Ever seen ‘wear and tear’ in your home insurance documents and wondered what it means?
AXA are here to explain wear and tear, how to avoid it, and what you can and can’t claim for on your home insurance.
In this guide:
- What is wear and tear?
- Does my insurance cover wear and tear?
- What does good repair mean, and why is it important for my home insurance?
- How can I avoid wear and tear in my home?
- Does AXA cover me for wear and tear?
What is wear and tear?
Wear and tear describes damage that happens naturally over time. Think of a carpet wearing thin after years of being trodden on, or a wooden fence rotting away over time. Because they’ve broken or worn out from natural use, it’s classed as wear and tear.
Does my insurance cover wear and tear?
Most home insurance policies are designed to cover sudden and unexpected events – like fires, floods and theft. Home insurance doesn’t usually cover damage from wear and tear.
Most insurers require customers to keep on top of wear and tear around their home. In fact, it’s probably in the terms of your policy. If your home or its contents aren’t in good repair, you may find you can’t claim for as much as you’d expect, if at all.
If you’re an AXA Home Insurance customer, you’ll find full details about what is and isn’t covered in your policy documents.
What does good repair mean, and why is it important for my home insurance?
If you’ve got AXA home insurance, you might’ve seen the words ‘good repair’ in your policy wording. But what does it mean?
In short, good repair means keeping your home and its contents as damage-free as possible and safe for its intended use. You’ll need to keep on top of damage from wear and tear for your home to be considered in good repair. So that means fixing broken gutters, replacing cracked roof tiles, or taking your vacuum to a repairer when it stops working.
If you don’t keep your home well-maintained, or fix damaged possessions, your cover will be affected. This could mean you can’t claim for damage that was made worse by your home or possessions being in disrepair.
How can I avoid wear and tear in my home?
Damage from wear and tear isn’t entirely avoidable, but it is predictable. It’s important to keep on top of wear and tear around your home, for if you ever need to make a claim. So, here’s a bit more about what you can do:
- Keep gutters clear of debris
- Get your roof checked regularly and replace any loose tiles
- Check your walls regularly for any signs of cracks
- Fix any signs of damp and mould
- Replace your windows if frames start to rot or there is paint flaking
- Take bracelets, necklaces and watches for jewellery repairs if the clasp isn’t secure
- Have your boiler serviced regularly
- Call in a repairer to fix dishwashers and washing machines that aren’t working as they should
- Investigate all water leaks
Check out our tips and guides for more ways to keep your home in good repair.
Does AXA cover me for wear and tear?
AXA’s home insurance is designed to help you take care of your home through every stage of your life. But as with all home insurance policies, there are some things we can’t cover you for.
These include:
- General wear and tear from normal everyday use
- Mechanical or electrical break-down of items
- Damage that happened because your home isn’t in good repair.
Here’s a few common scenarios to give you an idea of what is (and isn’t) covered:
| Incident and damage caused | Is the claim covered? |
|---|---|
| You find mould under your bath and it’s come through to the ceiling in the room below. You submit a claim for escape of water but when the bathroom and ceiling is inspected, the damage was due to a gradual failure of the sealant and grout around the bath. | No – we wouldn’t cover this. The damage has been caused by gradual deterioration of the bath sealant and grout - not from a one-off escape of water incident. |
| You find your roof’s damaged in the wind and go to claim. But when inspected, the damage happened because a nail had corroded, causing the tiles to slip. While the wind highlighted the problem, the roof had been deteriorating over several years. | No - we wouldn’t cover this. The damage has been caused by gradual deterioration of the roof nails and tiles and wouldn’t have happened if the roof was in good repair. |
| You notice water leaking down from the ceiling all of a sudden. This is found to be caused by a leaking pipe, which had filled the ceiling void with water. | Yes – this would be covered. As soon as the leak was noticeable, the damaged was reported. |
For more information, please check your policy wording. You’ll find it in your online account.
