Flood insurance

If you’re renting, you don’t need to worry about buildings insurance – this is the responsibility of the landlord or whoever owns the freehold on the property.

However, you should consider taking out contents insurance to protect your own belongings from flood risk. If you own any especially expensive items like pricey jewelry or high end electronics, it may be a good idea to consider high value contents insurance too. This should help ensure you can replace those big ticket items if your home does flood.

Asking yourself how much contents insurance do I need? Try our handy guide for tips on taking out the perfect amount.

Flooding is one of the worst things you could experience in your home. But if you’re a victim of flooding, try not to panic. It’s best to keep a cool head so you deal with it in the best possible way.

You should report any damage caused by flooding to your insurer straightaway or as soon as possible, contacting them through their emergency claims line.

Try giving your insurer as much information as you can. If you have contents and buildings insurance in place, your belongings and the structure of your home should be covered for all or at least most types of flooding.

Depending on your policy, you may also have alternative accommodation cover in place, which could now prove extremely useful if your home has been made uninhabitable through flooding!

You should take photos of any damage, and be as meticulous in recording everything that relates to your claim as possible. You’re generally not meant to remove anything from your property that has anything to do with the claim until your insurer gives you the go-ahead.

Once you’ve registered your home insurance claim, you should also ask your insurer when they expect their loss adjuster to inspect your home – just so you’re aware.

You can find out if your home is in an area at risk of flooding by checking the relevant flood risk map online, according to where you live.

There are separate online flood risk maps for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If your home is prone to or at risk of flooding, there are some measures you can put in place to help minimise the damage:

• Doors: installing a flood-resistant front door can dramatically reduce the chances of water entering your home.
• Flood barriers: if flooding is imminent you can protect your doorways and windows with sand bags or barriers to reduce the risk of damage.
• Warnings: local authorities will typically give plenty of warnings when storms are likely to hit, giving you at least some time to prepare.
• Emergency kit: it's always a good idea to have an emergency pack at the ready to deal with bad weather situations. Include items such as: charged phone, torch, emergency phone numbers, matches and candles, food and water, and warm clothes.
• Store valuables upstairs: this includes any important documents such as passports and insurance documents.
• Pets: don't forget your furry friend during a flood or storm. Keep pets indoors and in a safe space.

A flood is generally viewed as being caused by an outside source, such as a river, stream, lake or tidal waters. Some insurers will also cover groundwater flooding, though not all.

Flood insurance does not cover flooding caused by burst pipes or escape of water, though these events may also be covered depending on the terms of your policy.

Coverage for damage caused by burst pipes or escape of water can vary from insurer to insurer, with some covering only the damage caused by a leak, and others also adding on trace and access insurance, which covers the cost of uncovering where the leak is coming from. 

When it’s time to renew your policy, as with any type of claim, the cost of your insurance is likely to rise if you’ve made a claim for flood damage.

You could also lose your home insurance no-claims discount and you might find you have to pay a larger excess on any claims.

Insurers’ approaches can differ when it comes to flood claims and excess. It’s a competitive market, so it should be worth shopping around at renewal to get the best price for your home insurance.

If you live in an area at high risk of flooding or you’ve claimed for flood damage in the past, it’s crucial to check that any home insurance quotes you are offered do actually include cover for flooding.

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of insurers will use the Flood Re scheme to take on eligible customers living in areas at high risk of flooding.

The scheme helps keep premiums down for those at risk of flooding as well as helping to ensure that home insurance is actually available to them.