At Zurich, we want to be clear on situations that may arise which may not be covered under your policy. It’s important to check your policy documents for the specific exclusions on your policy.
Our policies are designed to protect you against the risk of things happening unexpectedly such as fire, theft, flood and storm.
There are however limits to what the policy will cover. It is not a substitute for proper upkeep or for things wearing out, breaking down or failing because of lack of maintenance.
What is wear and tear?
All buildings will gradually deteriorate over time through exposure to the elements, while contents deteriorate through their daily usage.
As a result of this, most policies will have a wear and tear exclusion that means any damage caused naturally over a period of time would not be covered. As an example this means that we will not provide cover for things such as defective rendering or general roof maintenance.
The guttering on my property is broken- will I be covered?
All buildings will gradually deteriorate over time through exposure to the elements, while contents deteriorate through their daily usage
If over time the guttering on a property becomes worn and breaks it would need to be replaced by the policyholder. This is because the damage has occurred as part of the buildings normal usage and has not been caused by an insured peril. If, however the guttering was in a good condition but was broken by extreme storm conditions, the insurance policy would cover the damage.
It is also worth knowing that most items of contents are covered on a new for old basis except for clothing and household linen where deductions for wear and tear may also apply. This means that in the event of a claim you may not receive the full amount for those items that it would cost to replace the item as new.
Wear and tear may occur to anyone’s property or belongings over time through ordinary use. It is your responsibility to keep your home and contents in a good state of repair.
