The responsibility to insure the building normally rests with the freeholder, resident management company or leaseholder depending on the terms of the lease relating to the property. Comprehensive buildings insurance policies will cover damage caused by storm, fire and flood, normally subsidence and a number of other perils.

Where an insurance claim needs to be processed your Property Manager will arrange a claim against the insurance policy. Insurers may not cover the entire claim if there is an element of improvement work or a policy excess. For example, if the roof needed repairing but was going to be replaced in the near future, it would then be sensible to bring forward the replacement with the insurance company contributing towards the cost of this.

In the case of subsidence the policy excess is £1000 and typically £250 for all other claims. In these circumstances you will be expected to contribute, probably through your Service Charge Account if the claim relates to common parts, or pay the entire excess in the event of it relating to your apartment. However, if you suffer water ingress from another flat you may be able to recover the excess from the lessee of that flat.

Buildings Insurance does not cover wear and tear, or negligence. If you leave your home unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days please advise us and we will notify the insurers. The insurance company must also know if you sub-let your property, as failure to tell them could invalidate the policy and have serious consequences.

You must also take care not to put the property at risk, which means turning off all services and making the property safe before going on holiday or leaving it unoccupied for other reasons.

Please understand that the buildings insurance policy will not cover damage to your contents. We recommend that you consult Gateway or other professional advisers to arrange this cover.

Making a claim for your own property

Please ensure you follow these steps:

• Obtain a claim form from your block management team and complete it giving as much information as possible. If malicious damage has been caused, for example by a break-in, you will also need to provide the police incident number.
• Obtain two estimates for repairs but unless it is an emergency do not allow the work to go ahead until you hear from the insurers that the claim is approved.
• Return the form to us, not the insurance company.
• If the claim is agreed, the insurers will advise you that you may proceed with the work.

The insurance company may appoint a Loss Adjuster to visit you, assess the claim and advise the insurance company before it agrees to pay out.