Home Insurance - cancelled policy / number of bedrooms

luci

Most quotes I've ever done have asked how many bedrooms there are, even if the room is being used for a different purpose, such as a dining room. I've also been asked how many rooms there are that are not a bathroom or kitchen.

When we bought our house, it had 3 bedrooms. We turned one of them into a kitchen and the old kitchen into a utility room. I declare it as having 2 bedrooms, as there is no way that what was the 3rd bedroom can be used as a bedroom.

Not relevant to this, but I've also been asked the number of bathrooms

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81890575#Comment_81890575

"Bedroom rated" is an alternative mechanism to sum insured. If you quote via an aggregator you'll always be asked as they will have both on their panel. It would be odd for a sum insured insurer to ask (not saying none do) but it's a bit surplus to requirements for them.

People tend to like the bedroom rate cover with its £1m of cover (or whatever) as it in theory removes the risk of under insured and so a significant proportion of insurers use it these days.

gpman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81888389#Comment_81888389

I would suggest you challenge the insurer further to establish exactly on what grounds they assert you have "given incorrect info on number of bedrooms"

i.e. what reason/evidence do they have to suggest that rooms not being used for and/or not originally designed to be used for a bedroom, should have been classified as a bedroom when you took out the policy.

Presumably you did advise the insurer of the correct number of other rooms originally? e.g. most insurers don't only ask for the number of bedrooms, but the number of bathrooms (you need to refer to their definition as to what is a bathroom) and then the total number of rooms or the number of additional rooms. Kitchens are usually excluded in any total as the insurer assumes you have at least one. (On that basis, I do not understand why they don't assume the home has at least one bathroom too? But they usually don't)

If you can get hold of the original planning permissions granted ideally for the home as originally built, but at least for the extension, that should assist you (one way or the other).

If you cannot get the original planning permission for the original house, are there similar style houses nearby? What are they typically marketed as? What do their floorplans say when advertised by estate agents, etc.

In regards the reason you have been provided by the insurer so far

Our quote process includes a helper text on the number of bedrooms as follows:- “This includes bedrooms that have been converted e.g. studies” 

I would interpret that exactly as dunstonh previously explained.

i.e. if a room was originally designed as a 'study', but you currently have a bed in it then it needs to be classified as a bedroom for insurance purposes. A room originally designed as a bedroom that is now being used as a 'study' still needs to be reported as a bedroom for insurance purposes.

If you are successful in challenging your insurer, then not only should you be paid out for your claim, but the matter of possible difficulty in arranging future insurance should not apply. (note that the difficulty would relate to you as the insured, not the property itself)

ETA: Btw, you could also challenge on what basis their differing classification of the room has on a claim for a burst pipe in the bathroom? (Unless possibly the claim extends to resultant water damage to that room in dispute). More complex though, as it may affect the assumed value of the property. But then they should only usually be reducing the value of your claim proportionately. It does seem the insurer are treating this as a reckless and deliberate intent to mislead when taking out cover, which based upon what you say, should be challenged. Better to start with the former basis for a challenge.