The Effects Of Home Maintenance On Homeowner's Insurance Claims
Protecting yourself by purchasing homeowner's insurance is a necessity if you are a homeowner, but you should also realize that caring for your home is an obligation you take on. The maintenance you complete or fail to complete can affect your ability to file a claim on your homeowner's policy if you ever need to, and here are a few things you should understand about this.
Your insurance company assumes you are taking care of your property
When you purchase a homeowner's insurance policy, it is designed to protect you against losses you might experience from damage to your home. The damage can occur for many different reasons, which are covered under most policies, but your insurance company is basing this coverage on the assumption that you are caring for your property. In other words, when your house needs maintenance or repairs, the insurance company assumes you are taking care of those things, and your policy coverage is dependent upon this fact.
If damage occurs for a lack of maintenance, the company may deny the claim
Because of this assumption, you should not be surprised if your insurance company denies a claim you make that was the result of a lack of maintenance and repairs on your home. For example, if you file a claim for water damage in your home due to roof leaks, your insurance company would probably not pay the claim if your roof was 50 years old. Roofs do not last this long, and homeowners should replace them as needed. Therefore, your policy will likely only cover damages if they were not the result of a lack of maintenance on your part.
Things you can do to protect your home and care for it properly
To protect yourself, you should aim to care for your home properly. If the roof is worn out, you should replace it. If there is a tree that is dead and is near your home, you should have it removed. If your plumbing system is old and could possibly leak and cause water damage, you should replace the system so that it does not leak and lead to water damage in your house.
If you currently are not happy with the homeowner's insurance policy you have, you could call a different company for a quote. When you do this, make sure you ask questions and receive a quote for the types of coverage you need.