10 ways you could be invalidating your home insurance

When you have home insurance, it’s easy to take it for granted, which makes it an even greater shock if your home insurance company rejects your claim. To avoid unpleasant surprises, here are 10 ways you could be invalidating your home insurance without even realising it.

1. Leaving your home empty

Most policies won’t cover your home if it’s empty for more than a certain number of days. It’s up to insurers to decide what that limit is but it’s usually 30 days.

For most of us who only go away for a couple of weeks a year, this rarely poses a problem. But if you have a second home or divide your time between the UK and somewhere else, you might need to supplement your current policy with unoccupied home insurance. These policies will either cover an empty home for an unlimited number of days or for up to 90 days at a time.

2. Not declaring major changes to your home

Your policy should accurately reflect your needs. A big part of that means making sure the details set out in your policy are actually correct.

So, if your policy is for a three-bed home but you add a fourth bedroom, you should let your insurer know. They will then be able to update your buildings insurance to reflect the increased cost of rebuilding your home taking into account the extra bedroom. Similarly, if you decide to add an office in your garden or convert the loft, tell your insurer.

It’s also a good idea to speak to your insurer if any of your security measures change. For example, if you decide to replace a burglar alarm with another model. While this might seem like a fairly minor change, it’s important to keep your insurer informed.

3. Running a business from home

If you run a business from home, always check the small print of your home insurance policy. As a general rule, most policies will cover basic office equipment like a computer, laptop and printer.

However, if you’re running a full-scale business, it’s vital you tell your insurer. Home insurance simply won’t give you the cover you need, and you’ll need business insurance instead. Particularly if you keep stock at home or if you have any especially expensive tools or equipment. Not only that, if clients and customers are coming into your home, you’ll need to make sure you have adequate public liability cover too.

4. Renting a room

If you decide to rent a room to a lodger, let your insurer know so that your policy can be updated. Bear in mind that your premium could increase in order to cover the risk of a claim if your lodger causes damage. However, it’s likely to be a small price to pay compared to having a claim rejected because you didn’t tell your insurer.

5. Non-disclosure and misrepresentation

Non-disclosure is when you fail to tell your insurer something they need to know. For example:

To avoid this, always answer questions as truthfully as you can and don’t be afraid to ask your insurer for clarification if you don’t understand something. Answering incorrectly can be seen as deliberate misrepresentation and can invalidate your policy.

6. Exaggerating the value of your belongings

As tempting as it might be to exaggerate the value of items when you claim, don’t. Saying your grandmother’s fake pearls are real or that your reproduction table is a rare antique in order to increase your payout, is fraud. If you’re found out, your insurer can refuse to pay out altogether.

If your insurer cancels your policy, you could also struggle to find insurance in the future (and remember, not mentioning a cancelled policy counts as non-disclosure).

7. Poor security

Insurers don’t expect our homes to be Fort Knox, but they do expect homeowners to be mindful of security. A lot of this will be common sense so make sure that you:

8. Highlighting your absences on social media

Sharing information that shows you’re not at home can be seen as an open invitation to thieves and can void your policy. So, as much as you want to show-off your two weeks in the sun, wait until you’re home before posting pictures.

9. Avoiding maintenance

Insurers expect us to maintain our homes to a ‘reasonable standard.’ It doesn’t mean living in a show home, but it does mean tackling jobs that could cause bigger problems later on down the line.

For instance, if your roof is already missing several tiles and a storm blows in and takes more off causing internal damage; your insurer could argue that lack of maintenance was actually the root cause rather than the storm. Consequently, they might decide not to pay out. Similarly, if you’ve never cleared your gutters and debris builds up causing damp, your insurer can refuse to rectify the damp issues.

10. Ignoring vermin

Most policies don’t cover damage by animals, whether it’s caused by your pet or vermin. So, if you notice rats or mice, it’s best to deal with them as soon as you can because it’s unlikely any damage will be covered.

It’s also sensible not to encourage pests so try and avoid overfilling bins which could attract rats.

Compare affordable home insurance for peace of mind

Home insurance is a valuable safety net that can save you from greater financial losses. With that in mind, it’s crucial to check that all the details set out in your policy are correct.

For the best value for money, we recommend comparing a range of quotes from different insurers. That way you can see what’s on offer and work out what’s right for you. To start your search, simply tell us what you need below.