N Residential ov · Introduction Thank you for choosing Covéa Insurance. This is your Residential...

ResidentialProperty OwnersPolicy

Nov 2015

coveainsurance.co.uk

All information in this Policy Booklet is correct at the time of printing (November 2015), for full up to date informationplease visit our website www.coveainsurance.co.uk

Introduction

Thank you for choosing Covéa Insurance. Thisis your Residential Property Owners insurancePolicy Booklet. Your insurance is a contractbetween you and us and is made up of thisPolicy Booklet and your Policy schedule and isbased on the statements and information yougave us when you applied for this insurance.This information was recorded in either aproposal form or a statement of insurance andwas used in assessing and accepting the coverwe would provide for you and to set thepremium we need for that cover. A copy of theproposal form or statement of insurance isavailable on request from your broker. If any ofthe information is incorrect, you should tellyour broker immediately.

If any of the information you have provided isincorrect you may find you have no cover atall.

You should read this Policy Booklet, your Policyschedule and any endorsements as if they areone document. Please check them carefully tomake sure they give you the cover you want. Ifthey do not, you should tell your brokerimmediately. You should keep them in a safeplace as you may need to refer to them if youhave to make a claim.

On payment of the premium for the period ofinsurance or any subsequent period for whichwe shall accept payment we will indemnify youin accordance with and subject to the PolicyConditions and Policy Exceptions in this PolicyBooklet. Your Policy schedule tells you whichsections of this Policy Booklet apply.

If more than one property is insured under thisinsurance contract this contract applies as ifeach is separately insured.

You agree to pay the premium and to keep tothe Policy Conditions.

Remember no Policy covers everything. We donot cover certain things such as wear and tearand maintenance. The things which are notcovered by your Policy are stated:

• In the Conditions

• In the Exceptions.

• Under What is not Insured in the Policy Coverfor Section A – Buildings and Section B –Contents

It is important to ensure that you understandthe Conditions which apply to your Policybecause if you do not meet these Conditions, itmay affect any claim you make.

It is also important to understand theExceptions as they are events, liabilities orproperty that we do not cover under the Policy.

Please read this Policy Booklet carefully andcheck that it meets your requirements. Anyquery should be referred to your brokerimmediately.

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Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover

Contact Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Meaning of Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Customer Information

Registration and Regulatory Information . . . .6

Financial Services Compensation Scheme . . . . 6

How We Use Your Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Complaints Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How to Cancel your Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Choice of Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Index Linking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Policy Cover

Section A – Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Section B – Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

How to make a claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

How we settle your claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Contact Numbers

Claims be liable for your claim.

Business Legal HelplineAs a Covéa Insurance Policyholder should yourequire advice or guidance on any businesslegal problem you may use the following 24-hour Telephone Helpline at any time within theperiod of this Policy.

Eurolaw Legal Advice Service – the advice given is free of charge

This helpline gives you confidential legal adviceon any personal legal problem, under the lawsof the member countries of the EuropeanUnion, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands,Switzerland and Norway. This service isprovided by DAS Legal Expenses InsuranceCompany Limited. To contact this servicetelephone 0330 024 2612.

You can contact us to report a claim using anyof the following methods.

Covéa Insurance Property Careline –24 hours a day, 365 days a year

• Telephone Covéa Insurance on0330 024 2255

• Fax – 0330 024 2613

• Email – [email protected]

• For Online Claims Assistance completeour Online Claims Form atwww.coveainsurance.co.uk/reportclaim

• In writing – Covéa Insurance PropertyCareline, PO Box 824, Halifax HX1 9QT

See pages 29-32 for full details of how to makea claim and how we settle your claim.

Covéa Insurance Property Careline is aUK-based service.

Our staff are highly trained and can confirmwhether your Policy covers you for theincident.

Please have your Policy number to hand whenphoning.

In the event of you wishing to make a claimyou must follow the procedures we havedetailed in this Policy, failing which we will not

Property Careline0330 024 2255

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Meaning of Words

Certain words have specific meanings whenthey appear throughout this Policy. They areprinted in bold type.

Accidental damageUnexpected physical damage caused suddenlyby an identifiable external means.

Bodily injuryDeath, illness, injury or disease.

BuildingsThe property and

• its fixtures and fittings;

• central heating fuel tanks and meters (butnot the contents of the meter);

• cesspits and septic tanks;

• drives, fences, gates, hedges, lampposts,paths, patios, railings, terraces and walls;

• fitted carpets, laminate, vinyl and woodenfloor coverings;

• fixed hot tubs and jacuzzis;

• greenhouses and sheds;

• hard tennis courts, fountains, ornamentalponds and sunken swimming pools;

• wind turbines and solar panels permanentlyfixed to the property;

all situated at the risk address shown on yourPolicy schedule.

Buildings does not include land, plants, shrubsand trees.

Contents• appliances;

• furniture and furnishings;

• household goods;

all belonging to you as landlord for the use ofyour tenant or for the use in connection withthe maintenance of the property whilst at therisk address shown on your Policy schedule.

Contents does not include

• aircraft, bicycles, caravans, motor vehicles,trailers, watercraft and their accessories;

• any part of the structure, decorations orfixtures and fittings;

• documents and money;

• property and tools used for businesspurposes;

• property belonging to any tenant;

• property in the open;

• property stored by you in the property thatis not for the use of your tenant.

EmployeeAny person employed by you as propertyowner undertaking maintenance, repairs ordecorations in connection with the buildingscovered by this Policy.

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Meaning of Wordscontinued

EndorsementAny change to the terms of the Policy or theacceptance of the insurance cover providedwhich will be shown on your Policy schedule.

ExcessThe amount set out in the Policy schedule orspecified in the relevant section of this PolicyBooklet, which is the first part of the claimwhich you will be responsible for.

There are three types of excess as follows:

• Policy excess: This is the standard excesswhich is applied to all policies and forms partof the Policy terms.

• voluntary excess: This is selected by you andapplied in addition to the Policy andcompulsory excess.

• compulsory excess: Applied by us.

Fixtures and fittings• boilers, central heating equipment, ducts,

fires, fixed pipes, storage heaters and tanks;

• built in domestic appliances, furniture andkitchen units;

• cables, light fittings, switches and wires;

• fitted aerials, masts and satellite receivingequipment;

• fixed glass and sanitary ware.

HeaveUpward movement of the ground beneath thebuildings as a result of the soil expanding.

LandslipDownward movement of sloping ground.

Period of insuranceThe period shown in your Policy schedule andany further period for which you have paid, orhave agreed to pay and we have agreed toaccept your premium.

PremisesThe buildings and the land within theboundary belonging to them.

PropertyThe private dwelling and its garage(s) andpermanent outbuildings all at the addressshown on your Policy schedule and used fordomestic purposes only.

Unless described differently by anendorsement to this Policy Booklet, theproperty must be:

• built of brick, stone or concrete walls;

• roofed with slates, tiles, concrete or metaland not more than 20% of the total externalroof area either felt covered or flat.

Redecoration• installation, repair or replacement of fixturesand fittings;

• internal decorating, painting and tiling;

• internal joinery and plastering;

• window replacement.

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Meaning of Wordscontinued

RentThe amount paid or payable to you for the useof the property and its services as stated in thetenancy agreement.

ScheduleThe document which gives the details of thecover you have.

SettlementDownward movement as a result of the soilbeing compressed by the weight of thebuildings within ten years of construction.

SubsidenceDownward movement of the ground beneaththe buildings other than by settlement.

TenantThe person or persons legally occupying theproperty as stated in the tenancy agreement.

UnfurnishedWithout enough furniture and furnishings fornormal living purposes.

UnoccupiedWhenever the whole or any self-contained partof the property is without a tenant for morethan 60 consecutive days.

We, us or ourCovea Insurance plc.

You or yourThe person or people shown in your scheduleas the insured.

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Customer Information

Registration and RegulatoryInformationInsurance cover is provided by CoveaInsurance plc. Registered in England and Wales No. 613259.Registered office: Norman Place, Reading,Berkshire RG1 8DA.

Covea Insurance plc is authorised by thePrudential Regulation Authority and regulatedby the Financial Conduct Authority and thePrudential Regulation Authority. Our FirmReference Number is 202277. You can checkthis on the Financial Services Register byvisiting the FCA’s websitewww.fca.org.uk/register or by contacting theFCA on 0800 111 6768.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)We are covered by the Financial ServicesCompensation Scheme. You may be entitled toreceive compensation from the scheme if wecannot meet our obligations.

Further information is available from theFinancial Services Compensation Scheme,10th Floor, Beaufort House, 15 St BotolphStreet, London EC3A 7QU.Telephone: 020 7741 4100Email: [email protected]: www.fscs.org.uk

How We Use Your InformationThe personal information, provided by you, iscollected by or on behalf of Covéa Insuranceand may be used by us, our employees, agentsand service providers acting under ourinstruction for the purposes of insuranceadministration, underwriting, claims handlingand for research, or statistical purposes.

We may also share your information withreinsurers and regulators, as required by law.

From time to time we may need to undertakesome of the processing of your data incountries outside of the European EconomicArea, and in such cases we will ensure thatthere is an agreement in place which givesequivalent assurances as found in the DataProtection Act 1998.

We will not use your information or pass it onto any other person for the purposes ofmarketing further products or services to you.

We will collect sensitive information whendealing with your Policy; we will however onlycollect information that is relevant to yourPolicy, its administration or claims handling.

Your personal information will be kept secureat all times.

Fraud Prevention and Detection

In order to prevent or detect fraud we willcheck your details with various fraudprevention agencies, who may record a search.

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Searches may also be made against otherinsurers’ databases. If fraud is suspected,information will be shared with those insurers.Other users of the fraud prevention agenciesmay use this information in their own decisionmaking processes. We may also conduct creditreference checks in certain circumstances. Youcan find out further details explaining how theinformation held by fraud prevention agenciesmay be used or in which circumstances weconduct credit reference checks and how thesechecks might affect your credit rating bycontacting us.

Disclosure of Other People’s PersonalInformation

You should show this notice to anyone whosepersonal information you provide to us. Youmust ensure that any such information yousupply relating to anyone else is accurate andthat you have obtained their consent to theuse of their data for the purposes set outabove.

Your Rights

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you havethe right of access to the personal informationheld about you by Covéa Insurance. You canexercise this right by contacting us. We willmake a charge of £10 for dealing with theserequests.

You have the right to request that we correctany inaccuracies in the personal informationwe hold about you. Please contact your broker

or us, if your personal information needsupdating.

Consent

By providing us with information, you alsoprovide us with your consent and that of anyother person whose information you provide,to the personal information being used for thepurposes set out above.

How to Contact Us

If you would like some more detailedinformation on how we share yourpersonal information, please visitwww.coveainsurance.co.uk/dataprotection

If you have any concerns about our use of yourinformation please write to Customer Relations,Covéa Insurance, Norman Place, Reading,Berkshire RG1 8DA. Telephone: 0330 221 0444.If you contact us by telephone your call maybe recorded for training and evidentialpurposes.

Complaints ProcedureIt is always our intention to provide a first classstandard of service. However we do appreciatethat occasionally things go wrong. In somecases the broker who arranged your insurancewill be able to resolve any concerns, particularlyif your complaint relates to the way the Policywas sold and you should contact them directly.

Customer Informationcontinued

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Alternatively please contact us using thefollowing details quoting your Policy or claimnumber.

Customer Relations, Covéa Insurance, Norman Place, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8DA.Telephone: 0330 221 0444Website: www.coveainsurance.co.ukEmail:[email protected]

Full details of the Covéa Insurance InternalComplaints Procedure are detailed in ourleaflet ‘Complaints Procedure’ which isavailable on request or may be downloadedfrom our website atwww.coveainsurance.co.uk/complaints.

You may be eligible to refer your complaint tothe Financial Ombudsman Service. There are afew instances where they will not be able toassist and they will confirm if your complaint iseligible when you contact them. Their contactdetails are:

Financial Ombudsman ServiceExchange Tower,Harbour Exchange Square,London E14 9SRwww.financial-ombudsman.org.ukEmail: [email protected]

How to Cancel your PolicyIf you do not want to accept the Policy youhave the right to cancel it within 14 days from

the date of purchase of your Policy or the dayyou receive your Policy documentation,whichever is later. To do this you must returnthe Policy documentation to your broker whengiving your instruction to cancel.

If cover has not yet started a full refund will begiven. If cover has started we will refund thepremium for the exact number of days left onthe Policy, less an additional charge of £25 plusthe prevailing rate of Insurance Premium Taxas stated on your Policy schedule. No refundwill be given if a claim has been submitted orthere have been any incidents likely to give riseto a claim during the current period ofinsurance. We will also do this if you want tocancel the Policy within 14 days after therenewal date.

You may cancel the Policy at any other time bycontacting your broker.

If you cancel your Policy after 14 days and aclaim has been submitted or there have beenany incidents likely to give rise to a claim duringthe current period of insurance, we will notrefund any part of the premium. If you have aLoan Agreement with us, all outstandingmonies must be paid to us as described in yourLoan Agreement.

If no claims have been submitted and therehave been no incidents that are likely to giverise to a claim during the current period ofinsurance, we will refund the premium for theexact number of days left on the Policy less an

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additional charge of £25 plus the prevailingrate of Insurance Premium Tax as stated onyour Policy schedule.

For our rights to cancel your Policy please referto Conditions applicable to all Sections. Item15. Our Rights to Cancel the Policy of thisPolicy Booklet.

Choice of LawThe parties to an insurance contract are free tochoose the law that will apply. Unless we agreein writing with you otherwise, this insuranceshall be subject to the law applying in that partof the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isleof Man where you have your principalresidency. If there is any dispute, the law ofEngland and Wales shall apply.

Index LinkingThe buildings sum insured is automaticallyadjusted in line with changes in the HouseRebuilding Cost Index issued by the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Surveyors or analternative appropriate index.

The contents sums insured are automaticallyadjusted in line with changes in the Retail PriceIndex or an alternative appropriate index.

You will be told at each renewal date of therevised sums insured.

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Conditions

You must comply with these conditions. Theycontrol the operation of the policy cover.

1. Compliance with Policy TermsWe will only provide the cover described in thepolicy if all the terms and conditions of thispolicy so far as they apply have been met byyou.

2. Taking CareYou must take all reasonable care to preventloss, damage, accidents or injury and to protectand maintain the property which is covered bythis insurance.

3. Changes to the InformationProvided by YouWhen you arranged your insurance youprovided us with certain information that werequested and this information is confirmed inthe statement of insurance supplied to you byyour broker, or in the proposal form supplied byyou.

You must tell your broker or us straight awayabout any change in your circumstances.

The facts and changes in circumstances whichwe need to be told about are those which weconsider important in assessing the degree ofrisk which we have taken on, the scope of theinsurance cover we have provided to you, theterms upon which we are prepared to coveryou and the premium which we charge you.For example we need to know:

(a) of a change of risk address;

(b) if the property becomes unoccupied orunfurnished;

(c) if the property is let to the Local Authorityor Council or a Housing Association or aCharitable Organisation;

(d) if the property is occupied by more than 6unrelated tenants;

(e) if the terms and/or conditions of thetenancy agreement relating to theproperty are changed;

(f) if the property is being used for business orprofessional purposes, other than for thepurpose of letting;

(g) if the property is undergoing structuralalteration, structural repair, restoration orrenovation;

(h) if the property is not in a good state ofrepair;

(i) if the rebuilding cost of the property or thereplacement values of the contents exceedthe sums insured shown in your Policyschedule;

(j) if you are convicted of or receive a policecaution for any offence other than drivingoffences.

(k) if you have been declared bankrupt or aresubject to bankruptcy proceedings;

(l) if any of the information provided andrecorded in the statement of insurance haschanged.

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Conditionscontinued

If you do not tell your broker or us about anychanges, you may not be covered in the eventof a claim.

If there are any changes in your circumstanceswhich occur after this policy has begun, thenyou must tell your broker or us immediately.

Upon being told of a change in circumstances,we reserve the right to:

(a) cancel your policy; or

(b) charge you an additional premium subjectto a minimum premium of £10 (plus theprevailing rate of Insurance Premium Tax)or provide you with a return premium witheffect from the date upon which yourcircumstances changed. If as a result of analteration you are due a refund ofpremium, amounts under £10 (plus theprevailing rate of Insurance Premium Tax)will not be refunded, to coveradministration costs; and/or

(c) apply an endorsement to the policy witheffect from the date upon which yourcircumstances changed with furtherconditions or warranties which you mustcomply with.

If you fail to tell your broker or us of anychange in your circumstances which occursafter the start date of the period of insurance,we would consider this to be a nondisclosure/misrepresentation and the action wemay take is detailed under Condition 4. NonDisclosure and Misrepresentation.

4. Non Disclosure andMisrepresentation Information which you gave us before thispolicy started, during the course of the policy orfor the purposes of renewing the policy(whether provided orally, electronically or inwriting and whether or not contained withinthe statement of insurance or proposal form)must be complete and correct. You can ensurethe information is correct by checking yourstatement of insurance or proposal form. If anyinformation is incorrect or you are unsure,contact your broker immediately.

If you have provided us with inaccurateinformation, which might have affected ourdecision to provide insurance cover, the level ofpremium, or the terms of this policy, before youtook out the policy, or before renewal then wemay have the right to:

• apply terms to the policy by endorsement;and/or

• repudiate any claims; and/or

• cancel the policy; and/or

• void the policy, which means we will treat thepolicy as if it had never existed; and/or

• recover any payments from you made onprevious claims; and/or

• retain the premium; and/or

• allow a pro-rata refund of the premium;and/or

• refund the premium in full.


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5. FraudIf you:

• make a claim under this policy which is in anypart false or exaggerated;

• support a claim with a false document orstatement;

• make a claim for any loss or damage as aresult of your wilful act or if the loss ordamage was caused with your agreement orknowledge;

• have committed fraud under any otherinsurance policy;

• make an untrue statement, fail to provide uswith information we have requested orknowingly provide inaccurate informationabout your circumstances in order to obtaininsurance cover.

We will:

• cancel the policy from the date thefraudulent act was committed;

• not pay any claims which may or may nothave been made on the policy;

• recover any money that has already beenpaid on a claim;

• not return any premium;

• inform the police, other financial services andanti-fraud databases.

6. Untenanted Property Whenever the property is untenanted for morethan 14 consecutive days then you must:

(a) Inspect the property internally at leastonce a week.

(b) During the months of October to Marchinclusive turn off the water at the mainsand drain the system or leave the centralheating system in full operation tomaintain a minimum temperature of atleast 10˚ Celsius throughout the property.

(c) Put all security devices for securing externaldoors, windows and fanlights into full andeffective operation.

7. UnoccupancyIf you know that your property is not going tobe lived in by a tenant for more than 60 daysin a row, you must advise your broker or usimmediately, in order to provide us with theopportunity to review the risk.

When your property is not lived in by a tenantfor more than 60 days in a row we will regardyour property as unoccupied. In thesecircumstances we will not provide full cover asstated under the policy sections applicable andthe stated restrictions will apply. Regular visitsto the property externally or internally andoccasional overnight stays by you or someonewith your permission will not constitute normaloccupancy of the property and the restrictionson the policy will apply.

Conditionscontinued

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Conditionscontinued

8. Building workIf you are planning to have any structural workundertaken at your property, for example anextension, demolishing any walls, renovation orany form of building work, you must tell yourbroker or us about any plans at least 7 daysbefore the work commences.

We will then assess the risk and provide anyterms to the policy we deem necessary. We willnot pay any claim for loss or damage caused byand/or arising either directly or indirectly due tothe building work taking place, without prioragreement.

You do not need to inform your broker or us ifyou are undertaking redecoration.

9. Other Insurance If you claim under this policy for somethingwhich is also covered by another insurancepolicy, we will only pay our share of the claim.You must give us full details of the otherinsurance policy.

10. Joint InsuredIf more than one insured is named on thePolicy schedule, either named insured mayamend the policy, submit a claim or discuss anexisting claim with us. If an insured named onthe Policy schedule is to be removed, we willonly accept authority from the person beingremoved, or by a court order or writtenagreement from the insured’s personalrepresentative.

11. Personal Representatives If you die we will continue this insurance forthe interest of your personal representativesfor the rest of the current period of insuranceprovided that they:

(a) Advise us as soon as possible of yourdeath.

(b) Fulfil, observe and be subject to all theterms of this policy as far as they can apply.

12. Contracts (Rights of ThirdParties) Act 1999No third party will have, or be able to enforceany term of this policy under the Contracts(Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. This does notaffect the rights or remedies available to a thirdparty, apart from this Act.

13. Maintenance/SafetyRequirementsAs the landlord of a residential property youhave a duty of care to your tenant and arerequired to comply with relevant Health andSafety legislation. It is a condition of this policythat you adhere to all relevant legislation.

All gas and electric appliances and installationsat the property must be regularly inspected byyou or a responsible person acting on yourbehalf as required by the appropriatelegislation and repaired, replaced, maintainedor serviced as necessary to ensure good order.

A record of such inspections/work undertakenshould be kept to produce to us upon request.

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Conditionscontinued

14. ClaimsWhen circumstances arise which might give riseto you making a claim under this policy, youmust:

• tell us as soon as reasonably possible;

• tell the local police immediately you becomeaware of or suspect theft, attempted theft ormalicious damage and keep a note of anyreference number given to you;

• take all reasonable steps to recover anyproperty which has been lost;

• send us at our expense, all the documentsand information (including written estimatesand proof of value or ownership) we mayrequest from you.

You must not:

• pay, offer or agree to pay any amount oradmit responsibility without our permission;

• abandon any property to us unless you haveour permission;

• carry out any permanent repairs or disposeof any damaged items until we have beengiven the opportunity to inspect the damage.

We will not pay any claims under this policyunless you have kept to the above conditions.

We may:

• enter any building where loss or damage hashappened;

• take control of the remains of any propertyinsured by the policy for which we have

agreed to pay a claim and deal with them ina reasonable manner;

• take over, defend or settle a claim madeagainst you or at our own expense, takelegal action in your name to get back anypayment we have made under this policy.

For further information please refer to How tomake a claim and How we settle your claimsections of this Policy Booklet.

15. Our Rights to Cancel the PolicyWe or any agent appointed by us and actingwith our authority have the right to cancelyour policy, where there is a valid reason fordoing so. We will give you fourteen days noticeof cancellation in writing, by recorded delivery,to the latest address we have for you and willset out our reason for cancellation in our letter.

Valid reasons may include but are not limitedto:

1. not

(a) paying a premium when it is due

(b) co-operating with us, or sending usinformation or documentation thatmaterially affects our ability to processthe Policy or our ability to defend ourinterests

(c) exercising your duty of care as requiredunder the Taking Care Condition in theConditions section of this PolicyBooklet.

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Conditionscontinued

and failing to put this right when we ask you toby sending you seven days written notice toyour latest address.

2. where we reasonably suspect fraud orwhere there has been misrepresentation ofinformation which you gave us and/orother non-disclosure

3. use of threatening or abusive behaviour orlanguage, or intimidation or bullying of ourstaff or suppliers.

If we cancel your Policy, we will refund thepremium for the exact number of days left onthe Policy less an additional charge of £25 plusthe prevailing rate of Insurance Premium Taxas stated on your Policy schedule.

If a claim has been submitted or there havebeen any incidents likely to give rise to a claimduring the current period of insurance, we willnot refund any part of the premium.

If you have a Loan Agreement with us to payfor your insurance, outstanding monies may beowed when your Policy is cancelled. They mustbe paid to us as described in your LoanAgreement.

If we cancel your Policy on the grounds offraud, cancellation may be immediate and wemay retain any refund due. We may alsoinform the police of the circumstances.

For your rights to cancel the Policy please referto Customer Information “How to Cancel YourPolicy” section of this Policy Booklet.

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Exceptions are the events, liabilities or propertywe do not cover under the Policy.

We will not pay for:

1. Radioactive ContaminationAny expense, loss, bodily injury, liability ordamage to any property directly or indirectlyarising from:

(a) ionising radiation or contamination byradioactivity from any nuclear fuel or fromany nuclear waste from the combustion ofnuclear fuel;

(b) the radioactive, toxic, explosive or otherhazardous properties of any nuclearassembly or nuclear component.

2. Sonic BoomsAny loss or damage arising directly frompressure waves caused by aircraft and otheraerial devices.

3. War RisksLoss, damage or liability which is the direct orindirect result of any of the following:

War, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities(whether or not war is declared), civil war,rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military orusurped power.

4. Events Before the Policy StartedLoss, damage or liability arising out of anyaccident or incident that happened before thisPolicy started.

5. Deliberate ActsLoss, damage or liability arising from anyaccident, injury, loss or damage causeddeliberately, maliciously, wilfully, recklessly orthrough the criminal act of you, your family oremployees.

6. Reduction in ValueAny reduction in market value following repairor replacement paid for under this Policy.

7. DeceptionAny loss or damage caused by deception,unless the only deception is gaining entry tothe property.

8. Business Property and Legal Liability Loss or damage to any property owned by, heldin trust or primarily used for any business, tradeor profession. Any legal liability arising directlyor indirectly from any business, trade orprofession, other than as property owner.

9. ConfiscationAny loss, damage or liability caused byconfiscation, detention or seizure by:

(a) customs, police or other officials;

(b) order of any court of law;

(c) any statutory or regulatory authority.

Exceptions

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10. Pollution or ContaminationAny loss, damage or liability arising frompollution or contamination unless directlycaused by a sudden and unforeseen andidentifiable incident occurring during theperiod of insurance.

11. Date Change and Computer VirusesAny loss, damage or liability arising from:

(a) the failure of a computer chip, computersoftware or any other electronicequipment to recognise a true calendardate;

(b) computer viruses.

12. TerrorismLiability, loss or damage caused directly orindirectly by an act of terrorism as defined inthe Terrorism Act 2000 except for loss ordamage to your property from a causeinsured by this Policy, provided the loss ordamage, cost or expense does not arise out ofthe use of biological, chemical and/or nuclearforce or threat thereof.

13. Wear and TearLoss or damage caused by wear and tear oranything which happens gradually.

Exceptionscontinued


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Policy CoverSection A – Buildings

Your schedule shows if this section applies to your Policy.

We will pay for We will not pay for

Loss or damage to buildings caused by: • The excess which is shown on yourschedule under all paragraphs of thissection except paragraph 21;

• Note paragraph 10 has a higher excessof £1,000;

• Wet or dry rot;

• Loss or damage due to any graduallyoccurring cause.

1. Fire, explosion, lightning or earthquake.

2. Smoke.

3. Riot, civil commotion, strikes, labour or political disturbances.

4. Malicious Acts. Loss or damage caused while the property

Where loss or damage is caused by legal is unoccupied.

tenants or guests the most we will pay is £5,000 less any amount recoverable from any security deposit lodged by the tenant.

5. Storm or flood. Loss or damage:

• caused by frost;

• to gates, hedges and fences;

• caused by a rise in the water table orother gradually occurring cause.

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Policy CoverSection A – Buildingscontinued



6. (a) Water escaping from any fixed domestic Loss or damage caused while the propertywater or heating installation, washing is unoccupied.machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer or fixed fish tank;

(b) Oil escaping from any fixed domesticheating installation.

7. Theft or attempted theft, following forcible Loss or damage caused:and violent entry to or from the property. • by persons lawfully on the premises;

• while the property is unoccupied.

8. Collision by:

(a) Aircraft or other aerial devices or items dropped from them;

(b) Vehicles or animals. (b) Loss or damage caused by pets andlivestock.

9. (a) Falling aerials (including satellite dishes)their fittings and masts;

(b) Falling trees or branches.

We will also pay the cost of removing them if they have caused damage insured by this section to the buildings.


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10. Subsidence or ground heave of the The first £1,000 of each claim.site that the buildings stand on or Damage caused by or resulting from:landslip. • coastal or river erosion;

• faulty design, workmanship or the use ofdefective materials;

• demolition, structural alteration or repair tothe buildings;

• the movement of solid floor slabs unless thefoundations beneath the external walls ofthe property are damaged at the same timeand by the same cause;

• the bedding down of new structures,settlement, shrinkage or expansion;

• the action of chemicals or chemical reaction.Damage:• to walls, gates, fences, paths, drives, terraces,

patios, swimming pools, tennis courts,cesspits, septic tanks, central heating fueltanks unless the property is damaged at thesame time and by the same cause;

• for which compensation is provided by theNational House Building Council Scheme, orother similar guarantee.

11. Frost DamageFrost damage to interior fixed Damage caused while the property is domestic water or heating installations unoccupied.in the property.

12. Glass, Sanitary Ware and Ceramic HobsAccidental breakage of ceramic hobs Breakage caused while the property is in fixed appliances if fitted, fixed glass unoccupiedand sanitary ware all forming part of the property.

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13. Cables, Pipes and Tanks

Accidental damage for which you are The cost of clearing blocked drains unlesslegally responsible to any cables, the blockage is caused by damage to theunderground service pipes, drains or fabric of the drains insured by this section.underground tanks servicing the property. Damage caused to pitch fibre drains and

by any inherent defect in the design,construction or installation of the drains.

14. Trace and Access

Following damage insured by paragraph 6we will also pay the costs you incur in locating the source of the damage up to £5,000.

15. Additional Costs

Following damage insured by this section Costs or fees for preparing and handling a with our consent we will pay: claim under this section.

• the costs of complying with any Costs of complying with requirements government or local authority that you were given notice of before the requirement; damage occurred.

• fees to architects, surveyors and Costs for undamaged parts of the consulting engineers; buildings except the foundations of the

• legal fees; damaged parts.

• the cost of clearing the site and making it and the property safe.

The following covers are also included in this Section



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16. Temporary Accommodation and Loss ofRent

If your property is uninhabitable due todamage insured by this section we will payfor:

• the reasonable extra cost of similartemporary accommodation for thetenant;

or

• rent which should have been paid toyou; until the property is fit forhabitation again.

The most we will pay is 33.3% of thebuildings sum insured by this sectionunless loss or damage is caused bymalicious acts by legal tenants or guestswhereby the most we will pay is £5,000 orthree months rent, whichever is the less.

17. Moving property

If you are selling the property we willinsure the buyer under this sectionbetween the date of exchange ofcontracts, or conclusion of missives, andthe completion date unless the buyer hasarranged his own insurance.

In order for this cover to apply, formalcompletion must have taken place. Youand the buyer must keep to the terms andconditions of this Policy.

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18. Emergency Access/Landscape Gardens

Loss or damage to the buildings orlandscaped gardens or grounds withinyour premises caused by a member ofthe emergency services breaking into theproperty to prevent loss or damage toyour property.

The most we will pay is £1,000.

19. Replacement of Locks

The insurance by this section extends tocover costs incurred as a result of thenecessary replacement of locks at theproperty described in the schedulefollowing theft of keys from the insured.


20. Unauthorised use of Electricity Gas orWater

The insurance by this section extends toinclude the cost of metered electricity gasor water for which you are legallyresponsible arising from its unauthoriseduse by persons taking possession oroccupying the property without yourauthority.

Provided that you shall take all practicalsteps to terminate such unauthorised useas soon as it is discovered.



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21. Property Owners Liability

We will indemnify you in respect of yourlegal liability:

(a) as owner but not occupier of thebuildings and their land;

or

(b) resulting from your previousownership of any private propertyunder Section 3 Defective Premises Act1972;

for damages, costs and expenses iffollowed an accident during the period ofinsurance someone suffers bodily injuryor their property is damaged.

The most we will pay for any claim orclaims arising from one event is£2,000,000 plus costs agreed by us inwriting.

Liability arising directly or indirectly from:

• any contract or agreement that saysyou or a member of your family areliable for something which you or theywould not otherwise have been liablefor;

• the occupation of the buildings;

• any business or professional use of thebuildings other than in your capacityas owner of the property.

Liability for:

• bodily injury to you or to a personemployed by you;

• property belonging to you or for whichyou are responsible.

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22. Accidental Damage

This cover only applies if you haveselected it and it is shown on yourschedule.

Accidental damage to the buildings.


Any loss or damage which we haveindicated that we will not pay for underparagraphs 1-13 of this section.

Cost of maintenance or routinedecoration.

Damage occurring whilst:

• the property is unoccupied;

• the property is undergoing demolition,structural alteration or structural repair.

Damage caused by or arising from:

• insects, parasites, vermin, fungus ormildew;

• chewing, scratching, tearing or foulingby pets;

• atmospheric or climatic conditions orfrost (except as covered by paragraph11);

• alteration, repair, maintenance,cleaning, restoration, dismantling,renovation or breakdown;

• faulty design or workmanship or theuse of faulty materials;

• structural movement, settlement,shrinkage.

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Policy CoverSection B – Contents



Loss or damage to contents which you own or • The excess which is shown on yourwhich you are legally responsible for whilst in schedule under all paragraphs of this the property: section except paragraph 11;

Caused by: • Loss or damage due to any graduallyoccurring cause.

1. Fire, explosion, lightning or earthquake.

2. Smoke.

3. Riot, civil commotion, strikes, labour or political disturbances.

4. Malicious acts. Loss or damage caused:

• by legal tenants or guests;


5. Storm or flood. Loss or damage caused by a rise in thewater table or other gradually occurringcause.

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Policy CoverSection B – Contentscontinued



6. (a) Water escaping from any fixed domestic Loss or damage caused while the water or heating installation, washing property is unoccupied.machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezeror fixed fish tank;

(b) Oil escaping from any fixed domestic heating installation.

7. Theft or attempted theft following forcible Loss or damage caused:and violent entry to or from the property. • by persons lawfully on the premises;


8. Collision by:

(a) Aircraft or items dropped from them or other flying objects;

(b) Vehicles or animals. (b) Loss or damage caused by pets andlivestock.

9. (a) Falling aerials (including satellite dishes)their fittings and masts;

(b) Falling trees or branches.

10. Subsidence or ground heave of the site that Damage caused by or resulting from the buildings stand on or landslip. coastal or river erosion.


28

Policy CoverSection B – Contentscontinued



11. Legal Liability

We will indemnify you inrespect of legal liability asowner of landlord’scontents at theproperty insured by thissection, for damages andclaimant’s costs arising inconnection withaccidental bodily injury(including death, diseaseor illness) or accidentaldamage to materialproperty occurring duringthe period of insurance.

The most we will pay forany claim or claimsarising from one event is£2,000,000 plus costsagreed by us in writing.

We will also pay legalcosts and expensesagreed by us.

(a) Liability arising from:

• bodily injury to you or a member of your family or toa person employed by you or a member of your family;

• damage to property owned or held in trust by or in thecustody or control of you;

• any contract or agreement that says that you areliable for something which you would not otherwisehave been liable for;

• ownership of any land or building including theproperty;

• the ownership, custody, control or use of:

– road vehicles or any other mechanically powered orassisted vehicles (except domestic gardeningequipment, battery or pedestrian operated modelsor toys, golf trolleys or wheelchairs);

– caravans, horse boxes or trailers;

– aircraft, hangliders, hovercraft, watercraft or anyother equipment designed for or intended for use onor in water (except battery or pedestrian operatedmodels or toys or hand propelled watercraft notowned by you or a member of your family) or partsor accessories designed for or intended for use on orin any of them;

– animals other than domestic pets and horses keptfor private hacking;

– dogs of a type referred to in the Dangerous Dogs Act1991;

– firearms, except legally-held sporting guns whilebeing used for sporting purposes.

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How to make a claim

1. Check the policy booklet and your policyschedule to see which section you arecovered for.

2. You can contact us to report a claim usingany of the following methods:

• Online claims notification atwww.coveainsurance.co.uk/reportclaim

• Dedicated telephone number –0330 024 2255

• Dedicated fax number – 0330 024 2613

• By E-Mail –[email protected]

• In writing – Covéa Insurance PropertyCareline, PO Box 824, Halifax HX1 9QT

Please have the following information tohand before you contact Covéa InsuranceProperty Careline:

• Policy number;

• Name and home postcode;

• Nature of problem;

• Police incident number (if you are avictim of theft, malicious damage orvandalism at the property);

• Approximate cost to replace/repair theitem.

We will register the claim from the detailsyou provide and tell you what to do next.

3. If you are a victim of theft, maliciousdamage, vandalism at the property, tell thepolice or issuing authority first and requestan incident number. It would be helpful ifyou have an approximate cost toreplace/repair the item(s) you would like toclaim for.

4. Do not admit fault if you are being heldresponsible for injury or damage. Send alldocuments you receive unanswered andwithout delay to Covéa Insurance, NormanPlace, Reading RG1 8DA.

Covéa Insurance exchanges information withother companies through various databases tohelp us check the information provided andalso prevent fraudulent claims.

Please refer to the Conditions and Exceptionssections of this Policy Booklet. Please also referto the How we settle your claim section of thisPolicy Booklet.


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This section details how we settle claims underyour Policy. The most we will pay for any oneclaim is the amount shown on your scheduleunless a more specific limit applies.

We will take off the excess from the amountwe agree to settle your claim. The excess willapply to each separate incident. If a claim ismade under more than one section of thisPolicy, resulting from the same incident onlyone excess will be deducted.

Remember, no Policy covers everything. We donot cover certain things such as wear and tearand maintenance. The things which are notcovered by your Policy are stated:

• In the Conditions

• In the Exceptions.

• Under What is not Insured in the Policy Coverfor Section A – Buildings and Section B –Contents

It is important to ensure that you understandthe Conditions which apply to your Policybecause if you do not meet these Conditions, itmay affect any claim you make.

It is also important to understand theExceptions as they are events, liabilities orproperty that we do not cover under the Policy.

Section A – BuildingsAs long as the loss or damage is covered underyour Policy, we will decide whether to settle aclaim by either rebuilding, repairing or replacingor by making a payment in respect of thedamaged part of the buildings provided that:

1. Immediately before the incident giving riseto the loss or damage:

(a) the buildings were in a good state ofrepair and properly maintained;

(b) the sum insured shown on yourschedule was sufficient to allow for thefull cost of rebuilding the buildings in anew condition similar in size, form andstyle, including the professional fees andadditional costs as set in Section A –Buildings, paragraph 15 AdditionalCosts.

If you do not comply with either of theabove we may choose to reduce your claimin direct proportion to the amount ofunderinsurance, make a deduction for wearand tear, refuse to pay your claim and/orcancel the Policy.

2. The reinstatement or repair is carried outwithout delay. If repair or rebuilding is notcarried out, we will pay the amount bywhich the buildings has gone down in valueas a result of the damage or the estimatedcost of repair, whichever is lower.

How we settleyour claim

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The most we will pay in respect of eachincident of loss or damage is the buildingssum insured or any other limit shown onyour schedule or in the Policy.

We treat each individual item of matchingsets, suites, fixtures and fittings or otherarticles of a similar nature, design or colour,as a single item.

We will therefore only pay for the lost ordamaged items and not for any other itemsthat have not been lost or damaged solelybecause they form part of the set or suite. Ifan item within a set or suite is damaged, theother items may lose value even if they havenot been damaged. We will not pay for thisloss in value under this Policy.

If a carpet, wooden, laminate or vinyl floorcovering is damaged beyond repair we willonly pay for the damaged carpet or floorcovering. We will not pay for undamagedcarpets or floor coverings in adjoining roomseven if they are the same colour or design.

We will automatically reinstate the Policylimits following payment of a claim,provided that all replacement or repair workis completed and any recommendations wemake to prevent further loss or damage arecarried out without delay.

Underinsurance

If at the time of damage the total of the sumsinsured on buildings specified in the Policyschedule is less than 85% of the

reinstatement cost of the buildings covered bythis section we shall bear only that proportionof the damage which the total of the sumsinsured on buildings bear to the totalreinstatement cost.

Section B – ContentsWe will decide whether to settle a claim byeither repairing or replacing property or, if wecannot repair or replace the property we willpay for the loss or damage in cash. Where wecan offer repair or replacement through ournetwork of suppliers, but we agree to pay youin cash, then payment will not exceed theamount we would have paid to our network ofsuppliers. If no equivalent replacement isavailable then we will pay the full replacementcost of the item with no discount applied.

An amount for wear, tear and depreciation willbe deducted for clothing and linen.

If at the time of the loss or damage the limitfor contents shown on your schedule is notadequate to replace all the contents as newafter allowing for wear, tear and depreciationfor clothing and linen, we may choose toreduce your claim in direct proportion to theamount of underinsurance, refuse to pay yourclaim and/or cancel the Policy.

The most we will pay is the contents limit orany other limit shown in your schedule or inthe Policy.

How we settleyour claimcontinued


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How we settleyour claimcontinued

We treat each individual item of matching sets,suites or other articles of a similar nature,design or colour, as a single item. We willtherefore only pay for the lost or damageditems and not for any other items that have notbeen lost or damaged solely because they formpart of the set or suite. If an item within a set or suite is damaged, the other items may losevalue even if they have not been damaged. We will not pay for this loss in value under thisPolicy.

The limit will not be reduced following paymentof a claim, provided that all replacement orrepair work is completed and anyrecommendations we make to prevent furtherloss or damage are carried out without delay.

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Covea Insurance plcRegistered Office: Norman Place, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8DARegistered in England and Wales No. 613259Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority No. 202277

P35U 11/15

Covéa Insurance Norman PlaceReadingRG1 8DATelephone: 0330 221 0444Fax: 0118 955 2211

www.coveainsurance.co.uk

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