No one is immune to water damage in their home. This is also the most common disaster in housing. If you have to deplore damage in the event of leaks or water infiltration in your home, even before contacting your insurer in order to begin the procedure for compensation, a few common sense reflexes should be applied to, on the one on the one hand, to prevent the water damage from having more serious consequences and, on the other hand, to facilitate the processing of your file by your insurance company.
Water damage is the most common loss in a home. Water infiltration, poor maintenance of pipes or fittings, poor workmanship, etc., are the most frequent causes of this type of loss due to water.
If you notice water leaks or infiltrations in your house, you must first try to locate the origin of this water damage, i.e. find out whether it is due to your own accommodation, those of one of your close neighbours, or common areas if you live in a building.
If the water damage does not come from your home, immediately alert the occupant of the accommodation concerned or notify the condominium if you are in this case.
Then, if the water leak comes from your home, and so that the water does not cause further damage in your home, you must turn off the water supply tap. Also remember to turn off your electricity meter to avoid any risk of electrocution.
Secondly, make sure to protect all your furniture or household appliances that have not been damaged by water.
A major water leak or infiltration from one of your pipes or any other equipment requires the urgent intervention of a plumber who can effectively remedy an ongoing flood. In this case, you must pay this professional and then request reimbursement from your insurer according to the guarantees available to you.
It is also recommended in the event of water damage to quickly mop up the leaks and to dry the objects or parts of the rooms which have suffered this disaster as quickly as possible. Ventilating your house as much as possible also helps prevent humidity from settling in your home and mold from appearing afterwards. In winter, increase the temperature of your heating to help dry out your home.
Finally, in order to declare the water damage to your insurance, remember to take photos of the extent of the floods and of all your equipment that has been damaged by the water.
Once the first good reflexes have been adopted to contain your water damage as well as possible and avoid the harmful consequences in your home if it has occurred in your home, you must as soon as possible, in any case within 5 days follow the water damage, declare the loss to your insurance.
Note: water damage insurance is optional for owners who occupy their accommodation, but it is mandatory for renters.
Depending on the insurers, this declaration can be made simply by telephone, using an online form on your insurance website, or by sending a letter, preferably by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. It must usually be accompanied by a report provided by your insurance company, and must contain useful information for processing your file:your contact details, your insurance contract number, the date and time of the water damage, a precise description of the incident (nature, place, circumstance, cause of the leak, damage observed, etc.). For greater efficiency, it is recommended to also provide photos, invoices of the damaged equipment, or their guarantee certificate.
Please note, if the water damage that occurred in your home has caused damage in other apartments, in the common part of your building, or if it comes from another home, you must contact the persons concerned and complete with them an amicable report. This is not a mandatory form but it helps to speed up the processing of the compensation file by the insurance.
This document allows you to obtain important information for your procedures with your insurance and the processing of your file, such as in particular the references of the home insurance contract and the contact details of the insurers of the parties concerned. In this case, you must also send a copy of this joint report, and all the supporting documents, to the opposing insurance and to the people who caused or who suffered your water damage.
Depending on the extent of the damage caused by water damage (often when the damage is greater than 1,600 euros), insurance companies may request an expert to assess the damage and determine the exact cause of the water damage. In this case, it is advisable not to start repair work before the visit of the expert.
Following the declaration of water damage to the insurer and/or the expert, and depending on the guarantees covered, the insurance indemnities are generally paid within a short period of time, most often within one month following the declaration of the claim. .
