Claiming water leak on buildings insurance

Jack_Maloney

Hi,

I just wanted some advice on claiming on buildings insurance. Basically, we had a leak in our bathroom - the water was going through the tiles when we had a shower and slowly built up resulting in the concrete ceiling in the flat below to become saturated. This has caused alot of the paint and plaster to peel and crumble away. It looks like the whole ceiling needs to be replaced.

Now my question is, as an owner of a flat that pays a yearly service charge to the leaseholder of the flats, which includes Buildings Insurance, is it possible to claim this water leak on the insurance? I guess every insurance policy is different and I need to speak to them directly, but I just wanted to get any general advice.

Also, the owner of the flat downstairs rents her flat out so Im guessing she has landlords insurance. Is it an option for her to claim on her landlords insurance (and then we pay the excess)?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jack

TSx

Generally, unless there is damage to your property, the owner of the damaged flat will need to claim on their insurance (most likely the block buildings insurance) for the damage. Generally unless you were at fault (e.g you knew about the leak but didn't do anything) then you will not have to pay the excess either, but I believe some leasehold agreements make this a requirement, or you may feel morally obliged.

Jack_Maloney

Thanks for the reply. So who would pay the excess then if we didn't pay it?

TSx

The owner of the damaged flat below