IMPORTANT NOTICE
This policy is NOT a Maintenance contract. You are still expected to maintain your property and not just wait for things to go wrong. Please read carefully and understand the defintion of an emergency. Please take a look at the examples of what are and aren't claims below.
You can make up to 3 claims in a year. Think carefully before you make a claim. In our opinion it's not wise to use up your claims on minor, inexpensive jobs to then get a major job such as boiler breakdown, or electrical circuit failure, to have run out of your 3 claims
Our Home Emergency policies are meant to be there in the event of an emergency.
This is our definition of Emergency
A sudden and unforeseen situation, which if not dealt with quickly and without sensible intervention by you or the tenant would:
a) render the property unsafe or insecure; or
b) Damage, or cause further damage to the property; or
c) Cause excessive discomfort, risk or difficulties for or to you tenant.
We always try and be as transparent as possible about our pricing and our policies. We want to be as honest as we can be, so that you understand what you are buying. They are extremely good value for money, but they don't cover every situation. Below we have tried to give examples and the reason when you would and also would not be able to claim.
Our Home Emergency policies are there in the event of an emergency. They will not cover general maintenance, this is still down to you. So please take a look at our examples below and hopefully they will give you clear examples, but also the rationale as to how they determine what is a claim.
What Would be a Claim?
- Leaking Pipe - Cold water pipe leaking under the sink. Yes this is a claim. It's leaking and if left will cause damage to the property
- Electrics Keep Tripping - The electric does not stay on. The trip switch keeps tripping. This is a claim. There is clearly a fault and poses a health and safety risk. Someone needs to come out and find and repair the fault that is causing the issue.
- Front Door Lock Broken - The front door lock is broken and cannot be locked. This is a similar situation to the one we cover later that is not a claim. However this is a claim because the lock is broken and cannot be locked. Because it can't be locked this poses a risk to the property and the occupiers.
- The toilet is not working - This is the only toilet in the property and so it is a claim
- Light switch has stopped working - This is
- Central Heating has stopped working - There is no heating and/or no hot water. This is a claim.
- Smashed Window - This is a claim. The property is not secure and poses a risk to the occupiers. Someone needs to come out and secure the property.
- Lost Keys - You've lost your keys and cannot get into your property. This is a claim. We will assist you in getting back into your property and ensure that your property is secure.
- Pest Infestation in House - This is a claim. It is impacting where you live. Remember that we class pests as wasps, hornets, mice and rats. We do not class spiders, cockroaches, squirrels, ants, bees, fleas or bedbugs as pests.
- Hot Water Cylinder is leaking - If left this is going to damage the property. This is a claim.
- Blocked Drain
- This is classed as unexpected failure of the drainage system and so would be a claim.
What Would Not be a Claim?
- Dripping Tap - This is going to drip into the sink and so isn't going to cause damage to the property. It can be sorted, but isn't urgent
- Faulty Electrical Socket - You have an electrical socket in your living room that has stopped working. Everything else in the property is fine. This also would not be a claim, as you have electric to the rest of the property and so can be managed. Whilst it's a nuisance, it wouldn't be classed as an emergency
- Front Door Lock Broken
- This is an odd one because it could be a claim, but let's explain when it wouldn't be a claim. The front door lock is broken and so you cannot open the front door. Because it is broken but locked then it is secure, so the property is safe. However, if there was no back door, then you cannot get out and this poses a risk to your health and safety in the event of fire and so would be a claim because it's not safe. However, if there is a back door, then you can get out of the property and so would not be a claim. This is because the policy is an emergency policy and because the property is secure and tenants can get safely in and out, it's not a claim.
- Upstairs Toilet is not working - If this is the only toilet in the property, then it would be a claim. However, if there is another toilet in the property, then this wouldn't be a claim as it is no longer classed as an emergency
- Light Switch has stopped working - If one light switch has stopped working, then whilst an annoyance it's not classed as an emergency, as all the other lights are working. For it to be a claim, the complete circuit needs to have failed.
- Leaking Shower when in use - The shower leaks when you use it. This is not a claim. The argument is that because it doesn't leak when you don't use it, then it is not an emergency and it is something that you need to get repaired. The same applies to other household appliances such as baths and sinks.
- Frozen Pipes - If they have frozen but not damaged, then this wouldn't be a claim. If they are damaged, then this would be a claim
- A radiator isn't getting warm - This isn't a claim. All other radiators are working fine, so clearly the gas boiler is working okay. There are no leaks and so this would be seen as a general maintenance issue.
- Leaking External Tap - This isn't a claim. Whilst this would cause damage over time, it doesn't fall under the defnition of 'damage would be caused if not dealt with quickly'
- Pest Infestation in Shed - This is not deemed to be a claim, as it's not in your home and doesn't affect you sufficiently to be classed as an emergency.
The main thing to remember is that this policy is an Emergency policy and not a Maintenance Contract. This means it will not cover everything that goes wrong in a property, but will cover those situations which are considered an emergency.
Definition of Emergency
A sudden and unforeseen situation which if not dealt with quickly and without sensible intervention by you or the tenant would:
i. Render the property unsafe or insecure; or
ii. Damage or cause further damage to the property; or
iii. Cause excessive discomfort, risk or difficulties for or to you.
Burst Pipes or Sudden Leakage
Repairs of leaks and blockages within your plumbing and drainage system. Including failure of, or damage to underground drains or sewers
Emergency caused by, or breakdown of the domestic electrical wiring supply system and its components
Total Breakdown of the gas central heating boiler, the central heating system and its associated pipework
Replacing lost keys and repairing broken locks and protecting your home following damage to your windows
Infestation of Pests
Protecting your home against infestation of the home by brown rats, field or house mice and wasps nests
Protecting your home following damage to your roof after an event.
So What's Covered?
- External Water Supply - Blockage, collapse or leakage including main stopcock to the public water main
- Plumbing - Emergency arising from sudden & unexpected failure of, or damage to internal plumbing system
- Drainage - Emergency arising from sudden & unexpected failure of, or damage to the drainage system of your property
- Domestic Central Heating System - Sudden & unexpected failure of your domestic central heating system
- Electrical Breakdown - Breakdown or failure of the permanent domestic electrical wiring system
- Gas Supply Pipe - Damage to the internal gas supply pipe. Assistance will be provided once the National Gas Emergency Service have attended & isolated the leak
- Security & Roofing - Emergency repair to make the property safe and/or prevent further damage in the event of damage, or failure to the roof, external lock, door or window
- Lost Keys - Assistance in gaining access to your property arising from the loss of the only available key
- Pest Infestation - Assistance in removing pests infestations from your property
How Do We Keep the Price so low?
The most effective way we keep our prices down is with low cost advertising. We predominantly rely on 'word of mouth' and utilising Facebook Groups and Twitter. We are constantly promoting ourselves and we hope over time you will promote us too!
Our product has all the features and benefits as shown above. However, we keep the price down by having a clause that states if this is the first time you have bought Home Emergency, then you cannot make a claim in the first 14 days. This is not aimed at avoiding paying claims, but is there to prevent people taking out a policy because something has already gone wrong with their property! The result is that it makes our policy, we believe the most competitive on the market, which means that you benefit year in year out.
This clause only applies in the first year, it does not apply at renewal, or if you are switching to us from another provider. In the interests of transparency we feel it is important to point this out to you clearly.
