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After water damage, first try to limit the damage, then notify your insurer promptly. Keep the evidence that will help you describe the incident and the affected belongings.
Make your home safe and stop the leak
First, try to determine whether the source of the damage is inside or outside your home. If the leak is in a household appliance or your home's water supply system, turn off the relevant tap or shut off the water at the meter. If it appears to come from another home, contact the neighbors concerned and ask them to shut off their water supply. Also take the necessary safety measures, for example by turning off the electricity to avoid the risk of electrocution.
Once the leak has been identified, have it repaired immediately to prevent the damage from getting worse. This emergency work does not prevent compensation. Keep the invoices and supporting documents for these repairs to send to the insurer or the loss adjuster.
However, wait for your insurer's approval before starting restoration work, particularly on paintwork, floors, ceilings or furniture. The insurer or their loss adjuster must be able to inspect the damage before permanent repairs are made. Work carried out before this inspection could result in reduced compensation or a refusal to cover the restoration costs.
When the source of the leak is hidden
When the source of the water damage is not apparent, a professional needs to be called in to locate the leak. The cost may be covered by insurance. The steps differ depending on whether or not the incident occurs in a jointly owned building.
Generally, you must find and pay the professional, then ask your insurer for reimbursement. In a jointly owned building, for an occupied privately owned unit, the occupant's insurer generally arranges the leak detection. However, the owner's insurer is responsible if the investigation work is likely to destroy the unit, if the occupant is uninsured or if the occupying tenant's notice period expires on the day of the incident. If the unit's owner is uninsured, the building's insurer arranges the investigation.
For an unoccupied privately owned unit, the owner's insurer is responsible for the investigation, or the building's insurer if the owner is uninsured. In the common areas, the building's insurer arranges the investigation. If the source of the leak is in a privately owned unit, the insurer of that unit's owner covers the cost of the investigation.
Prepare your water damage claim
Notify your insurer as soon as you become aware of the incident and no later than the deadline set in your policy, which is at least 5 working days. Contact your insurance company or the broker who manages your policy. Their contact details appear on the premium receipts or in the policy.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to report the claim by phone or at a branch; some insurers also offer an online option. Check your insurance company's website to see whether this is available. If you cannot report the claim online, Service Public recommends preferably sending a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. You may also send a copy to your insurance agent or broker.
To prepare this letter, gather the following information:
- Your contact details and insurance policy number.
- The nature of the incident, its date, time and location.
- A description of the damage and an estimated list of furniture and objects destroyed or damaged.
- Any damage caused to third parties and the contact details of the affected parties, if any.
- Steps already taken, such as calling in a plumber.
Keep evidence of the damage
Keep the affected objects, even if damaged, and gather anything that can identify the destroyed belongings: invoices, photos or warranty certificates. You can also obtain quotes for restoring the premises before the loss adjuster's visit. Wait until after their visit to start the restoration work.
Keep the supporting documents for emergency repairs for the insurer or loss adjuster. Distinguish this work to stop the leak from restoration work: the latter requires the insurer's approval before it is started.
Use a joint water damage report
The joint report is not mandatory, but it can speed up the handling of the claim. It records the location, circumstances and causes of the incident, the nature of the damage, the contact details of the people concerned and their insurers, and the steps already taken.
If you use this report, complete and sign it with the other people concerned, then send it to your insurer as soon as possible. If you are a tenant or the home is part of a jointly owned building, also send it to the owner or the property manager. You can also complete a report when no other party is involved. There is no official template: each insurer has its own.
Follow up on the claim without anticipating the decision
Water damage does not automatically result in an assessment: the insurer decides whether one is necessary. The loss adjuster's role is to assess the damage and determine the causes of the incident. If the insurer decides to arrange an assessment, they must notify you of the date and time of the visit.
Your policy defines the compensation procedure, including deadlines, deductibles and available recourse in the event of a disagreement. Also check your policy for damage that is not covered: insurers may exclude certain water-related risks. Water infiltration may be covered if it results from a sudden and accidental event; it is generally excluded when caused by a lack of maintenance or aging installations.
If the insurer agrees to compensate you, they will send you a letter stating their decision and the amount offered. If you dispute this amount or a refusal to pay compensation, you can respond to the insurer with your arguments and request a copy of the assessment report. If, after your request for a review, the insurer maintains their position, they must inform you that you can refer the matter to the Insurance Mediator. You may also decide to take the matter to court, before or after the Mediator's decision.
Special provisions concerning insurance policies apply in Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle. This guide provides general information: consult your policy and discuss your situation with your insurer.