Well, it looks like summer is over and it’s a short, trudge into winter from here.
And that usually brings with it wet weather and flooding.
They do say that water can cause as much damage as fire, and that can be really bad news for homeowners.
Let’s take a look at some of the steps you need to take if you’re forced to leave your home because of flooding.
The first thing is to contact your insurance broker/insurer directly. They will be able to tell you what your home insurance policy includes and whether it covers for alternative accommodation. They will also advise on a loss adjuster.
Your loss adjuster will then be able to arrange longer-term alternative accommodation; this will typically be a like-for-like property. If the costs of living in the alternative accommodation are higher than what you pay for your home, this will likely be covered by your policy.
If you find that your insurance doesn’t include alternative accommodation, don’t panic. For anyone left homeless after a flood, your local council is obligated to provide you with emergency accommodation. You will automatically be treated as a high priority.
The rules are slightly different for those people in rented accommodation whereby the onus of sorting out insurance will fall on your landlord unless you have contents insurance. In this case, just contact your broker/insurer and let them know.
It is the landlord’s duty to repair any flood damage, including any broken equipment and furniture owned by the landlord. They will also be responsible for covering cleaning bills and ensuring the property is safe to live in.
While private landlords aren’t obligated to provide alternative accommodation, council landlords and housing associations are. If this doesn’t happen, make sure to contact Environmental Health at your local council as soon as possible.
The most important thing though is to make sure that all important insurance cover is in place – regardless of who’s responsibility it is. The same goes for business premises as well where you will need to factor in business continuity and loss of trade.
We’re a helpful bunch of people and will be happy to help with all of that too.
Get in touch with one of our expert advisers to find out more.
