Insurance claim for rental

Insurance claim for rental

Investor · Cary, NC · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 11 votes

I have a rental property (townhouse) that recently had some water damage. The faucet to the tub on the second floor broke when the tenant tried to shut off the water. It took her awhile to figure out where the main shut off was, but by that time the tub overflowed. The flooring/1st floor ceiling beneath it was damaged. Anyways, my insurance company is giving me a hard time saying 1) "there appears to be no cause of loss...believed to be normal wear and tear" and 2) that the HOA's insurance company should be the primary insurance filing the claim and they should be the second.

First of all, even if it's caused by normal wear and tear, there's still loss so shouldn't it be covered? And secondly, my understanding is that the HOA insurance company would only cover the exterior and my insurance would cover the interior, which my HOA company confirmed as well. But my insurance company is giving me a hard time on that as well and wants the HOA to file a claim.

Is this typical coverage you all have for your rental properties? I'm at a loss of what to do next. Do I need to upgrade my policy to a typical homeowners policy instead of a rental property policy?

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  • Realtor and Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    Without know ANYTHING about your HOA coverages, or your renters insurance policy, I would say that it sounds like you need to dive into your policy documents.

    Most (not all, but most) HOAs cover "Walls Out", meaning that the exterior of the unit.  Most homeowners policies then cover "Walls In" from drywall to finishes.

    Water claims may be something the HOA needs to address from the plumbing side of things if the plumbing runs through another unit, or repairs would be completed on the outside. However, anything internal should be your homeowner's insurance.

    Is it possible that the insurance company misunderstands you when you explain that an upstairs leak caused damage downstairs? Maybe they think the leak came from an upstairs unit...? In that case, there probably would be some HOA involvement.

    In any event, you could file a claim with both. When the HOA denies it, you would have that to show your insurance.

    Best of luck to you!

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