FAQs

Why are you asking this information now?

In recent times, a number of events have occurred which have impacted the insurance industry and the UK as a whole, including COVID, the sad events at Grenfell and changes to laws relating to landlords and tenants. It has highlighted the need to improve the information an insurer knows about you, so there are no surprises should you need to make a claim. As a result, many UK insurers have collectively decided to request additional information for Property Owners policies This isn’t just affecting us, but also the majority of brokers who sell Property Owner insurance in the UK.

Will my answers affect my insurance in the future?

The most important thing is making sure all your information is accurate, so there are no problems when it comes to a claim. By knowing more about you, it means we can get the right insurance for you, so you're covered correctly. This also means we can search out the best options for you on cost and cover

By finding out this information, some insurers, including your existing provider, may not be able to offer you cover moving forwards, but as a broker, we will have different providers available to make sure we do all we can to make sure you’re partnered with the right insurer who knows about you and your property/ies.

What happens if I don’t provide this information?

If you do not provide this information, it could lead to us being delayed in offering you a renewal invitation, or potentially not being able to provide you with a renewal quotation.

Where we cannot speak to you, we may need to make assumptions about certain information. Where this is the case, it is then your responsibility to ensure all the details are up to date and correct, as with any other information that we base your renewal invitation on each year. If details are incorrect, it could lead to claims being only partially settled, or not settled at all, so we really want to make sure as your broker we are doing all we can to make a claim experience as easy as possible, as you will have enough to worry about at that time.

What is meant by cladding?

Cladding is a type of "skin" or extra layer on the outside of a building which may be for cosmetic reasons, or for additional insulation or protection for sound proofing, or protection from wind and rain. It can be part of the structure, or as an extension to it. Typically, you will know from surveys and information at time of purchase if the building has cladding. The reason for asking this question is linked to the sad case of Grenfell and how the impact was worsened by the materials used. We will need to know what material your cladding is if you have it.

Why does it matter how my rent is paid?

Insurers have decided they would like to know this information as it gives an indication to how income is earnt. Typically, rent will be from the tenant directly. However, if you advise something else, it may highlight a different type of tenancy and we just need to double check who exactly is in the property as a tenant.

Why do I not get asked all these questions through other online providers?

Although some online providers may ask you a limited number of questions, they will typically use assumptions made about you and your property/ies and although answers to these questions may not be explicitly requested, the answers will ultimately be in your paperwork should you go on cover. As a broker, we want to know all we can about you and your property, so we make sure there are no surprises should a claim occur

What if I don’t know some of the information?

This is not a problem! If you aren’t sure of the accuracy of some or all the information, please give us a call on the telephone number on the correspondence you received from us, and we will discuss it with you, to make sure we have accurate information. We can’t tell you the answers, but we will be able to help you find out where you may be able to get the information. 

Jargon buster

Read our explanation of terms used in the questionaire.

Voided

If you have ever had an insurance cancelled back to the start date of the policy, so it would be as though cover has never existed. This might have happened if you had misinformed the insurer or broker about your circumstances or what you were trying to insure.

If so, we may need details around why.

CCJ

A County Court Judgement (CCJ) arises when someone is taken to court for non-payment or similar financial misdemeanour. The judgement forces the person to settle the outstanding balance, or an agreed settlement amount.

Not disclosing such an offence provide grounds for any new claim to be repudiated with no refund of premium.

The details needed would include when this occurred and the reason for the CCJ being imposed.

Type of property

A property could be residential (lived in) let, commercial (a business premises like a warehouse or office) let, or mixed use (such as a shop with a flat above it). We try to confirm this at least annually to ensure there are no changes.

Cladding

Cladding is a type of "skin" or extra layer on the outside of a building which may be for cosmetic reasons, or for additional insulation or protection for sound proofing, or protection from wind and rain. It can be part of the structure, or as an extension to it.

Flat roof

A flat roof is as the name suggests – where there is not a traditional pitched tile or slate roof. It can appear in different places and different materials, such as a black felt material on top of a garage extension, or a concrete commercial building.

Premises use and rent funded

Where the property is used as a residential let, we just want to confirm we understand on exactly what basis you let the property and how you receive the rent from that type of letting.