage, all must fill out one and return it to their respective insurer. This approach is supposed to accelerate the assumption of responsibility and the possible release of compensation.
How to complete an amicable report of water damage?
You can get a water damage report on your insurance website or ask for one. This document looks like an amicable report of a car accident, with no diagram to draw. It aims in particular to specify to insurers how the water damage was taken care of (if a company carried out a search for a leak) and if the cause is known.
Step 4: repair permanently to prevent recurrence
The emergency repair, which you probably carried out on the day of the loss, is not always sufficient to prevent a recurrence. Extensive work is often also a prerequisite to unlock insurance compensation. Your insurer can indeed ask that you prove to him – by presenting the repair invoice – that a professional intervened.
The repair work is not covered by the insurer. It only compensates material and immaterial damage resulting from the incident.
What does most home insurance cover?
Generally, home insurance covers water damage caused by a leak or broken pipe. It also covers the overflow or clogging of non-buried conduits, gutters and gutters or even household equipment such as the washing machine or dishwasher, the refrigerator and the septic tank. The water damage guarantee is also triggered in the event of infiltration through the roofs.
However, damage caused by condensation or a humidity problem, or caused by a liquid other than water, such as fuel oil, is not covered in this context. Likewise, water damage resulting from work at your home or at your neighbor’s is not covered. On the other hand, do not panic, you will be compensated in this case too, but by the insurance taken out by the professional who carried out the work.
