Bad tenant left - house in mess. Now door kicked-in -> Insurance?

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Setanta12

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PRTB ruled in my favour and the tenant moved out - but this was entirely coincidental. I happened to discover tenant had moved furnishings (incl. dishwasher, washing machine etc) out and left the house in an awful state. Tenant owed no small amount but were in receipt of Rent Supplement i..e I will never see a red cent.

Estimated cost to put house right - EUR2,500 - EUR5,000 were two quotes I received.

Then last night the front door was kicked-in, and frame is damaged. Door had been screwed close as it was the best way to secure it. Estimated cost of new door - unknown but '00s.


Question - I have cheap house-insurance circa EUR230 for rental property - is it worthwhile making a complaint to the Guards and then claiming off the insurance?
 
What kind of insurance did you have ? Did you make it clear you had it rented out ? Who kicked the door in ? If it was vandals then I presume you can claim that part of it at the very least.
 
Usual buy-to-let house insurance. Tenant appeared to have left Thu/Fri - I viewed house and took possession and secured it Saturday. PRTB window-of-appeal had expired with tenants to have vacated premises early December.

Likely relatives of the tenants. Some small effects were left, and binned by us. (In mitigation, they had taken dishwasher, washing-machine, kitchen table, floor-lino (!) etc;)

(no appeal or even acknowledgement of proceedings lodged)
 
Yep .. (There is no disputing this because the house was secure when I took possession of it. All personal effects (bed-clothes/toiletries/food-stuffs) were already removed.
 
I don't think any insurance will pay for this. You should ring them and ask. You have my sympathies, they are some piece of work. Did you have a good deposit? I guess if it's a PRTB case that's a moot point and you're out of pocket a years rent. Actually how long did the case take?

1. If you have not written off the white goods over 8 years you can write the remaining balance now
2. Then you start again with the new white goods
3. Get references, I pity their next landlord
4. Big deposit needed next time
5. Don't let it put you off all social welfare tenants, and make sure their rent is stopped with the social welfare office
6. Take pictures, just in case they take a case against you
7. This is hard, but be glad they are gone and hope this is the very worst that can happen to you and move on from it.
8. Make sure you tell the utilities they've gone, no doubt they will not be paid either and they are very strict nowadays so get them in your name asap so you don't get cut off.
 
Hi Bronte. Afraid to ring and ask as a declined claim this time might be held against me when it comes time to renew !

Reaching out to anyone with concrete experience in making insurance claims on the insurance ... ...
 
Will be doing that anyway, and would be required as a precursor for claiming off the insurance.
 
I've made three insurance claims, but nothing to do with tenants really.

1. Frozen pipes burst when tenants went home for Xmas, that's a very long time ago now. Loss adjuster brilliant.
2. Chimney fire caused crack, insurance companies much more difficult to deal with, not happy with outcome but not a mega deal
3. Storm three years or so ago and the whole street nearly lost their roofs, very tough negotiations, but my builder know exactly how to fight it, got a brand new roof so delighted as it was pretty old anyway.

Ringing up isn't making a claim. As far as I know they are not allowed Jack up the premiums if you make a claim, and it didn't happen to me. As an ex pat my insurance is costly, little choice, with Alliance. Tell me about free completion in Europe.
 
So to claim off the insurance for this theft and vandalism, you would have to make a complaint to the Garda, in doing so, there is a pretty good chance, your previous tenant will be in the mix some where there.
You need to be in a position to go all the way if they link tenants to the vandalism and theft.

Just on the PRTB side, how long did it take from your first contact with them, until their decision. And secondly, did they make a difference?
 
Setanta12 said:
I happened to discover tenant had moved furnishings (incl. dishwasher, washing machine etc) out and left the house in an awful state. Tenant owed no small amount but were in receipt of Rent Supplement i..e I will never see a red cent.

Estimated cost to put house right - EUR2,500 - EUR5,000 were two quotes I received.
Click to expand...

It's no wonder people are so reluctant to let to tennants in receipt of rent suupplement. Stories like this do nothing to help their cause. Horrid people to loot your house in this manner. I hope you are successful in claiming off your insurance although bear in mind your premium may rise significantly next year as a result.
 
[QUOTE="Bronte, post:

Ringing up isn't making a claim. .[/QUOTE]

There wad a recent thread about this where somebody rang their insurance Co and it was thereafter treated as a claim even though no claim was made.
 
I have zero problem making a compliant to the Gardai, and will be doing so.

PRTB, if you know to expect nothing really from them, anything then is a bonus - then in that case I was happy.

My tenants never turned up to, or acknowledged the hearing(s); one was re-arranged at short notice due to my work commitments. They cna only have these hearings in certain centres - so mine was 110km from where I live but also circa 60km from the actual property - hardly convenient for anyone. Even the adjudicator had to travel the 110km!

Adjudicator was fine. Mine was a real complaint, long in time and it could be seen I'd made efforts to fairly resolve it time-and-time again - resorting to the PRTB was easily seen as the last straw. I went in with almost sample figures of arrears e.g. by X date (a date some months previous to date of hearing) I was owed Y EUR. They increased the amount I was owed - although there was informal recognition by the adjudicator that it might as well have been arrears of Millions EUR for all the good it would do me chasing after their social-welfare in court.

When the appeals-window went uncontested, I checked to see if the PRTB could fight my case and was given a form to fill out setting out my financial circumstances - faiur enough, I guess. They can't fight everyone's case. Upon enquiry, I was told that people were looking to the PRTB to take tenants to court for EUR150 in arrears !!!!!

I also asked .. what happenns to the individuals. Well, Joe Bloggs is now listed on the PRTB website with an Determination Order set against them. Caveat Emptor / future landlord beware ! I asked could the last three digits of Joe's PPS number be tagged into the website in order that future prospective landlords may identify my Joe Bloggs against other Joe Bloggs - - bear in mind, the disclosure of the final three digits is hardly a full seven-digit number but was told that was against Data Protection! If my Joe Bloggs rents another property - they will not chase him for the arrears, nor will they tell me when he rents elsewhere. They would however, if I give the PRTB Joe's name and an address, confirm that they were the one-and-the-same! This, as you can see, is very unlikely - my Joe is hardly likely to advertise where he is now living !


moneybox said:
[QUOTE="Bronte, post:

Ringing up isn't making a claim. .
Click to expand...

There wad a recent thread about this where somebody rang their insurance Co and it was thereafter treated as a claim even though no claim was made.[/QUOTE]

That was what I'm afraid of. I'm also concerned about would my claim stand-up if I cannot prove my tenants were in possession of the house when the damage was done. I also have to check my de-minimis amounts for claiming too.
 
What bearing will the Determination Order have Joe Bloggs in future tenancy? I could be wrong, but I would say its zero.. and Joe knows he can cause as much financial hardship as he likes, without having to be held accountable. Its for this reason I find it hard to say anything good about a toothless organisation that can only get its power and mite into one side of the dispute, ie: the landlord.
Whats to stop me or anyone else from inheriting these nice people!! There are only so many checks you can do without breaching "Data Protection". That word is thrown around like confetti at a wedding so as to shirk and avoid responsibility.

I also heard, that when you call to inquire about making a claim on your policy, by merit of the fact you are taking up the time of the company representative, it is logged as a claim whether you proceed on not.. sneaky if it is the case.
 
Insurance Policies do not cover damage caused by anyone legally entitled to be on the premises. Malicious Damage is the section that would best fit the OP's situation and tenant damage, as they are legally entitled to be on the premises, will not therefore be covered.

Theft usually requires force of entry to be shown so again difficult to get across the line with an insurance company when a tenant takes something when they have a key.

Sounds like one for the PRTB or Gardai but I would doubt you will ever get anything out of it.
 
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