In home insurance, wear and tear means a gradual loss of condition caused by everyday use or age. Poor maintenance can also lead to damage, but insurers may treat it as a separate exclusion.
Wear and tear means the normal loss of condition that happens over time. It is usually caused by everyday use or age. Gradual exposure to normal conditions can also cause it. Poor maintenance can cause damage too, but insurers may treat it as a separate exclusion.
Examples can include worn carpets, old sealant, corroded pipes, weathered roof tiles or an appliance reaching the end of its useful life.
In home insurance, the policy terms set out what loss or damage is covered. Exclusions also apply. Cover does not usually pay for the normal cost of looking after a home or replacing something that has worn out. The Financial Ombudsman Service says everything will wear out over time. A home policy cannot protect against that.
Home insurance policies set out what they cover and what they exclude. Cover may include events such as fire, flood, storm, theft, subsidence, or escape of water, depending on the policy.
Wear and tear is usually an exclusion. This means the insurer may not pay to repair or replace something that has worn out through age or normal use. Lack of maintenance may be covered by a separate exclusion.
The ABI lists general wear and tear as a common buildings insurance exclusion. It also notes that lack of maintenance, mechanical or electrical breakdown, and restrictions for empty or let properties can affect cover.
MoneyHelper also explains that buildings insurance and contents insurance usually do not cover normal wear and tear. This can apply to both the structure of the property and items inside it.
Some claims are less clear. A storm, leak, or fire may cause sudden damage, but the insurer may also find signs of gradual damage or poor maintenance.
For example, if storm weather damages an old roof, the insurer may look at whether the storm was the main cause or whether the roof was already in poor condition.
The Financial Ombudsman Service guidance on gradual damage says insurers should look at the policy wording, the cause of the damage, and what the customer knew about the problem. Photos, reports, and repair records can all be important.
Accidental damage can give wider cover, but it does not mean every type of damage is covered.
The Financial Ombudsman Service says accidental damage cover may be included as standard or added for an extra premium. Even then, policies often still exclude wear and tear, gradual deterioration, defective workmanship, and deliberate acts.
This means a sudden accident may be covered, subject to the policy terms. But an item simply wearing out over time usually will not be.
Before you buy, renew, or claim, check your policy wording, insurance schedule, cover limits, excesses, and exclusions.
When you take out, renew or change consumer insurance, take reasonable care when answering the insurer’s questions. Section 2 of the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 sets out this duty. Wrong or incomplete answers can affect the policy or a later claim.
If you need to make an insurance claim, contact your insurer as soon as you can. The ABI’s claim guidance says you should keep claim details, take advice before arranging temporary repairs where possible, keep receipts, and avoid throwing damaged items away unless you need to for health reasons.
At Got You Covered, we arrange insurance through insurers. We may be able to help with home insurance and landlord insurance, including some non-standard homes and let properties.
Wear and tear is still a key limit to understand. Our landlord insurance guidance explains that routine maintenance and general wear and tear are not covered, because policies focus on unexpected events rather than gradual damage.
When we help arrange cover, we can talk through key benefits, limits, and exclusions. The cover available will depend on the property, the insurer, the information given, and the policy terms.
Wear and tear is the normal ageing or gradual decline of a home, fixture, fitting, or item.
Home insurance and landlord insurance can cover loss or damage within the policy terms. Exclusions apply. These policies do not pay for routine upkeep or repairs due to age or normal use. Poor maintenance may also be excluded.
Check your policy before you claim, keep your property in good repair, and ask if you are unsure how a wear and tear exclusion may apply.
