Your floors are an important structural part of your home. Home insurance can cover damage to them in some situations. What happens if your cat or dog destroy them, perhaps with urine or due to stains tracked in from outside? In these situations, you can turn to your Affordable Insurance Group agent for policy clarification. Here is some information that can help you learn if you have coverage.
When Does Home Insurance Help With Pet Damage?
Let's say you come home and find that the dog was able to tear the carpeting or destroyed the wood flooring. No matter what your pet did, your coverage for your own pet's damage to your home is likely to have limitations. Most of the time, the damage your pet causes is not a type of covered peril. Even though your policy will cover damage to your personal property, it is not likely to cover damage created by your pet.
Now, if your pet broke away from you and damaged the neighbor's home, your home's liability insurance may provide coverage for the animal's damage. However, you might need to have coverage for pet liabilities included on the policy. Sometimes this may involve getting an endorsement.
When it comes to your own home, though, your pet's damage is unlikely to have coverage. That's because most insurers expect you to take responsibility for the risks you assume by buying a pet.
When Does Home Insurance Cover Flooring?
There are situations where your home insurance can cover damage to your floors. For example, if there is a flood caused by a broken hot water heater, your policy may help cover repairs to the flooring. If the flooring suffers damage due to a fire that your insurer covers, the claim may include repairs to the floor.
What happens if the neighbor's dog breaks into your home and causes damage to the flooring? In this situation, you may be able to file a claim against the neighbor's liability insurance. You may be able to file a claim with your insurance company or with the neighbor's liability insurance policy, depending on the situation.
What Should You Do If You Think You Have a Claim?
If your homeowners insurance policy does not offer the coverage you need for pet damage, you may have to pay for those costs out-of-pocket. If you believe your policy may offer some protection, contact your Affordable Insurance Group agent to inquire. Your agent can offer insight into the types of coverage you have. They can also answer any questions about additional coverage that may help to minimize future damage to your home no matter the cause.
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