Unii’s Fire Safety Journey teaches you all the checks, plans, and purchases you can make to protect your home from fire, but accidents can still happen, and, when they do, you want your home to be insured and any legitimate claims to be honoured. This article looks at how to choose the right cover for your home and what to do after a fire. Please note that this information is UK-specific.

But aren’t I covered by my home insurance if there's a fire?

If you own your home, you’re responsible for insuring the building and your belongings inside it. If you have a mortgage, your mortgage provider might insist that you have building insurance in place for the length of your mortgage (though you don’t have to buy it from them).

Buildings and home contents insurance will likely cover you for anything that’s damaged or destroyed in a fire. Both policies usually cover fire damage as standard, so you shouldn’t need to add additional coverage.

Buildings insurance covers your home’s structure, for example, ceilings, walls, roof, and windows. It also covers any permanent fixtures, such as your kitchen or bathroom.

Contents insurance covers damage to furniture, clothes, electrical items, and jewellery—essentially anything that can be physically moved from and within the house. It usually includes carpets. Landlords are required to insure your home if you rent, but you’ll usually have to pay for contents insurance for your own things, if you want it. This is not legally compulsory but may be right for you, especially if you own lots of valuables.

Why might my claim for fire damage be rejected?

Some of the common reasons a claim for fire damage is rejected include:

The property was unoccupied.

Most home insurance policies won’t cover your property if it’s left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days a year. Some providers will allow you to extend your unoccupied property insurance beyond 30 days. Always speak to your provider before considering taking out extra insurance.

You’ve made home improvements.

You must let your insurance provider know if you’re having any major improvements or renovations done. An extension or loft conversion could significantly increase the rebuilding cost of your home if it were destroyed by fire. There may also be a greater risk of fire while building work is going on, for example, if you’re having any electrical or structural work done. Failure to update your insurance provider could invalidate your policy.

The fire was started deliberately.

If an investigation shows that the fire was deliberate, you won't be covered for any damages. If your property is set on fire by someone else, most insurers will cover you against malicious acts or vandalism involving fire if it can be proven the arsonist was not known to you or acting on your behalf. However, even if you did not know the arsonist who attacked your property, you may run into some issues when making a fire damage claim. This could be the case if you knew about a potential fire risk to your property and didn’t do something about it. One of the best ways to protect yourself from having a fire insurance claim rejected after an arson attack is to take regular steps to prevent one.

Smoke and heat alarms

While installing these alarms might help lower your premium, any claim will run into problems if they’re not correctly maintained. Test alarms regularly and keep on top of replacing batteries if they aren’t wired into the mains electricity. If you make a claim for fire damage and it’s found that the alarm wasn’t functioning, your insurance provider may reduce the payout or even reject your claim altogether.

Smoking

If someone in your house is a smoker, there’s a higher risk of a fire being started by a burning cigarette. When you take out a policy, your provider will ask if you or anyone living in your home smokes. Telling lies about the smoking status of anyone in the house could invalidate your claim if a fire is found to have been caused by a lit cigarette.

You are not using your equipment as the manufacturer instructs in their guidelines.

Remember the 13 AMP rule? Overload electrical adaptors by plugging too many appliances into one socket, especially appliances with a high electrical current rating such as kettles, irons, and heaters.
Ensure your electrical installation is checked by a registered electrician before you purchase the property and every 10 years.

What should I do after a fire?

Once everyone is safe and the immediate threat has passed, you should let your insurance provider know what has happened so they can begin the claims process.

If you have any emergency repairs done, make sure you keep the receipts, as they’ll be part of any claim you make.

If the fire was serious, your insurance provider is likely to appoint a loss adjuster to your case, who will:

Visit your home and assess the damage.
Record the details of the loss and take photographs.
Make sure the site is secure by having windows and doors boarded up.
Recommend local repairers.
Advise you and your insurance provider on the most suitable way to carry out repairs.
Issue a full report.
The reality is that large fire-related claims can take a long time to resolve. Smoke and water damage could mean considerable work is needed, and you may have to move out while that takes place. If that’s the case, your home insurance might cover the cost of alternative accommodations.

After the fire service leaves, it is also your responsibility to prevent any further damage or loss and ensure your house is safe. It’s important to consider any structural or electrical issues.

Remember that you are legally responsible for ensuring there is no danger to the public or anyone entering the house. Did the fire compromise your home’s structure in any way? You may need to bring in a qualified surveyor to check.

If the fire compromised the electrical safety of your home, you must have your house checked by a qualified electrician. If there is no immediate danger, you should wait for your insurer’s approval to carry out any work.

What’s the difference between a loss assessor and a loss adjuster?

Loss adjusters are claims experts hired by insurance companies. Their job is to evaluate your claim, determine whether their employer should pay out, and give them the information they need to know how to proceed. Sometimes, they will be empowered to make the decision on how your claim should proceed by themselves. A loss assessor is someone that you can hire to help advocate for you when you make a fire or any home insurance claim.

What do I need to know about home fire damage insurance?

Building and contents insurance tips for families.