Need advice making first insurance claim

[Deleted User]

Sorry this is a long post so please bear with me.


2 weeks ago my ground floor flat, which I rent from a housing association, was flooded by a plumber employed by the housing association who cut through the mains water supply and didn't have the skills or the tools to shut it off, I called the housing association for assistance, but I was passed back and forth from various housing officers and people in their repairs team citing excuse after excuse as to why they couldn't do anything, I resorted to calling the water board who sent someone quickly to shut of the mains water.


A surveyor from the housing association eventually came out a couple of days later to look at the damage to the flat, not my personal property, the following Monday I was told I would have to move out for 3 weeks while they replace the floor, electrics and plumbing, I was given the option to, ideally stay with a relative or be decanted for 3 weeks to another property in a very run down area, I didn't fancy having to pack, unpack and pack again for a 3 week stay so reluctantly I opted to move in with my sister and sleep on the floor in an already crowded house and have all my undamaged possessions taken to a secure storage place arranged by the housing association.


Now I have to elaborate a bit about my health I suffer from depression, anxiety and bouts of agoraphobia, so my stress levels with this have exploded, some have suggested I should be asking for compensation just for the stress alone.


I have to submit an insurance claim for damaged property, the housing association have been unhelpful at every turn they won't tell me who their insurers are but have asked me to write a letter to the housing association explaining what happened and what I am claiming for.


I have never had cause to submit an insurance claim before and I am unsure how much detail I need to give and what is reasonable to claim for, various people have given me conflicting advice and I only want to get what I am entitled to, I don't have any receipts for these items, some of the receipts were in a filing cabinet that was damaged.


Do I have to detail where I am buying the items from and what the name of the product is, or just give them a price to replace the listed damaged item?


There was a dehumidifier installed for the first week, it never occured to me until it was too late to take an electricity meter reading, I have been told that after I leave and they strip the floor back they will be running dehumidifiers again, so should I quote an arbitary figure of £100 for electricity used as I have no way of calculating the amount of electricity used to date and won't know how much additional electricity will be used after I leave, on top of that most of my clothes were stinking of damp and had to rewashed them adding to my electricity bill.


£70 worth of books were ruined, should I detail each book or give them a total figure for books?


A wooden filing cabinet was ruined, I have no idea how much it cost orginally and can only find something that vaguely resembles it, short of importing one from the USA, how do I decide on a replacement cost?


Carpets & laminate flooring need to be replaced, do I need to detail where I propose to buy them and costs for fitting?


I have had to pay for taxis to transport clothes and some possessions to my sisters house can I claim for this?


Can I claim for eating out so I am not under my sisters feet?


Phone & Broadband that I can't use whilst I am away?


Sorry for the long post but I stress about everything, any additional suggestions for potential costs I may have omitted are appreciated.

dacouch

Do you have your own contents cover?

Old_Git

most of what you have listed would come under your own insurance .The housing assc may offer you something but they dont have to

sheramber

Since the damage was caused due to their employees negiigence I would expect them to cover the costs.

If you have contents insurance you could contact them for advice. They may take on the claim against the housing association.

If not them claim for what you consider your costs. They will advise you whether they will cover it or not. If you don't claim for something they won't offer to pay for it.

You can list each item and give an estimate of the replacement cost with proof of the cost- e.g an estimate from the shop for a new carpet. a price list for other items with details of where the price came from.

You could estimate the cost of the dehumidifier by working out how many hours it was run times the kw rating.

If you have proof of where you got your figures you can justify them but be prepared to argue your case.