Homeowners insurance: Push back if claim rejected as 'wear and tear' and you know it's not

If you have a bond, homeowners insurance is compulsory.

This covers damage caused by things like natural catastrophes, fire and accidents, consumer journo Wendy Knowler reminds us.

All your property’s fixtures should be included whether for example walls, roof, pool or fitted carpets.

This cover is there to protect you against loss as a property owner, but comes with its own pitfalls.

Knowler herself has received scores of complaints over the years from people whose homeowners insurance claims have been rejected by the particular insurer.

The two main reasons for rejection are failure to maintain the property (e.g. to get the roof checked) and wear and tear, which is a gradual deterioration of the fixture as opposed to an unexpected, uninsured event.

Thanks to Knowler's intervention in a recent case, Absa Insurance had to backtrack on its rejection of a claim.

The property owner's tenant reported that they found the bottom floor of the house flooded, which led to the discovery that the toilet cistern was cracked on both sides.

Absa’s insurance arm said this incident was not covered because it was due to a wear and tear issue, despite a plumber's assessment that the cistern was defective.

In the end, the insurer had to admit they'd closed the case before investigating it fully and that their initial conclusion had been incorrect.

Knowler's advice is to push back if your homeowners insurance claim is rejected as a wear and tear issue and you know that not to be the case.