Insurance
Building insurance
We own the building you live in and it is our responsibility to insure the building and common parts. Your share of the cost of the building's insurance is included in your annual service charge. The insurance runs from 1 April to 31 March and the premium is based on the cost of rebuilding the flat. This is called the sum insured which is different from the market value.
The buildings insurance is supplied by Protector Insurance (opens new window).
Types of damage covered by building insurance
Generally, the policy insures the building against the following:
- fire, smoke, explosion, lightning or earthquake
- riot, civil commotion, strikes, labour or political disturbances
- malicious damage
- collision by aircraft, other aerial devices
- falling trees, branches. telegraph poles or lampposts
- theft or attempted theft
- subsidence, ground heave or landslip (an excess of £1,000 applies to each incident or loss)
- accidental breakage of fixed glass, fixed water or heating installations, inspection covers, cables and pipes serving the building
- sudden blockages to drainage
What buildings insurance does not cover
Buildings insurance does not cover every situation. For example, faults by mechanical breakdown and hidden defects are treated as normal repairs. Other examples of situations not covered include:
- wear and tear
- loss or damage to contents and personal belongings, for example carpets (if there are any)
- routine repairs - repairing pipes or replacing heating boilers or radiators that have worn or broken down (although you can claim for damage to the building caused by the sudden escape of water)
- maintenance failures such as rain seeping through worn-out window seals
- loss or damage after the home has been unoccupied for more than 30 days
If you sublet your property, we suggest that you or your tenant consider additional landlord/tenant's liability insurance. This will cover accidents in your property that cause damage to any of your neighbours' properties. For example, you may be liable for the cost of repairs if you have a leaking washing machine which damages the flat below yours.
Making a building insurance claim
We will make all claims, directly to the insurers, where we are made aware that the structure of the building or common parts has been damaged by an insured peril (eg storm damage).
All claims made for the building will be shown on your Repairs and Maintenance Statement (PDF) [241KB] .
You are responsible for making all claims for damage inside your property.
If you need to make a claim for your property on the buildings insurance policy, you should:
- check the policy booklet to see if the loss or damage is covered and what conditions might apply
- the policy is exempt from any 'excess' payments (except for subsidence where you pay the first £1,000)
- contact the insurer's claims handlers (Sedgwick) directly on 01618231912 or email protectorclaims@sedgwick.com
- make your claim within 30 days (7 days for malicious persons) including supporting evidence in writing
- quote policy number: 3144036
Contents insurance
We have negotiated a contents insurance scheme with Royal and Sun Alliance that allows tenants to get adequate cover in an easy and affordable way.
This is a voluntary scheme and tenants are free to make their own arrangements.
Please note that completed applications are sent directly to Royal and Sun Alliance, and payments are now made directly to the provider (we no longer collect payments as part of your weekly rent).
If you are interested in finding out more about the scheme, or to request an application pack, please call 0191 433 5353, or email housingoffice@gateshead.gov.uk.