FINDING TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION AFTER FLOODING

The first thing you will need to do when it’s safe to return to your home is contact your home insurance provider. They will probably arrange for a loss adjuster to contact you and possibly visit your property to assess the scale of the damage. In severe cases of flood damage, your loss adjuster may appoint a surveyor for additional perspective when assessing cost of repairs and developing a timetable for completion of work.

SEEK ADVICE FROM YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

When you first contact your insurer, you will need to ask what you should do if you need temporary accommodation. Depending on your cover and the damage done to your home, your insurer may agree that you should stay elsewhere until a loss adjuster can discuss more long-term solutions with you. This might mean staying in a hotel, with friends or family or in rented accommodation. If dealing with the flood event requires any expenditure on your part, you should always keep any receipts, including evidence of additional heating costs involved in drying the house out. A loss adjuster will be able to provide you with information about how long you can expect to wait before your home is reinstated. 

24 HOURS

The usual time it takes for a loss adjuster to get in contact with you is 24 hours, with an aim to visit your home (if necessary) within three days, but this may not be practical in the case of severe or widespread flooding. This is because there is likely to be an increased demand for loss adjusters’ services and there may also be difficulties accessing certain areas while transport links are re-established. Despite this, even in the most severe cases, your loss adjuster should get in touch with you no more than two days after you contact your insurer and should attend your property within seven days of the area becoming accessible.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Loss adjusters are experts at damage assessment, arranging alternative accommodation for extended periods, and planning the reinstatement of your home. Most building and contents policies with adequate flood protection will include some form of alternative accommodation provision; check your policy for any limits within this.

ARE YOU A TENANT?

If you live in rented accommodation, as well as contacting your home insurance provider if any of your belongings have been damaged in the flood, you need to contact your landlord/buildings manager to discuss what actions are being taken to repair any damage to the property or to re-house you if necessary. Alternative accommodation may be arranged by your landlord’s building insurance provider’s loss adjuster.