Common house insurance claim questions answered

There are a few myths and legends about what insurance covers, so we’ve put together answers to some of the most common questions customers ask about the accidents that happen around their home.

I tried to clean a stain on my carpet, but it made it worse. Will my insurance cover my carpet?

We don’t cover general wear and tear, deterioration, or the cleaning and restoration of items using inappropriate or unsuitable materials or methods. So before you listen to Aunt Mabel’s advice about cleaning those paint footprints off your carpet, or check the internet, you should ring your insurer to see if they can recommend a carpet supplier who can help. Generally, your home insurance will cover the cleaning or replacement of your carpet that has been accidentally stained or damaged. However, this means an original stain or damage, rather than anything you have tried to rectify and inadvertently made worse.

I used a steam mop on my wooden floors and noticed a bit of a mark. The mark got worse when I used the mop again. Am I covered for this?

We provide cover for accidents, so if you made a claim for the floor the first time you noticed the mark, depending on the mop you were using and whether it could be used on the wooden flooring, you may be covered. As mentioned above, we don’t cover general wear and tear, deterioration, or the cleaning and restoration of items using inappropriate or unsuitable materials or methods. While the manufacturers may have suggested you could use a steam mop on wooden floors, you shouldn’t continue to use it once you have noticed it marking or damaging your floor.

If I don’t have a smoke alarm in my house, and it’s damaged by fire, then will my home insurance still cover me?

We recommend you install smoke alarms into your home, not only to protect your property but more importantly to protect you and your family. However if you don’t have any installed and your home suffers fire damage, this doesn’t affect your home insurance cover with AA Insurance. We’d recommend checking with your insurance provider if you are not insured with us.

If you need help knowing the type of alarms to install, how many you’ll need and where to install them, then check out the Fire and Emergency website.

Any questions?

Now’s a great time to review your insurance. We recommend checking your details are up to date and ensuring the policy and cover you’ve chosen is right for you and your insurance needs.

If you have any questions about your insurance, need to update your AA Insurance policies or would like a quote, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re open from 8am to 8pm weekdays and from 8am to 6pm weekends and public holidays.

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