Home insurance invalidation?

Azimuth99

Hello,

As a live in carer for my mother and father, I occupy a top floor roof extension. It's a single room, with a single entry door and three windows.

I recently fitted a door lock to discourage my very elderly parents from climbing the steep steps and prying.

My father now says this invalidates the house insurance, but I've read the policy explanation and there is no mention of doors. There is a section on ground floor windows and doors i.e. they must be proper mortice/lock BS compliant - but nothing on internal doors, fire or otherwise.

Can the policy really be invalidated on this simple addition, or is my father wrong?

Any insights welcome

Az99

Quentin

He's just being grumpy! You are allowed to lock any room without invalidating your insurance! (eg the bathroom!)

Azimuth99

Quentin wrote: »

He's just being grumpy! You are allowed to lock any room without invalidating your insurance! (eg the bathroom!)

Thank you Quentin. I thought so too, but you never really know with insurance companies.

I found an additional section in the policy on fire doors, but they refer to another BS standard and minimal thickness etc.

Many thanks for the insight.

Az99

dacouch

As Quentin mentioned your father is wrong, a home insurer wants to just cover a genuine household, a shared house eg unrelated residents would not normally be acceptable and is the seperate lock on bedroom doors is sometimes used.

Have a look in the policy under "Definition of Words" or "Meaning of words" you will find a definition of what the Insurer defines as a home and possibly also what they describe as family which might be under policyholder

Errata

Sorry, your father is wrong. Lots of houses have rooms that are locked: teenagers rooms, mum and dads room, bathrooms, shower rooms, cloakrooms, all rooms in old houses with internal doors with the original lock fitting etc.

Azimuth99

Thank you dacouch and errata.

I think you are also correct, as the issue has been raised again - mostly, the claim is that my single (one and only) internal door is rated as a fire door, and my father says it is the fitting of a lock on a fire door that invalidates the policy.

However, I feel this only applies to ground floor and external door and windows.

Anyway, many thanks for the replies. Most welcome.

Az99