8 Things That Can Put your Homeowners Insurance at Risk – On the House
Home   >   Education   >   8 Things That Can Put your Homeowners Insurance at Risk

8 Things That Can Put your Homeowners Insurance at Risk

By on February 28, 2016

Homeowners insurance is a necessity, and losing your policy unexpectedly will pile on a lot of stress you just don’t need. Read on to learn 8 things that can cause your insurance company to cancel or fail to renew your policy, including a few that may surprise you.

Cancellation vs Nonrenewal

Homeowners often use the word “cancellation” when they talk about losing their home insurance policy unexpectedly, but there’s a difference between cancellation and non-renewal.

Cancellation of a policy happens before the policy’s term has been completed. Cancellation can be sudden, and how much notice you receive depends on the regulations in your state. Your insurer can cancel your policy for any reason during the first 60 days of the policy; the most common reason for cancellation during this time is non-payment of premium. After you’ve had the policy for 60 days, your insurer can only cancel your policy for specific serious reasons such as non-payment, or fraud or misrepresentation in the information you gave them when you bought the policy.

Non-renewal of a policy happens at the end of the policy’s term. When the end of the term is approaching, your insurance company will notify you that they are either considering non-renewal unless you comply with certain conditions, or that they have decided not to renew your policy. With non-renewal, you have time to comply with any conditions your insurance company has given you, or to shop around for another policy.

home insurance

Here are 8 things that can trigger cancellation or non-renewal of your homeowners insurance:

  1. Large Claims

If you’ve made a large claim compared to the value of your home, especially if you caused the damage yourself, your insurance company may decide that you are too big of a risk and decline to renew your policy.

  1. Too Many Claims

Just like with a large claim, making too many claims during your policy’s term can send a red flag to your insurance company. While the occasional claim is to be expected, several claims within the same policy term can lead your insurer to decide that you’re too much of a risk.

  1. Poor Payment History

If you are frequently late with premium payments, or if your payments are very late, your insurance company can decide not to renew your policy or can even cancel your policy before the term is finished.

  1. Some Unexpected Risks

Most homeowners aren’t aware that more and more insurance companies are now doing curbside “spot-checks” to look for things that may pose a financial risk for them. You may not even know your home has been spot-checked until you get a letter from the insurance company telling you that you need to make changes or face non-renewal of your policy. Here are some of the risks that have caused homeowners to receive these letters, seemingly out of the blue. Some of these may surprise you:

  • Leaky roof
  • Swimming pool
  • Trampoline
  • Moss on the roof
  • Windowsills in disrepair
  • Bad rain gutters
  • New dog of an unapproved type (e.g. large or “dangerous” breed; check your policy before bringing home a new dog)
  1. Not Passing an Inspection

Some insurance companies will request a short inspection before they renew your policy. Common things that lead to nonrenewal after an inspection are the items in the list above, as well as:

  • Not meeting fire codes (e.g. dangerous conditions in the kitchen)
  • Bad pipes
  1. Criminal Charges that Indicate Risk

If you ever face criminal charges, your insurance company will find out about it. If the charges carry with them anything that hints that you may be an insurance risk, such as a citation for illegal burning, an assault charge, a charge involving your dog, etc., then your insurer may decide not to renew your policy.

  1. Leaving a Home Vacant for 60 Days

Most insurers will decide not to renew a policy on a home if they discover that it has been left vacant for 60 days.

  1. Giving Incorrect Information

If your insurance company discovers that you gave them incorrect information when you purchased the policy, such as giving the incorrect number of residents or not disclosing that you had a dog, you can face nonrenewal or cancellation of your policy.

Use these tips to avoid a surprise non-renewal letter, and  keep your home properly insured.

 

About onthehouse

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Pin It on Pinterest