Surrey
11-02-2008, 22:23 PM
Just wanted to share this little episode with you.
Had a rental property with students in (my former home, as it happens). When they left, they'd caused a fair amount of damage and the place was disgusting. Tenants didn't get their deposit back but I didn't bother pursuing them for the additional costs after their departure.
Started to spend the deposit getting the place ready for letting again, paid several hundred pounds to get the place cleaned etc, when the place was broken into and several hundreds of pounds of damage was done. Unimpressed with myself for having a misunderstanding over the insurance policy, it turned out I wasn't covered.
Arranged cover, swallowed the cost of the additional damage and set about clearing up, though the place was now in a worse state than it had been when the tenants left.
Halloween, local kids (I assume) broke a window and caused more damage.
Even more unimpressed I contact the insurance company, who tell me that THEY mucked up and I wasn't actually covered (they'd set up a policy on another property that was already covered, by them and hadn't taken my money when I'd asked them to, but they generously offered that if I wanted them to cover the cost of the window they'd be happy to back-date my policy, if I paid the premiums for the time when I hadn't actually been covered (it was supposed to have been a "first three months free" offer, so I wasn't even able to check the money had left my account.) I politely declined their kind offer.
So there I am, place been trashed by tenants and vandalised twice, I decide I'm going to sell. So I order a new kitchen, get the entire place repainted (only 12 months since I'd done it for the tenants) and while waiting for the kitchen to be delivered, visit the property several times a week to keep working on the repairs following the tenants and the first break-in (new internal doors fitted, new front door fitted, and did I mention the lovely paint job?)
Last weekend I do my usual weekend visit, to be greeted by evidence of another break-in. In short the value of the property they nicked adds up to about £500 at a rough guess. But what greeted me when I opened the door was a very unwelcome sound. My heart sank. Running water. Very fast running water. And not into a sink either. The *£$(?"/**s had stolen the hot water tank from the upstairs airing cupboard and copper pipes from the attic. Also some lead flashing that I'd just paid to have repaired (following student occupancy).
Following further inspection by my builder, most of the ceilings upstairs have irreparable water damage. Same for most of the ceilings downstairs. Carpets throughout trashed. Electrician has condemned the wiring throughout. Gas boiler likely to be damaged beyond repair. (I'd had it set to run overnight during the cold periods, but of course there wouldn't have been any water and in any case they'd ripped the pipework out of it.) And because I'd already removed most of the kitchen in readiness for the new one, I clearly can't claim for a new kitchen on the insurance policy.
To add insult to injury, the insurer tells me the excess on my policy is now £500 because the place was unoccupied, despite me visiting it regularly and frequently having someone in there during the day working.
The place is now just a shell. Loss adjuster has put an estimate of around £80,000 to put the place right.
And all for less than £500-worth of scrap metal.
Moral of the story?
MAKE SURE YOUR INSURANCE IS CURRENT!!!
(...and breathe...)
Had a rental property with students in (my former home, as it happens). When they left, they'd caused a fair amount of damage and the place was disgusting. Tenants didn't get their deposit back but I didn't bother pursuing them for the additional costs after their departure.
Started to spend the deposit getting the place ready for letting again, paid several hundred pounds to get the place cleaned etc, when the place was broken into and several hundreds of pounds of damage was done. Unimpressed with myself for having a misunderstanding over the insurance policy, it turned out I wasn't covered.
Arranged cover, swallowed the cost of the additional damage and set about clearing up, though the place was now in a worse state than it had been when the tenants left.
Halloween, local kids (I assume) broke a window and caused more damage.
Even more unimpressed I contact the insurance company, who tell me that THEY mucked up and I wasn't actually covered (they'd set up a policy on another property that was already covered, by them and hadn't taken my money when I'd asked them to, but they generously offered that if I wanted them to cover the cost of the window they'd be happy to back-date my policy, if I paid the premiums for the time when I hadn't actually been covered (it was supposed to have been a "first three months free" offer, so I wasn't even able to check the money had left my account.) I politely declined their kind offer.
So there I am, place been trashed by tenants and vandalised twice, I decide I'm going to sell. So I order a new kitchen, get the entire place repainted (only 12 months since I'd done it for the tenants) and while waiting for the kitchen to be delivered, visit the property several times a week to keep working on the repairs following the tenants and the first break-in (new internal doors fitted, new front door fitted, and did I mention the lovely paint job?)
Last weekend I do my usual weekend visit, to be greeted by evidence of another break-in. In short the value of the property they nicked adds up to about £500 at a rough guess. But what greeted me when I opened the door was a very unwelcome sound. My heart sank. Running water. Very fast running water. And not into a sink either. The *£$(?"/**s had stolen the hot water tank from the upstairs airing cupboard and copper pipes from the attic. Also some lead flashing that I'd just paid to have repaired (following student occupancy).
Following further inspection by my builder, most of the ceilings upstairs have irreparable water damage. Same for most of the ceilings downstairs. Carpets throughout trashed. Electrician has condemned the wiring throughout. Gas boiler likely to be damaged beyond repair. (I'd had it set to run overnight during the cold periods, but of course there wouldn't have been any water and in any case they'd ripped the pipework out of it.) And because I'd already removed most of the kitchen in readiness for the new one, I clearly can't claim for a new kitchen on the insurance policy.
To add insult to injury, the insurer tells me the excess on my policy is now £500 because the place was unoccupied, despite me visiting it regularly and frequently having someone in there during the day working.
The place is now just a shell. Loss adjuster has put an estimate of around £80,000 to put the place right.
And all for less than £500-worth of scrap metal.
Moral of the story?
MAKE SURE YOUR INSURANCE IS CURRENT!!!
(...and breathe...)