• Seven home insurance claims are made every day due to water damage caused by leaks from neighbours’ properties
• 24,000 escape of water claims have been made by people living in flats since 2018, with the value exceeding £35 million
• Scotland is the worst affected area and accounts for nearly half (49 per cent) of all claims relating to water damage caused by a neighbour

 

New research¹ from Direct Line Home Insurance reveals almost a quarter (23 per cent) of all home insurance claims for escape of water in flats since 2018 are for damage either caused by water leaking into, or from, a neighbouring property.

Of the 24,000 escape of water insurance claims made over this timeframe, some 5,500 claims were for damage caused by or inflicted on neighbouring properties. This means seven such home insurance claims are made every day, with the damage equating to £2.8 million per year.

These claims are often not the fault of the resident. The majority (80 per cent) of cases involving damage to or from a neighbouring property are due to issues caused by an adjacent flat. These escape of water claims in flats are often caused by problems such as burst pipes and leaks from household appliances and cost an estimated £15.5 million to resolve.

Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “Discovering a leak in your home whatever the circumstances can be very stressful and often involves a visit from a plumber. If the leak has not been caused by anything in your own home, but from a neighbour’s then the situation becomes even more stressful. If this is the case, contact your neighbour immediately and ask them to turn off their water supply and fix the leak. If they are not home and you are worried about serious damage to your property, contact the police as only they are able to enter a property without permission, do not try and enter the property yourself.”

Regional findings

On a regional level, Scotland is the worst affected area, accounting for nearly half (49 per cent) of all claims relating to water damage caused by a neighbour, followed by London (22 per cent) and the South East (seven per cent).

In Scotland, escape of water affects a neighbouring property at a rate of eight incidents for every 1,000 flats each year. The South West is second, with 4.1 per 1,000 incidents across its 157,000 flat owners, while Northern Ireland (three per 1,000) is third.

Overall, London has the highest number of flat-owning residents, with 1.8 million people accounting for nearly two fifths (38 per cent) of the UK total. This is followed by the South East (628,000) and Scotland (523,000), while Northern Ireland (26,000) has the lowest number.

Table one: Regional breakdown of escape of water claims caused by neighbours 

Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2020

Dan Simson continued: “Anyone who has dealt with a serious leak, especially out of hours, will know how expensive an emergency plumber can be. That is why Direct Line Home Plus customers have access to an emergency plumber within three hours of giving us a call about their escape of water issue.

“It is vital to know what your insurance policy covers you for when it comes to accidentally damaging another property, especially if living in a flat. If customers accidentally cause damage to another property, Direct Line Buildings Insurance includes property owner’s liability cover for accidental damage or damage to a third-party property.”

For more information on home insurance from Direct Line please visit https://www.directline.com/home-cover

ENDS

Notes to Editors

 

¹         Analysis of Direct Line claims data from 1^st January 2018 to 31^st March 2020. All data extrapolated based on Direct Line’s market share to cover the entire UK market. Analysis covers only claims made by inhabitants in flats.

 

For further information please contact:

Claire Jarrett
PR manager (Home & Life)

Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651 832 411

Email: [email protected]

Samantha Stewart

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

[email protected]

0207 025 6497

 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/home-cover