Leaseholder insurance policy details
If you are a leaseholder in Wandsworth, you are covered by our buildings insurance, which is provided by Zurich Municipal.
The Council is the freeholder of the property and you cannot arrange your own buildings insurance.
- Insurer: Zurich Municipal
- Policy number: QLA-01E231-0433-12
- Inception date: 1 April 1993
Insurance documents
Insurance documents available to download:
Insurance schedule
If your bank, mortgage provider or solicitors need an insurance schedule, please email us on propertyaccounts@wandsworth.gov.uk or telephone 020 8871 7282.
Coverage details
For a claim to succeed under the policy, an insured peril must have operated and have been sudden and immediate. An insured peril is an event that causes loss, such as a fire, storm, flood or an escape of water from a fixed apparatus, such as a pipe or tank.
The summary of cover above provides a list of the insured perils. You should also read the document above that details the exclusions to the policy.
The policy is a comprehensive policy, with an insurer of repute, in line with the requirements of the lease.
Issues and items not covered
The following are not covered under the policy:
Contents
The policy only covers damage to internal decoration and/or fixtures and fittings, not the contents.
We strongly advise that you arrange your own contents insurance policy.
Stress and inconvenience
Stress and inconvenience is not covered under the policy and is not classified as a loss caused by the incident. This policy is in place to provide cover for the cost of damage caused to the interior decoration and fixtures/fitting of the property.
Loss of rent
Loss of rent is not covered under the policy, as it is a private financial contract that you have entered into with the sub-tenant, and the Freeholder had no financial or insurable interest in this. We strongly recommend that any leaseholder who sub-lets their properties has a lessor's/landlord liability insurance policy.
Keys
Replacement locks are not covered under the policy if you lose or misplace your keys. This cover is usually provided under your own contents insurance policy.
Maintenance issues such as leaks caused by roofs and guttering
Leaks that are caused by ongoing issues, for example a leaking roof or guttering will not be covered under the policy. This is because it is viewed as a slowly operating cause or lack of maintenance. If the loss or damage to your property is caused by a leaking roof you may wish to make a public liability claim.
Important additional information
Please note the following important details:
Unoccupied properties
If the property is unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days, the following insured perils would not be covered under the buildings insurance policy:
- Escape of water
- Theft or attempted theft
- Malicious damage
- Accidental damage of fixed glass/sanitaryware
A stipulation of the policy provided by Zurich Municipal is that reasonable precautions are taken to mitigate and minimise against any form of loss or damage.
If you leave your property empty for a long period of time (30+ days) it is advisable to have someone to manage your property.
A managing agent can pursue a buildings insurance claim on your behalf if you are away and you have given them a mandate to do so.
Sub-let properties
Please note that there are exclusions under the policy that relate to any properties that are sub-let. You should read the policy carefully to make sure that you are aware of these. A brief note of some of the considerations that you must make are listed below.
Tenants will not be provided with alternative accommodation if the property becomes uninhabitable. This is a private financial arrangement between leaseholder and tenant. Please also refer to the note above regarding loss of rent.
You are not covered if a tenant causes intentional damage (known as malicious damage) to your property. This is because the tenant was legally allowed on the property.
If your tenant does not inform you of an incident, your claim might not be considered by Zurich Municipal. This depends on the circumstances and timescales involved.
We strongly recommend that any leaseholder who sub-lets their properties has a lessor's/landlord liability insurance policy, as well as contents insurance.
Damage to another leaseholder's property
If you are unfortunate enough to have a pipe within your own property that bursts suddenly and immediately, for example, which causes damage to a neighbouring leasehold property, they will be able to make a claim themselves against the policy.
If the leaking pipe causes damage to their contents, then they should make a claim against their own contents insurance.
Damage to a Council tenanted property
If you cause damage to the contents of a tenanted property, the tenant should be able to claim on their own contents insurance policy if they have one.
If the tenant does not have contents insurance there is a possibility that the tenant can claim directly against you as the leaseholder, if the tenant can prove you have been negligent and the issue has been ongoing for a period of time.