We are responsible under the terms of your lease for arranging the buildings insurance cover on your home. You are responsible for insuring your home contents.
It is important to have insurance, to protect against potential risks and damage. There are two types of insurance:
If you live in a building owned by Wandle, you are covered by our insurance.
If you live in a building which is not owned by Wandle, please contact your homeownership customer service officer for advice – the information on this page does not apply to you, as the freeholder will have their own building insurance.
Our insurance covers the structure of the building, fixtures and fittings in your home and the shared areas that we are responsible for maintaining. These are things you can’t take with you when you move such as window glass, doors, bathroom and kitchen fittings, pipes and ducts.
Your property is insured for the cost of rebuilding it. You contribute to the cost of the buildings insurance as part of your service charge. The rate we get is cheaper than you would be able to get as a single homeowner. The amount you pay is worked out based on the number of bedrooms you have.
Our insurance is placed with Arthur J Gallagher’s (the brokers), and the insurers are AXA Insurance UK PLC, policy number PPP7130352.
For leaseholders and shared owners:
For commercial properties:
Claims must be reported directly to Arthur J Gallagher’s on 01245 341 200. You are responsible for the repair, and you must tell Arthur J Gallagher’s about the claim as soon as possible to avoid the risk of AXA Insurance UK plc rejecting the claim due to late notification.
Call the Claims Department at Arthur J Gallagher on 01245 341 200 during office hours.
In the event of an incident out of hours, you should take whatever action is necessary to prevent further damage. You should contact Arthur J Gallagher’s as soon as possible the next working day.
If the damage is catastrophic – which means the cost is likely to exceed £5,000 or where the property can no longer be occupied – please contact the nominated Loss Adjuster on 01245 341 200.
Quote our policy number PPP7130352 and confirm that your property comes under our Wandle’s block insurance. In most cases, they will tell you over the phone whether the policy covers your claim.
In the event of any unforeseen emergency affecting your premises which causes damage or potential danger, Arthur J Gallagher’s nominated Loss Adjuster will arrange for a suitable repairer or contractor to visit as soon as possible to provide emergency assistance or to provide emergency repairs to be carried out to prevent further damage occurring. All costs of assistance provided are your responsibility, although please keep any receipts as they could form part of a valid claim.
If you make a claim, you need to pay an amount of money known as the excess. The excess in an insurance policy is the amount you need to pay towards any claim before the insurance company covers the rest.
The excess is £350 in respect of each and every loss increasing to £500 for escape of water from any tank, apparatus or pipe and £1,500 for subsidence.
In the case of damage due to theft or vandalism, you should report the matter to the police immediately and get a crime reference number.
Buildings insurance doesn’t cover wear and tear, general maintenance and poor workmanship. If you are away for more than 120 days at a time, theft, malicious and accidental damage, and escaping water are not covered.
Our insurance doesn’t cover your home contents such as your furniture, decorations, carpets and other personal possessions. You are responsible for taking out your own home contents insurance.
You need to insure your home contents, including any appliances we gave you when you moved in, like fridge or cooker, and all your personal belongings.
The National Housing Federation offers ‘My Home contents insurance’, an independent, affordable home contents insurance cover specifically designed for social housing tenants and leaseholders that can be paid in fortnightly or monthly instalments.
You can find out more about My Home by going to www.thistlemyhome.co.uk or calling 0345 450 7288.