Home insurance has been developed to help you protect your home and your family in many different circumstances.
When choosing the coverage that they want, most people think of the big things like flood, fire and theft however, it is important to make sure that vandalism is also covered.
Vandalism is covered by your home insurance but it is important to keep in mind what it does and does not entail.
WHAT TYPES OF VANDALISM DOES HOME INSURANCE COVER?
Always check with your insurance provider to clarify what they cover specifically, but here is a general list according to isure.ca that most companies cover:
- Graffiti
- Egging
- Broken locks and windows
- Arson
- Cutting down trees or shrubbery
ARE THERE TIMES WHEN HOME INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER VANDALISM?
As with any policy, there will be exclusions that you need to watch out for. Make sure that you talk with your insurer so that you know the ins and outs of your policy. Here are some things that could nullify your vandalism claim:
- The vandal lives in your home: if they are part of your family or live in your home, the claim will most likely be denied.
- You own a home-based business: equipment used for your home based business that gets vandalized will not be covered unless you add special coverage to your policy to include it.
- If your home is unoccupied for more than 60 days: a vacant home is considered a risk to an insurance company because they are generally a bigger target for vandals.
WHAT STEPS DO I TAKE AFTER MY HOME HAS BEEN VANDALLED?
Dealing with vandalism can be stressful and the cleanup can take a lot of work. Info Assurance has some general steps to take following your house being vandalized:
Step 1: Contact your insurance agent as soon as possible and make sure you have a copy of any police report that was filed.
Step 2: Double-check your policy and what exactly it covers so you can avoid disappointment.
Step 3: Evaluate your living situation to determine whether you can stay in your house while any repairs are being completed. If you need to stay elsewhere, there is a chance that your policy will cover this.
Step 4: Make a detailed list of all of the items that were damaged and take many photos. The more detailed the list and the better the photos, the faster the whole process will go.
Step 5: Do any repairs that need to be done. If there are items to be replaced, check with your insurance agent for the proper way to do this and they will guide you in the right direction.
HOW DO I PROTECT MY HOME FROM VANDALISM?
There are numerous things that you can do to protect your home from vandals. ServiceMaster Restore has compiled a list of some of the best ways to prevent vandalism:
- Motion sensor lighting: playing peek-a-boo with a potential vandal is a quick and easy way to scare them off. Motion sensors mean that you can give the illusion of being home and have the vandal running in the other direction.
- Tall fencing: the higher the fence the better and one that is hard to climb is best.
- Shrubbery next to the fence: bushes planted along the fence line and around the decking making it very hard for a criminal to get onto your property or close to your house.
- Good quality gates and locks: make sure that the gate to your backyard is in good repair and the lock is good quality and works well. Most vandals will leave if it is too hard to get in on the first try.
Hopefully, vandalism to your home is something that you never have to endure but unfortunately, it is prevalent enough to warrant being labelled an insured peril as well as having a distinction from the section regarding theft.
Make sure that you are aware of what your policy covers and what to do if this ever happens to your home. If this does happen to you, document it as thoroughly as possible to help the process along and so that you can avoid any hiccups.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
