In this article, we give you all the information and advice you need to ensure that your home is well protected in the event of water damage. You will know what is and is not covered in your housing contract in the event of a water leak.
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Water damage coverage may not cover certain damages:
The water damage warranty covers damage caused by a water leak originating in your home, which may also affect your neighbours' dwellings or the common areas of the condominium. Your contract must clearly state the exclusions of coverage.
In particular, damage caused by a water leak will not be covered if it is caused by:
- A lack of maintenance or a lack of repairs essential to the proper functioning of the installations or equipment.
If you are a tenant or owner-occupier, you are required to carry out routine maintenance of the rented accommodation and carry out minor repairs throughout the duration of the contract. This includes, for example, the essential maintenance of sanitary facilities, flush floats, replacement of sink or washbasin seals, unclogging of pipes, cleaning of limescale.
- Gross negligence on your part cannot exempt you from liability for the occurrence of the damage, such as misuse of household or sanitary equipment, in particular toilets.
If you are a non-occupying owner, the law requires that you provide the tenant with decent housing, in good condition and repair, including roofing, openings and joinery, pipes and plumbing.
Damage related to water damage to a dwelling in a poor state of use and repair or poorly maintained will therefore not be compensated.
Other damages may be excluded from the warranty, unless you have taken out a warranty option:
- Water infiltration via roofs, terraces and facades is often excluded from water damage coverage.
- Damage caused by backflow or blockage of underground pipes is generally not compensated, unless it is part of the public domain and is then insured by the water department.
- Excessive humidity or condensation.
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Add options to your contract to avoid costly repairs
Home insurance policies offer water damage coverage options that you are free to subscribe to, depending on the likelihood of these risks and your situation and needs. This may be the case, for example, if you own an aquarium.
The cases mentioned above, apart from gross negligence and lack of maintenance, may be subject to warranty options:
- infiltration and runoff through exterior buildings, roofs, terraces, balconies, verandas,
- infiltration and runoff from windows, skylights, ventilation ducts,
- water runoff from tiles and gaskets in sanitary facilities.
What is the Water Leak Detection Warranty?
Sometimes it is necessary to identify the source of the water leak. In the simplest cases, a plumber will find it without difficulty. However, finding the leak can sometimes require a destructive, cumbersome and expensive investigation, such as digging a trench or demolishing a wall.
The water leak detection coverage option of the home insurance policy can then cover the expenses incurred by this costly investigation.