60-second summary
Just want the essentials? Here’s your quick guide to home insurance and wear and tear:
Wear and tear explained: Wear and tear refers to the natural deterioration of items over time, like threadbare carpets, aging roof tiles, or worn upholstery. It’s caused by regular use or poor upkeep.
Does home insurance cover wear and tear?: No, home insurance doesn’t cover wear and tear. It’s designed to protect against sudden and unexpected events, like fire or flooding, not gradual deterioration.
How wear and tear affects claims: Claims may be rejected or payouts reduced if the damage is linked to wear and tear. For example, storm damage to an already worn roof may result in a lower payout.
Wear and tear cover explained: It refers to indemnity cover, which accounts for an item’s depreciated value when calculating payouts. Alternatively, ‘new for old’ policies replace damaged items with brand-new equivalents but are more expensive.
How to reduce wear and tear: Try to keep gutters clear to prevent water damage, inspect your roof and replace loose tiles. You should also maintain appliances, clean furniture and vacuum carpets regularly to extend their lifespan.
What is wear and tear?
Wear and tear is a phrase used by insurance providers to describe objects wearing out over time, rather than being damaged unexpectedly. For example:
Sofa upholstery gradually developing holes or becoming threadbare
Carpets becoming worn or threadbare in well-trodden areas
Roof tiles becoming loose or cracked due to age and weather conditions.
Poor upkeep could contribute to wear and tear, as well as it happening naturally.
Is wear and tear covered by insurance?
No, unfortunately home insurance that covers wear and tear doesn’t really exist.
Home insurance is designed to pay out for damage caused by a sudden or unexpected event such as a flood or fire. It doesn’t cover items wearing out, breaking or failing because you haven’t maintained them properly or they’ve naturally degraded over time.
Check the exclusions on your policy – you’ll probably find wear and tear is listed there.
How can wear and tear affect my home insurance?
A claim will be rejected if your insurance provider considers that damage has been caused by wear and tear.
And even if the damage was caused by something covered by your home insurance, your payout might be reduced if what you’re claiming for was already damaged by wear and tear.
What is wear and tear cover?
There is an insurance term known as ‘wear and tear cover’, which can be misleading, as it sounds like insurance that might cover you for the natural deterioration of items over time.
However, it’s really just another name for what home insurance providers call indemnity cover. This is insurance that takes into account the depreciation of an item’s value at the time it was damaged, lost, or stolen. It means that your payout will reflect the item’s current value, which will of course often less than what you originally paid.
To reiterate, this is not the same thing as wear and tear home insurance. Indemnity cover does not mean you can claim for wear and tear itself; it’s just an indication of how much you’d receive if an item is damaged or lost.
The alternative to indemnity cover is new for old cover, which could cover the cost of buying brand-new items even if the ones damaged, lost or stolen were old. So, for example, if your five-year-old TV was ruined by a water leak, your payout would cover a brand-new equivalent. Not surprisingly, new for old policies are likely to be more expensive than indemnity policies.
Can I claim for damage to an item that’s also already suffered wear and tear?
Quite possibly. If an insured event, like a storm or a burst pipe, causes damage to an item that already shows signs of wear and tear, your insurance provider may still cover the damage. However, the payout could be reduced to account for the pre-existing wear and tear.
Imagine your roof has some loose tiles due to wear and tear. A storm then causes further damage, leading to a leak. While your insurance might cover the storm damage, they could reduce the payout because the roof was already in poor condition.
It's crucial to check your policy wording to understand how wear and tear might affect your claim and to confirm the specifics with your provider.
What should I do if I think my provider has rejected my claim unfairly?
The first thing to do is to contact your insurance provider and, if necessary, go through their complaints procedure. If you’re still not satisfied, you could contact the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Find out more about what to do if your home insurance claim is rejected.
How to avoid wear and tear
Keeping your home well-maintained could reduce the risk of damage from wear and tear. Here are a few tips:
Buildings wear and tear
Gutters: Keep your gutters clear of debris to avoid water damage.
Roof: Check your roof regularly and replace any loose tiles.
Pipes: Turn off the water supply if you go away to reduce the risk of flooding. Switch off outdoor taps in the winter to prevent freezing, and investigate all water leaks to find the cause.
Walls: Check your walls regularly and fill in any creaks that could let water seep through.
Windows: Check your windows and replace any rotting frames or flaking paint.
Contents wear and tear
Furniture: Use protective covers and regularly clean upholstery to prevent stains and wear.
Appliances: Ensure regular maintenance and servicing of appliances to extend their lifespan.
Carpets: Vacuum regularly and consider professional cleaning to maintain their condition.
Electronics: Keep electronics dust-free and ensure proper ventilation to avoid overheating.
Boiler: Get your boiler serviced regularly.
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