actresskat Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hi, We had a new build property with professional tenants in the UK. What kind of insurance would we need to cover the following: Electrical problems that cause a high replacement rate of bulbs Plumbing such as leaks and damp Cover for replacement of kitchen appliances From what I understand neither landlord buildings or contents insurance will cover these 'maintenance' based issues. Any ideas on what insurance policy we need? Thanks for your help. We're new to all this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 There is no insurance that will cover the cost of replacement light bulbs......normally that a tenants responsibility, not the landlords. There is no insurance that will cover leaks and damp although I believe some of the water supply companies offer a leaks type of cover......usually they have lots of caveats though. Replacemment of kitchen appliances......the cost can currently be claimed as a taxable allowance or included in the 10% wear & tear alloowance.....so your accountant should allready be claiming this for you. Appliance suppliers offer extended warranties when item is purchased from new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actresskat Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 There is no insurance that will cover the cost of replacement light bulbs......normally that a tenants responsibility, not the landlords. There is no insurance that will cover leaks and damp although I believe some of the water supply companies offer a leaks type of cover......usually they have lots of caveats though. Replacemment of kitchen appliances......the cost can currently be claimed as a taxable allowance or included in the 10% wear & tear alloowance.....so your accountant should allready be claiming this for you. Appliance suppliers offer extended warranties when item is purchased from new. Thanks for the reply - appreciate it. Basically the tenants are pretty sure there is something wrong with the electrics and we're not too sure. I've found a sort of maintenance cover from homeserve http://www.homeserve.com/insurance/landlords-emergency-plus-cover-flats-flexi which is insurance cover for leaks/plumbing/total electrical failure and wondered if any landlords had this sort of cover. So really it's usual just to pay for an electrican/plumber/buy a new fridge (if out of warranty) every time a maintenance issue crops up rather than have some kind of insurance cover?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Basically the tenants are pretty sure there is something wrong with the electrics and we're not too sure. If the property is new build and under 2 years old contact the builder and ask for the electrics to be checked. Alternatively you could pay for a qualified electrician to do the same. Some light bulbs...eg GU10's have quite a short life expectancy. What bulbs are affected and how frequently are they failing ? So really it's usual just to pay for an electrican/plumber/buy a new fridge (if out of warranty) every time a maintenance issue crops up rather than have some kind of insurance cover?? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 'Bulbs' or lamps as I call 'em don't fail due to a poor electrical installation. Over voltage would cause this, but is highly unlikely with the modern grid. A simple voltage check would confirm. Some cheaper lamps may fail prematurely. Vibration is a more likely cause, hot filament lamps don't fare well to shock, the filament ruptures prematurely. Another common issue is over temperature. The heat from the lamps is unable to dissipate as it requires so the lamp over heats, failure. The answer here is to use lower power lamps, 60 watt rather than 100 watt for example. Many people like it bright, but when using a lower power lamp don't suffer any disadvantage. An effective way to address the vibration and heat issue is to fit the 'energy saver' lamps. These are compact fluorescent, they don't burn a filament and the heat output is far less. I use these a lot in my own home and I don't buy the expensive ones. Often insurance won't provide cover for a leak but will cover the effects of a leak. That is you must fund the repair of the pipe but they might well pay for a new ceiling. Damp is a whole different subject and is more often down to maintenance or lifestyle, not insurance considerations. You just replace appliances unless you have the extended manufacturers warranties. Personally I see those as not cost effective for my own home and I don't supply appliance for T's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.