Broken clothes washer, sewer backup, foundation drain (French drain) problems, water infiltrations through the roof: these are all water-related problems that can happen anytime – generally when you least expect it – and that all come with assorted challenges! If you are very unlucky, disaster can strike more than once. Unfortunately, several water-related claims are sure to have negative consequences on your home insurance record. At Assurances Multi-Risques, we often get calls from people who have problems getting their home insured because of this. We would therefore like to offer a few pointers to help you to go from a potential insurance disaster story to a funny story that you can tell your friends.
Frequent water-damage related claims : Home insurance cancellation
In Quebec, a good proportion of insurance claims are due to water damage, whatever the cause. Given the high risk of this occurring again, insurers often have cold feet when it comes to insuring clients who have reported such damage several times, or even just once. Some insurers will even refuse to give you coverage or to renew your coverage if you have made such claims in the past. Why do they do this? Because they want to avoid having to pay for another claim and increase their financial losses, which means that they might have to resort to increasing their other clients’ premiums.
Know that for most home insurers, a frequent claimer is someone who has reported two problems. Some insurers, however, are more tolerant and will go up to three claims before considering the client as a frequent claimer.
Since insurance companies must exercise due diligence towards all of their clients, we recommend that you read one of our previous articles in order to better understand an insurance claim’s impact.
What can I do after my home insurance has been cancelled because of too frequent water-related damage claims?
Here are a few pointers to help you to find new insurance coverage after a series of water-damage related claims :
- Make sure to avoid any insurance interruptions as this will only makes things worst ;
- Since it will have to be done sooner or later, immediately deal with the problem that caused the damage, and thus avoid having to file a second or even a third claim for the same reason ;
- Perform the necessary maintenance work on your house. Replace your water heater and your roof once their scheduled service life is over ;
- Repair any cracks or crevices to avoid major water infiltrations ;
- Increase your home insurance deductibles ;
- Contact an independent insurance broker who specializes in “non-standard” property risks.
In conclusion, if you were not born under a lucky star and your floating laminate floor is literally floating, if it has rained UNDER your roof and if your dishwasher has also washed the floor, your insurer could decide to cancel your contract and you may then have trouble finding another insurer. Finding a new insurer is never a pleasant task. So, in order to avoid last minute insurance shopping and to be able to spend more time on your reno, why not contact an independent insurance broker who will take care of things for you and who will find THE best insurance company for your needs.