Help... my neighbour is asking for my home insurance details and I’m not sure if I should give them

Debsb

Hi,

This is my first forum but I’m really looking for some assistance with a request for my home insurance details.

Basically, I live in a four in a block tenement, in which I am the bottom neighbour and my next door neighbour lives above me. My water tank for my bathroom is in my neighbours loft and a few days ago she had water leaking from her living wall and ceiling. As she rents this property an emergency plumber was sent out by the council who advised me I would have to get a plumber out to view the tank- as I own my home.

The council Plummer advised that my ball value and float needed replaced which I reiterated to the plumber I contacted to come out.

This was sorted the following morning and I was charged £132 for this service however, as soon as the plumber left the water continued to flow from my neighbours ceiling.

She managed to get a council plumber out who stopped the water in my tank until I returned home that evening and got the plumber back out. Basically, the plumber I had paid for told me the washer was twisted which is why the water was leaking.

Now, my neighbour is having the council replaster her living room ceiling but she is claiming her insurance for the cost of new wallpaper, rug etc. Her insurance have requested my details but I’m not sure if I should give her those.

This is my first home so I have no idea why she would require these and assume this is going to cost me to sort her home?

I’ve also been advised to claim my insurance for the £132 in plumbing costs back from the company plus additional money for stress and the job not being completed correctly at first, am I able to do this?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as I feel completely out of my depth with this entire situation and stressed about it days later.

Thank you

Debs x

Quentin

There's no downside to you giving your insurance details


Your insurer will only fork out to your neighbour if you are liable

Debsb

Quentin wrote: »

There's no downside to you giving your insurance details


Your insurer will only fork out to your neighbour if you are liable

Thank you for taking the time to help.
I gave my insurance company a call for their assistance with the entire situation but unfortunately the correct department only work normal working hours so I’ll try again first thing tomorrow morning.

It just seems that a part in my water tank has gone suddenly which has started the leak of water but as the plumber I paid made the leak and damage to my neighbours ceiling worse I am stressing out

Also not sure if I’d be successful in claiming the £132 in plumbing costs back from my insurance company

Ms_Chocaholic

https://www.confused.com/home-insurance/guides/will-your-home-insurance-cover-neighbour-damage

Debsb

Thank you for this link! I am going to speak with my home insurance company tomorrow again for their assistance with this entire situation as I feel completely out my depth.

Ms_Chocaholic

I think the gist of it is if you have not been negligent then you are not liable for the damage. Here's an example - say you had a tile on your roof that was in a precarious position, you knew about it but didn't get it fixed. A week later the tile blew off and damaged your neighbour's car; you would then be liable as you have been negligent.

I'm not sure you could have done anything about the water tank, they are not an item you get serviced so there was no way of you knowing it was about to leak. You did everything you could to get it fixed.

The resident of the flat upstairs needs to claim on her own insurance.

lisyloo

You are not liable as you were not negligent so your insurer will not pay.
In fact you acted quickly.
I would give them the details.

You won’t be able to claim the repair costs from your insurer.
Did the plumber charge for the second visit to put it right?
If not then I’m afraid the £132 is your responsibility for just normal maintenance.

I don’t know enough about plumbing to say whether the first fix was improperly done or whether it’s just one of those things but if the plumber didn’t charge you for the second visit and the other resident didn’t suffer any additional damage then has it done any harm?

Debsb

lisyloo wrote: »

You are not liable as you were not negligent so your insurer will not pay.
In fact you acted quickly.
I would give them the details.

You won’t be able to claim the repair costs from your insurer.
Did the plumber charge for the second visit to put it right?
If not then I’m afraid the £132 is your responsibility for just normal maintenance.

I don’t know enough about plumbing to say whether the first fix was improperly done or whether it’s just one of those things but if the plumber didn’t charge you for the second visit and the other resident didn’t suffer any additional damage then has it done any harm?

I acted as quick as I could and got an emergency plumber out first thing the next morning.

He didn’t charge me for the second visit purely as I told him I wouldn’t be paying anything else as the water leakage seemed worse the second time round.

Well the neighbour upstairs states that because the water was leaking heavier and faster after the plumber had fixed the problem it has cost more damage to her ceiling and loft.

Would the council who is my neighbours landlord send me a bill for half the repairs or would they also request my home insurance details?

Quentin

If you get any claims pass them on to your insurer