Damn floods

A question about : Damn floods

My flat was flooded out on Saturday, we're just up the road from a no longer trickling brook! I own the flat - only moved in 2 months ago. The contents insurance company are trying to deny cover for the wooden flooring that was laid throughout. They're trying to say that it would be covered under the buildings insurance - i find this hard to believe, I assume buildings insurance would be for bricks & mortan - contents should be everything inside including the kitchen and bathroom, both of which will probably need replacing.

Anyone know of any loopholes?

My heart goes out to anyone else affected - it's been awful.

Best answers:

• They are right, when our kitchen got flooded because our washing machine leaked we had to claim off our buildings insurance, you can still claim just against a different policy
• Wish me luck. I rang the management company today - my monthly service charge part of which goes towards the buildings insurance. The manager is going to call me tomorrow. His secretary didn't seem very hopeful
• How about the rule of thumb that goes: whatever falls out of your house if you turn it upside down and shake it should be covered under contents insurance, whatever stays put should be covered under building insurance.
  Rotten luck for you, hope you coping.
• We'll see what the management company say tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!
• Hello no1gymbunny
  We have a new board 'Flood Help & Information', so I'll move your thread across.
  Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com.
  Regards
  Nile
• With flooring it can vary from company to company as to whether covered under contents or builds.
  If it is click fit laminate then your contents insurer should cover the claim as this is designed as a removable product, the tip it upside down and see what falls out theory to distinguish contents from builds does not apply in this case. A lot of contents insurers will initially decline such a claim but fold under pressure so if your builds insurer declines, which I'm pretty sure they will if it's only a policy held by your services provider as these are generally limited, simply go back to your contents insurer and if still refused ask to make a complaint through their escalation procedure, once that is exhausted you will be able to refer to the financial ombudsman if not successful.
• Hi,
  I'm dealing with the recovery of my sisters flat as she lives out of Sheffield. Hers was mostly floored with laminate (carpets etc in bedrooms and lino in kitchen).
  I've spoken to both buildings and contents insurers and apparently there is an industry-wide agreement as to what is covered by contents and what is buildings.
  Laminate flooring is buildings, carpets and lino are contents.
  If there is a management company dealing with the the whole building and a block buildings insurance policy in place it should be covered on there. If you've got contents insurance you'll need to pass details of the buildings/contents insurers between them so that they can sort it out between them.
  Good Luck!
• The above is correct.
  It used to be that click laminate was contents and glued laminate was buildings.
  To reduce confusion there was an industry wide agreement that laminate would be dealt with under Buildings
  Doesnt help you i know but they are advising you correctly - can you not just claim off the Buildings insurers?
• I was also told when I chose to put laminate flooring down that it would not be covered on my contents insurance, unfortunately as it's a rented property I don't have buildings insurance so if anything happened I wouldn't be covered. Hope you manage to get something sorted.
• Hi lil_me - even though you rent the person who does own your flat should have buildings insurance in place (particularly if they have a portfolio of peoperties as they also need to cover themselves for Property Owners Liability insurances too) so if you did suffer a loss that would be classed as buildings you coudl go through their policy - it's fairly standard practice for rentals.
  HTH
  JM
• Hi my insurance is through a company called endsleigh, we had a washing machine leak which took out kitchen lino, dining carpet, bathroom lino and hallway laminate. When I first spoke to them they gave me the same speil about it being buildings, I was worried as we rent the property and do not have buildings. I filled in forms and queried again and was told that when accessor came out he would judge, he confirmed what we thought that as it was click together we put it down and intended to take it with us if we moved we were covered. This was in May, he was from a company called rainbow. Don't take no for an answer, its more portable than carpet and lasts longer, so my arguement was that it would be more likely we'd reuse the laminate than the carpet. He said the only way click together would not be covered is if it was put down before or ready for you to rent.
• Mine is also removable so in that case may well be able to claim then, will keep that in mind thanks for that hayley. Ours is LA property rather than private so were told by them we wouldn't be covered.