A bad winter such as this year can see a dramatic rise in the number of escape of water claims as a result of frozen pipes and tanks.
Following a large escape of water the damage could take weeks, even months to put right, leaving your property uninhabitable and may even result in your tenants having to move out. or loss of rental income whilst repairs take place, causing a great deal of stress and inconvenience for landlords and tenants alike.
The information below provides advice to help protect your properties. Please refer to the general conditions section of your property owners insurance policy wording for the conditions applicable to unoccupied properties.
We recommend you take action immediately and follow some basic steps to minimise the risk of water damage to your property:
- Insulate all water pipes and tanks in the loft area and anywhere else which could be liable to freezing
- Ensure that loft insulation is not under the cold tank and goes over pipe work – not under
- Locate your main stop-cock where the water enters the property – obvious but it is important to know where and how to stop the water in the event of an emergency. Test the stop cock now to ensure it is not seized and in working order.
- Make sure your tenants know where it is (!) and how to stop the water and what to do in the event of an emergency
- Ensure that your tenants are instructed to report any problem irrespective of how minor as quickly as possible.
If the property is likely to be left unoccupied for a short term period but less than 14 consecutive days we recommend the following:
- Leave the heating on continuously
- Leave the loft hatch open so heat reaches pipes in this area.
If the property is likely to be left unoccupied for longer than 14 consecutive days then we recommend the following:
- A full drain down of water supply – check the full terms and conditions of your empty home insurance policy
- Ensure someone checks the property regularly (ideally daily). Ensure tenants follow the advice above if they plan to leave the property unoccupied (even just overnight). It will be a condition of any vacant property insurance policy.
Escape of water can be prevented – by following the advice above you could stop it from happening to you.
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