6 Things That You Didn’t Realize Could Invalidate Your Home Insurance
Picking any home insurance policy is a tricky thing, and we can create quite a headache trying to decide which policy is best. It is well known that the cheapest is often not the best with many exclusions and clauses that make claiming on certain things difficult or impossible. But something that is often overlooked when discussing home insurance policies is things that could potentially invalidate your claim or even your entire plan. Here are six things that you didn’t realize could invalidate your home insurance.
Not Reporting the Correct Doors & Windows
It’s often overwhelming navigating through the vast amount of questions you are asked when setting up a home insurance policy. This can include what types of doors and locks you have, also windows, as there is no reason to have the most secure door in the world and a set of old and fragile windows. Even modifications such as a cat flap can be neglected when filling out these forms but can easily invalidate the whole policy.
Leaving the Home Unoccupied
You will need to be sure that the home is not left unoccupied. There are different definitions of what vacant means, depending on your policy. Pretty much every policy understands that almost no home is occupied every minute of every day. What to check is the specific wording of your policy says? It is likely to specify a certain number of days that a property can be left, usually for a vacation. If you are going on a more extended trip, then it is essential to contact your provider as you may be able to alter the policy to include this or move you to an alternative policy that does cover this.
Not Keeping the Building Secure
In essence, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to keep the building secure. If a break-in occurs after leaving a door or window unlocked, it’s almost sure that any claim will be turned down. Looking at reliable systems at Vivint Home Security may significantly lower your monthly payments. In any claim investigation, the actions and circumstances surrounding it will be questioned thoroughly, also giving a key to a contractor working on the house can be considered a breach.
Renting it Out
If you choose not to live in your house and rent it out, then you should be aware that you would need a different type of home insurance; and this is landlord’s insurance. Even doing this on a small scale can be difficult, and if you take in a lodger, are you a landlord? If your insurer says yes, then you may need to change provider or policy.
Not Taking Care of Maintenance
Home insurance will not pay for repair work that is considered to be routine maintenance, look at these common questions about what roof repairs are usually covered by insurance? It’s also true that if you have neglected regular maintenance and then this is determined to have caused or contributed to a repair that you are claiming for, then you are, again, likely to be denied any payout. Insurance investigations can be thorough, so don’t assume they won’t find out.
Not Reporting Crime
If you do have a break-in, then it’s a crucial step to ensure that you call the police. This is important for two reasons. Firstly if you don’t make the call, then it may automatically invalidate any claim you attempt to make on your policy. Secondly, it gives a professional and impartial report of the facts that can be used as evidence to support your claim in any investigation of the events.
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