Flood damage liability
Question from Glenn updated on 17th October 2018:
The header tank in my rental property broke resulting in some damage to the property. During the flooding the tenant's radio and mobile were damaged along with quite a lot of food. The tenant was put up in a Holiday Park for the duration of the repairs (three nights), and also given a $120 gift card for a supermarket. But the tenant is claiming the ruined food came to much more than $120. They are also asking for their radio & mobile to be replaced. Who is responsible please for these items? The tenant has personal contents insurance.
Our expert Bernard Parker responded:
You cannot make an insurance claim against your policy for a tenant’s loss. The tenant is responsible for insuring their own goods. It appears that they have insurance cover on their possessions and so there should not be a problem in them claiming for their loss against their own policy.
Bernard is principal of Quinovic – Kapiti-Mana. Quinovic's outstanding people and systems provide the most professional, effective and reliable residential property management service in the NZ market for over 30 years.