When to claim on home insurance
Before you file a claim, you should determine if it’s worth making by considering:
The cost of damage: Large-scale damage to the structure of your home, fittings or valuables can rack up a significant bill. In these cases, it is usually worth making a claim, but for minor mishaps, it’s often wiser to foot the bill yourself.
Your claims history: The biggest drawback of making a claim is losing your no-claims bonus. Insurers offer lower premiums to people with no claims history. Making a claim means you’ll lose that benefit, and your premium will likely increase.
Your excess: If the cost of the repair or replacement is only slightly higher than your excess, then there’s little benefit to making a claim. For example, if your excess is €350 and a repair costs €400, you’d only receive €50 in compensation.
How to make a home insurance compensation claim
Make the property safe: Deal with any immediate danger to your property. Contact emergency services if necessary.
Document all damage: Take photos and videos of all the affected areas. List all of your damaged belongings.
Check your policy: Confirm that the damage is covered by your insurance policy.
Contact your insurer: Most insurers expect to receive notice within days of the loss occurring, so act quickly.
Send evidence: You may need to send a copy of a police report, receipts for stolen items, repair estimates, or photos showing damage.
Arrange an inspection: For larger claims, your insurer may send a loss adjuster to assess the damage.
Start repairs: If you’re happy with your settlement amount, you can start repairs. Be sure to keep all receipts.
What information will I need to make a claim?
Your insurance provider is likely to ask you for:
- Your policy number
- Your personal details i.e. name, address, and date of birth
- Incident details
- Photos of the damage
- Your Garda reference number if applicable
Home insurance claim rejections
There’s no guarantee that your claim will be accepted. Your insurer might determine that your claim is invalid, leaving you to fund the repairs yourself.
Common reasons for claim rejections
The best way to avoid having your home insurance claim rejected is by understanding what the most common pitfalls are, and how they can be avoided.
Failing to report home upgrades
By failing to inform your insurer about significant home upgrades before attempting to make a claim, you run the risk of having your claim rejected outright.
Policy exclusions
Understanding what your policy does and doesn’t cover is crucial. Poor maintenance and general deterioration are usually not included.
Non-disclosure of facts
If you don’t disclose relevant information to your provider, such as your previous claims history or any criminal convictions, your claim may be rejected.
Failure to follow claims process
Not reporting your claim on time, failing to provide sufficient evidence, or starting repairs before getting approval from your insurer can lead to your claim being denied.
Common reasons for not receiving full compensation
In some cases, your claim won’t be rejected outright, but you will be offered partial compensation. This could be due to:
This is when your property or belongings are insured for less than their rebuild or replacement cost. If disaster strikes and you need to make a claim, your losses may not be sufficiently covered. By using tools like our rebuild cost calculator, you can get a more accurate estimate of your home’s value and its rebuild cost.
Your excess is the amount you pay towards a claim. Your insurer pays the balance. Claims below the excess amount cannot be made. A higher excess will give you a cheaper premium, but you will have to pay more if something goes wrong.
Insurers tend to set a limit on the amount you can claim on any one item, e.g. €1,000, unless you decide to insure it separately.
What to do if your claim is rejected?
If your claim is rejected, your insurer will contact you in writing to explain why it was denied. Read through your policy documents to determine if you think the decision was fair. If not, you can provide evidence to support your case, and the decision could be appealed.
Note: Your claim cannot be denied if you make a genuine mistake or give incomplete information on your application. If you provide fraudulent information, however, your policy can be cancelled outright. A short delay in reporting your claim also isn’t enough for your insurer to refuse compensation, provided they haven’t been disadvantaged.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can hire a public loss assessor to negotiate on your behalf. This will not be covered by your policy and you will have to arrange this yourself.
Most claims settle within 30 to 60 days. Larger or more complex claims tend to take longer. Submitting your documentation early is the best way to shorten the timeline.
Yes, your claims history will impact your premium but not all claims carry equal weight. Major claims like structural damage are more likely to push your premium up than smaller claims, like replacing a broken laptop, which tend to make little difference overall.
Your insurer might manage the repair or replacement themselves using approved suppliers or contractors. Alternatively, your insurer may offer you a cash settlement, which allows you to manage any repairs or replacements independently.
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