Leaseholder - insuring internal fixtures and fittings (such as flooring)

jortsnuckle

Hi all,

I'm a new shared ownership leaseholder (FTB) looking to arrange contents insurance. Under the terms of my shared ownership lease, I'm responsible for wooden flooring, plasterwork, pipes, sanitary ware etc.

This is proving a bit of a problem when looking for contents insurance. Indeed, I have very few actual valuable items that insurers seem to actually view as contents. The greatest risks I would like to insure against are damage to the wooden flooring, plasterwork, tiling, etc. Having spoken to a few contents insurers, they do not seem to cover such. However, the buildings insurance from the housing association does not appear to cover such either other than as a result of leaks from communal pipework which seems an unlikely cause for any internal damage on my side.

What do people generally do in this situation? 

eddddy

Is the property a flat or a house?

You mention "communal pipework", so I'll assume it's a flat.

Typically, your lease would work like this...

As the leaseholder, you are responsible for maintaining and repairing things like this:

• Flooring in your flat
• Plaster in your flat
• Doors in your flat
• Plumbing in your flat
• Fitted kitchen in your flat
• Fitted bathroom in your flat

The freeholder (probably the Housing Association) is responsible for maintaining and repairing things like this:

• The external walls
• The roof
• The communal areas
• Communal Pipework

However, the freeholder (Housing Association) will take out a single buildings insurance policy which covers everything in both lists above.


So if your plaster or flooring is damaged by an insurable event (like escape of water), you'd have the option of claiming on the freeholder's building insurance.


(But what I've described is the 'typical' situation - you should read your lease to make sure that's your specific situation as well.)