Is water damage covered?
Water can do quite a bit of damage inside your home. Water damage can have several causes: from heavy rainfall or from a leak. Items in your home can suffer a lot of damage from water. Such damage can cause a considerable expense. In this article you can read what water damage is covered by home contents insurance.
What is covered by water damage under contents insurance?
Water damage is covered by the contents insurance, provided there is unforeseen damage. In other words, this is damage that could have been prevented. Damage due to overdue maintenance is not covered. Acutely occurring damage such as a leak or heavy rainfall is covered by the contents insurance.
Insurers generally distinguish between 3 categories:
- Water damage caused by precipitation
- Water damage caused by indirect precipitation
- Water damage caused by tap water
Water damage caused by precipitation
Precipitation such as rain, hail, fog, sleet, freezing rain and snow can cause damage to your contents. These damages can be costly. Situations where water has entered your home, and which could not have been prevented, are covered. You will therefore be paid for the damage in these situations by your insurer.
For example, if you have left a window up while it is raining cats and dogs outside, this water damage will not be covered by your insurance company.
What is indirect precipitation?
Indirect precipitation is water that has entered your home due to overflowing ditches, canals and quays due to heavy rainfall. This damage is not covered by standard home contents insurance, but is covered by home contents insurance with extra comprehensive hazard insurance or all-risk home contents insurance. Water damage caused as a result of a dike breach or river/sea flooding is always excluded from coverage.
Water damage caused by tap water
Water damage can occur because one of the pipes in your home bursts. In many cases, these damages are covered by your home contents insurance. However, it is important to keep in mind that this only applies to unforeseen situations. So it must be situations that do not involve overdue maintenance.
What does household insurance not cover for water damage?
What was also mentioned above is that water damage caused by overdue maintenance is never compensated. This is because you had the ability to prevent this damage. Think of chores such as replacing worn kit edges and grouting.
Damages that are not reimbursed for water damage are:
- Own fault. If the damage was caused by your fault, it will never be paid by an insurer.
- Overdue maintenance. For example, if you don't replace your sealants in a timely manner, water damage can occur.
- Negligence. Did you leave your sliding door or skylight open during a heavy rain? If so, water damage is not covered.
- Floods/natural disasters. Water damage caused by floods or natural disasters are never reimbursed by an insurer. The costs are too high and an insurance company does not have enough money to pay for all damages. Should you still want to try to get compensation for part of the damage, you can appeal to the Damage Compensation Act (WTS).
What should I do in the event of water damage?
You should always try to limit the damage. If water has entered your home, you should try to sluice this water away as quickly as possible. In addition, bring your valuables to safety as best you can. Also take pictures of the damage, this way your insurance company can properly assess what compensation they can offer you.
In addition, report your claim as soon as possible to your insurer or to us by calling 085 - 029 5191.
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