Help, Fire!

jay78

This post was never about trying to claim money for lost furnishings! I just wanted to know if I was entitle to compensation for losses incurred by the fire. Some people have said yes others have said no. I guess there's only one way to find out.

Thanks for all the advice anyway.

dougk_2

BobProperty wrote:

I would have though that most LL who rent out furnished properties do have contents insurance.

From what I know its often the case LL's contents insurance is usually on a "limited" basis covering just a minimal amount of cover for furniture and fittings BELONGING to the landlord. It does not normally cover tenants items as that is the tenants responsibilty to insure. Any decent letting agent would tell and clearly explain this to tenants.

sarah_elton

BobProperty wrote:

It surely wasn't accidental damage, it was fire damage. I would have thought most insurers differentiate between the two.

Yes they do, fire is a separate risk to AD and is covered under any standard policy (or should be). AD is optional and covers things like spilling drinks on your carpet, knocking a TV over...

All tenants should have contents insurance unless they can afford to replace all their stuff and are happy to take the risk. It would also have paid for alternative accommodation following the fire and the (reasonable) consequential costs you referred to.

The landlord's insurance will pay for repairs to the flat itself, and to replace the contents he supplied, if he had contents + buildings.

Altarf

Tassotti wrote:

You are right that electrical tests should be compulsory. However, law staes that they are not.

What about:

* The Consumer Protection Act 1987
* The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
* The Low Voltage Electical Equipment Regulations 1989
* The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
* The General Product Safety Regulations 1994
* The Plugs and sockets etc (safety) Regulations 1994

All of which landlords need to coply with.

regularsaver1

what happened here - have you got anything from the lanlord yet?

odLott

Very interesting thread. I think a lot of people miss the point.

jay78's Landlord is unable to fulfill his part of the contract because the flat has burned down. jay78 has incurred costs as a result of this through no fault of his own, so the Landlord is clearly responsible for compensating costs like agency fees or make reasonable arrangements so that he can live somewhere else.

Contents are a bit trickier, but I think again in this case the landlord might be responsible if it is indeed the fridge that was faulty.

If I had a dog and it bit somebody, I would be responsible for the damages it causes, even though there was no way I could have suspected the dog would do it.

The landlord would of course be free to sue the fridge manufacturer. Nobody is saying that it is the Landlord's fault, but it is his responsability.

Debt_Free_Chick

jay78 wrote:

I want to make a compensation claim but I don't know where to start. The flat is managed by a letting agent on behalf of the landlord who is in Ireland. The fridge was provided by the landlord. I've been told that the fridge should have had an electrical safety test. I don't remember seeing the sticker on it. Does this mean the landlord is liable?

Much of this thread has been speculation and, potentially, off topic simply because you don't state what you want compensation for.

Compensation is usually payable where you suffer some financial loss. So .. what financial loss have you suffered?