Paige rented out a property that she owned. After Paige’s tenants moved out, she saw that they had caused damage to the carpet and walls at the property.
Paige said that the tenants had overwatered an indoor plant, which caused the water to overflow from the pot and damage the carpet beneath it. Paige also noted that there had been damage to the walls from things such as pins and nails, and scrapes from bicycle handlebars.
Paige said that the rental agency told her to make an insurance claim, rather than ask the tenants to fix the damage. Paige made a claim, but the insurer declined both parts of the claim.
Dispute
The insurer said that the damage to the carpet was considered gradual damage, as it had built up over time. The insurer explained that for cover to be available under the gradual damage section of the policy, the overflow of water needed to come from an internal piping or water system. As the damage was caused by the overwatering of the plant by the tenants, cover was not available.
The insurer also said they would not cover the damage to the walls, as this type of damage was considered normal wear and tear.
Paige accepted that the damage to the walls was consistent with normal wear and tear. However, she did not agree with the insurer’s decision to decline her claim for damage to the carpet, so she complained to FSCL.
Review
After reviewing the insurance policy, we told Paige that we agreed with the insurer’s decision. We told Paige that it was not enough for the damage to be caused by an overflow of water. We explained that for cover to be available, the overflow of water needed to come from an internal piping or water system. As the overflow was caused by the tenants manually overwatering the plant, we agreed that cover would not be available.
Resolution
Paige accepted our view and discontinued her complaint.
Insights for consumers
Insurance does not provide cover for every scenario. We recommend that consumers read their insurance policy before they assume they are covered for all types of damage.
