Getting contents insurance with a rubber roof

cazs

I'm now living in my (owned) 3rd floor flat.
Need to sort my contents insurance.

Problem is that they are asking me for info on the roof which is rubber. Now I don't need buildings insurance as it's included in my service charge but they are asking me this for the contents insurance quote even though it's an 8 floor building.

The property I'm trying to insure is just my flat so it seems really unfair that I'm affected by a roof that is not actually on my own property, just the building as a whole particularly as I am so far down, floor wise, from the 8th floor.

Because of the fact that they ask this you have to enter the roof type and when I indicate that it's rubber, or Other, pretty much no insurance company will quote me apart from Home Protect at £200 whereas if this roof business didn't come into it, I could get it for £60 for the year.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and been able to get round this or can advise at all?

Buzby

I'm assuming it is a flat roof with a rubber membrane? This is very common these days but you don't stipulate it (and for contents insurance it is largely irrelevant). It is the next stage on from felt roofing (and pretty good too) so you should simply state it is a flat roof and not get bogged down in the technicalities!

*Scarlett

The problem is that mainstream insurers "like" properties built of standard construction ie with a pitched slate or tile roof.

Even if you only need contents cover, anything other than this will flag up as a higher risk - maybe for fire damage or more likely to leak, etc.

Can you find out anything more about the roof construction - eg is it rubber on concrete. Many companies will cover a concrete roof but you would have to speak to them to confirm if you have put "concrete" on an online quote.

Also could you ask any of the other people who live in the flats who they have their contents cover with?

You could try a local broker http://www.biba.org.uk/

or maybe http://www.adrianflux.co.uk/flat-roof/

thenudeone

About 30% of my roof is flat, with an asphalt covering. Insurers have different limits and it's sometimes part of the quote process (especially on comparison sites) to state the % which is flat.

Unfortunately other insurers just hide it away in the "assumptions" section and you wouldn't even know you weren't covered until you claimed.

Some have a problem with 30% flat roof, others don't.

There is no easy way round this; you just have to check each site / insurer as you get quotes.