What insurance covers sheds, housing association refusing to replace shed advice needed?

[Deleted User]

I live in a housing association house, we have lived in house since it was built, when we moved in there was a shed in garden, it was installed when house built and so there before we moved in. There for surely shed is seen as supplied with house and housing associations property.

Ok so last Friday storm Arwen caused a tree in school ground behind us to fall, it hit roof at back of house slipped sideways and smashed down on top of shed destroying shed and everything inside shed.

I contacted housing associations to report what had happened they have agreed to fix house roof, but claim shed is nothing to do with them and they will not replace it. They have told us we have got to pay to replace it.  They told us to claim on our insurance, but we only have contents insurance, I have been told this does not cover shed.

We were told when moved in that as we were renting we only needed contents insurance and that building insurance was landlords responsibility.

Am I right in saying that home building insurance covers the shed and that the building insurance is housing association responsibility.

Who should be the one to have to pay bill to replace shed. We have already lost everything in shed which includes 2 road bikes, children's bikes, kayak, tent and camping equipment and fishing rods, I don't see why we should have to pay to replace shed too.

Any advice much appreciated
Thanks in advance

Sandtree

Buildings insurance may or may not cover sheds however housing associations tend to have thousands of properties and as such the question isnt if they will have any incidents in a policy year but just how many. As such they tend to have a very high excess and/or aggregate excesses as if you suffer £100,000 of losses each year there is no point paying an insurer £100,000 + tax + profit margin to cover that.

You need to read your tenancy agreement/handbook and see what it says about sheds/outbuildings. If they pay it from their pocket or claim from their insurance is irrelevant to you.

As to the contents of the shed, that should be covered by your contents insurance.

user1977

If it was provided as part of a newly-built property when originally let by the HA then I would say they're responsible for replacing it. On what basis are they arguing it's "nothing to do with them"? Do they maybe think it was built by you?

orchid2010

We wanted to replace the shed in our garden and contacted our housing association for permission and they said it was gifted to us (house was a new build when we moved in). 

tacpot12

Presumably your contents insurance covered the contents of the shed, so you have only had  to pay the excess on the policy?

I think I would complain to the Housing Association on the basis that the ownership of the shed was not made clear to you when you took over the property. I assume that the Tenancy Agreement does not mention a shed? I would ask them to cover the cost of your excess as a goodwill payment for their error in not making the ownership clear - as you didn't insure the shed against damage, so now have to pay for a new shed. You can put this towards the cost of a new shed which will be yours.

I don't know how you will be able to insure the shed without having buildings cover, but you might want to consider getting buildings cover as you can add accidental damage cover to this, which will cover you against other damage you or your family might cause to the Housing Association's property. Again, it might be difficult to find such insurance as you have no insurable interest in the building for risks such as subsidence. I would suggest you contact an Insurance Broker for advice.