Home Insurance Policy booklet All you need to know - Nationwide Building Society
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Home Insurance
Policy booklet
All you need to knowContents
Welcome to Nationwide Home Insurance Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional)
Hints and tips 3 Your cover 22
If you claim 25
Summary of policy limits 4
Special conditions 27
Policy conditions Exclusions 27
Important information 5
Section 5 Home Emergency (Optional)
How to claim 6
Your cover 28
This policy doesn’t cover 7
If you claim 29
Section 1 Buildings Special conditions 30
A Core cover 8 Exclusions 30
B Additional cover 9
Other policy conditions
C Accidental damage (Optional) 10
Claims conditions 32
D Property owner’s liability 11
General conditions 33
If you claim 12
Losses not covered 35
Section 2 Contents
Policy definitions 36
A Core cover 13
B Additional cover 14 How to complain 39
C Accidental damage (Optional) 16
Everything else
D Personal liability 17
Our regulators 40
E Employer’s liability 18
Fixed Sum Credit Agreement 40
F Tenant’s liability 18
Nationwide Home Insurance Privacy Notice 41
If you claim 19
Section 3 Personal Possessions (Optional)
A Core cover 20
B Additional cover 20
If you claim 21
Page 2Welcome to Nationwide Home Insurance
Thank you for insuring your home with Nationwide Home Insurance, which is
underwritten by U K Insurance Limited. We are determined to provide you with
outstanding customer service at all times and to make insuring with us as easy and
trouble-free as possible.
This policy booklet provides all the details you need to know about your insurance policy.
Please read this alongside your schedule and home proposal confirmation.
We hope that you will insure with us for many years to come.
Hints and tips
Claim phone numbers > see the back cover
What you need to do if you make a claim > see page 6
List of defined words > see page 36
Leaks and burst pipes > see page 8
Conditions of the policy > see page 32
Changes to the policy you should tell us about > see page 33
If your bike is stolen > see page 20
Cover for your children in lodgings at school/university > see page 15
If your set or suite is damaged > see page 19
What is not covered that applies to the whole policy > see page 7 and 35
Page 3Summary of policy limits The following is a summary of the main policy limits. You should read the rest of this policy for the full terms and conditions. Buildings (if selected) Alternative accommodation and rent £50,000 Trace and access £10,000 Property owner’s liability £5,000,000 Contents (if selected) Valuables inner limit 30% of Contents sum insured Valuables single item limit £4,000 Alternative accommodation and storage £30,000 Theft from outbuildings £5,000 Contents outside £6,000 Garden plants £2,500 per claim, £500 per plant Money in the home £1,000 Contents at university, college or boarding school £10,000 Contents temporarily away from your home £10,000 Digital content £3,000 Business Equipment £10,000 Guests belongings £1,000 Birth of a child, religious festivals and 10% of Contents sum insured weddings or civil partnerships Tenants liability £10,000 Employers liability £10,000,000 Personal liability £5,000,000 Personal Possessions Optional with Contents Single item limit £4,000 Pedal cycles (per bicycle) £1,000 Money £1,000 Legal Expenses Optional Legal costs and expenses £50,000 Home Emergency Optional Emergency call out £500 Page 4
Policy conditions
Policy conditions
Important Information
Your home insurance contract is made up of Meeting your needs
• these policy conditions We have not given you a personal recommendation as
• your schedule to whether the policy is suitable for your needs.
• your proposal confirmation.
The law that applies
What you need to do Under European law, you and we may choose which
• Please read this policy booklet and your schedule to law will apply to this contract. English law will apply
make sure you know exactly what your insurance unless both parties agree otherwise.
covers. We have supplied this Agreement and other
• Check your proposal confirmation and your information to you in English and we will continue to
schedule, which sets out the information you have communicate with you in English.
given us, carefully.
• If you think there is a mistake, or if you need to
make changes, you should tell us immediately.
• If you don’t give us correct information, or if you
don’t tell us about any changes:
–– your policy may be invalidated
–– we may reject your claim
–– we may not pay your claim in full.
Page 5Policy conditions continued
How to claim
Buildings, contents or personal possessions Other Helplines
0800 051 0216 0800 464 3131
If you need to claim: Counselling
• call the home insurance claims number as soon as Use this service for confidential counselling over
possible the phone. Qualified and experienced counsellors
• don’t make any arrangements for replacement or can listen and guide you on a range of emotional
repair before you call issues including marital and relationship problems,
• when you call we’ll ask for: bereavement, stress and anxiety.
–– your policy number
–– information about the extent of the loss or Tax Advice
damage Use this service for confidential advice over the phone
–– your crime or loss reference number (if relevant). on personal tax matters. Specialists can give you
information and advice on personal tax problems
Legal Assistance Helpline and the tax implications of a range of subjects such
0800 464 3026 as investments, property, trusts, inheritance and
pensions.
We’re open 24 hours, 365 days a year.
Health and Medical Advice
Home Emergencies – Section 5 This service can provide you with information over the
0800 464 3025 phone on general health issues, and non diagnostic
We’re open 24 hours, 365 days a year. advice on medical matters. Advice can be given on
allergies, the side effects of drugs and how to improve
overall health. Information is available on all health
services including NHS dentists.
All these services are provided by DAS Legal Expenses
Insurance Company Limited. To help them check
and improve their service standards, they record
all inbound and outbound calls, except those to the
counselling service.
Page 6Policy conditions
This policy doesn’t cover
✘✘ Just like most insurers we don’t cover:
• Wear and tear
• Maintenance and routine decoration
• Reduction in value.
• Damage caused by rot, fungus, woodworm,
beetles, moths, insects or vermin.
• The cost of repairing or replacing any item
following a mechanical or electrical fault or
breakdown, or where it has failed or stopped
working despite there being no apparent
damage (note this does not apply to Section 5
Home Emergency).
• Damage caused by cleaning, dyeing, renovating,
altering, re-styling, repairing or restoring an item.
• Any damage caused gradually that you ought to
have been aware of and that it was reasonable
for you to have prevented.
• Faulty workmanship, faulty design or the use of
faulty materials.
• Items held or used for business purposes except
those listed as business equipment in the
definitions.
• Any drop in the market value of your home
caused by rebuilding or repairing damage to
your buildings.
• Any loss, damage or legal liability caused, or
allowed to be caused, by the deliberate, willful
or malicious act of you or any paying guest or
tenant.
• Any loss, damage or legal liability resulting from
the illegal acts of you or any paying guest or
tenant
Page 7Section 1 Buildings
! Defined words appear in bold – see page 36 for definitions. Your schedule will show if you have this cover.
A Core cover
Your buildings are covered for loss or ✔✔Theft or attempted theft
damage caused by ✘✘ We don’t cover:
• damage caused by paying guests or tenants
✔✔Storm or flood • loss or damage when it has been more than
✘✘ We don’t cover: 60 days since you last slept at your home on a
• damage to fences, gates or hedges regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
• damage from frost. visits or stays).
✔✔Water or oil escaping from fixed water or ✔✔Fire, explosion, lightning, earthquake and
heating systems smoke
We also cover water or oil escaping from: ✔✔Being hit by vehicles, aircraft, flying objects
• underground drains and pipes and animals
• domestic appliances
We also cover damage from anything that drops
• storage tanks. from an aircraft or flying object.
✘✘ We don’t cover:
• subsidence, heave or landslip damage caused ✔✔Subsidence or heave of the site on which
by escaping water or oil under this section. your home stands, or landslip
However, you may have cover under the section This includes cover for:
‘Subsidence or heave of the site on which your • solid floor slabs, but only if your home’s
home stands, or landslip’ below foundations are damaged at the same time and
• tanks, pipes (other than burst pipes – see Trace by the same cause
and Access section below), appliances or heating • outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, patios,
systems themselves terraces, service tanks, drains, septic tanks, pipes
• costs to remove and replace any part of the and cables, central heating fuel storage tanks,
buildings to find and repair the source of any drives, footpaths, garden walls, hedges, gates or
water or oil leaks. However, you may have cover fences – but only if your home is damaged at the
under the Trace and Access section below same time and by the same cause.
• loss or damage when it has been more than ✘✘ We don’t cover damage from:
60 days since you last slept at your home on a • normal bedding down of new structures or
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional shrinkage
visits or stays).
• settling of newly made up ground
✔✔Trace and Access • coastal or river erosion
We will also pay up to £10,000 to remove and • demolition or structural repairs or alterations to
replace any part of the buildings to: your buildings.
• find the source of any water escaping from tanks, ✔✔Vandalism or malicious acts
pipes, appliances or fixed heating systems, and
✘✘ We don’t cover:
• repair any burst pipes.
• damage caused by paying guests or tenants
✘✘ We don’t cover:
• loss or damage when it has been more than
• tanks, pipes (other than burst pipes), appliances 60 days since you last slept at your home on a
or heating systems themselves. regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
Page 8Section 1 Buildings
B Additional cover
✔✔Falling trees or branches You’re covered for
✘✘ We don’t cover damage to fences, gates or hedges.
✔✔Service pipes and cables
✔✔Falling TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite We will pay for physical damage to underground
dishes and their fittings drains, pipes, cables and tanks which you are legally
Please note: responsible for and which provide services to or
• if you have our Buildings cover, your buildings from your home.
are covered for loss or damage caused by falling ✘✘ We won’t pay for loss or damage when it has been
TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite dishes and their more than 60 days since you last slept at your
fittings. But our buildings cover does not cover home on a regular basis (which doesn’t include
damage to TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite occasional visits or stays).
dishes and their fittings themselves
• if you have our Contents cover, this covers ✔✔Loss of keys
damage to your TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite We will pay to replace and fit locks:
dishes and their fittings themselves (see Section 2). • on the outside doors of your home; or
• to any safe or alarm system in your home
✔✔Frost damage to water pipes and tanks
if the keys have been lost or stolen.
✘✘ We don’t cover:
• water pipes or tanks that are outside ✔✔Emergency entry to buildings and gardens
• water pipes or tanks in outbuildings We will pay for loss of or damage to your buildings
• loss or damage when it has been more than or garden landscaping caused by the fire brigade,
60 days since you last slept at your home on a police or ambulance service making a forced entry
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional because of an emergency involving you.
visits or stays).
✔✔Alternative accommodation, kennel fees and
✔✔Riot, civil unrest, labour disputes or political lost rent
disturbance We will pay up to £50,000, in total, for comparable
alternative accommodation for you and kennel fees
✔✔Weight of snow for your pets if:
This includes cover for garages and outbuildings, • your home, or part of your home, is not fit to be
but only if they: lived in while your home is being repaired, due
• are built of brick, stone or concrete, and to a valid claim you have made under Section 1.
• have a tile or slate roof. • your home is occupied by squatters.
✘✘ We don’t cover damage to fences, gates and If you rent out your property, we will pay up to
hedges. £50,000 for lost rent.
Page 9Section 1 Buildings continued
B Additional cover contd C Accidental damage
✔✔Clearance costs
This cover is optional
We will pay the costs of clearing the site and
making it safe if we need to before repairing or
rebuilding the buildings after damage covered You’re covered for
under Section 1.
✔✔Accidental damage to the buildings.
✔✔Professional fees
Accidental damage is sudden and unintentional
We will pay fees for chartered architects, surveyors, physical damage that happens unexpectedly.
suitably qualified consultants and legal fees
necessary for us to rebuild your home.
✘✘ We won’t pay any fees for preparing your claim.
You’re not covered for
✘✘ We won’t pay for:
✔✔Government or local authority requirements
• damage caused by any paying guest or tenants
We will pay any additional costs for rebuilding or
• damage by a cause listed in or specifically
repairing the buildings, after damage covered
excluded by Section 1A
under Section 1, to ensure the repaired or rebuilt
buildings meet current government or local • loss or damage when it has been more than
authority requirements. 60 days since you last slept at your home on a
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
✘✘ We won’t pay if you were told about the visits or stays).
requirement before the damage happened.
✔✔The time between exchange and completion
when selling your home
We will cover the buyer of your home under
Section 1 until the sale completes, as long as the
property isn’t insured under any other policy.
✔✔Glass and sanitary fittings
We will pay for accidental breakage of fixed glass in
windows, doors or roofs, fixed ceramic hobs, sinks
and bathroom fittings in your home.
✘✘ We won’t pay for:
• breakages caused by any paying guest or tenant
• loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
Page 10Section 1 Buildings
D Property owner’s liability
You’re covered for You’re not covered for
✔✔Property owner’s liability ✘✘ Damages resulting from claims made against you
We will pay up to £5,000,000 to cover your legal for:
liability for damages you have to pay if someone • death or illness of or bodily injury to you or your
makes a claim against you for: domestic staff.
• accidental death or illness of, or bodily injury to, • damage to property belonging to or in the
any person custody or control of you or your domestic staff
• accidental loss of or damage to property. • death, illness, injury, loss or damage caused by
any business
This will also include costs, expenses and legal fees
for defending you, if we have agreed this in writing • any liability created by an agreement, unless you
beforehand. would have had that liability anyway.
• any incident that happens outside the period of
We will pay if insurance.
The death, illness, bodily injury, loss or damage
must be caused solely by you, either:
• as owner of your current home, or
• by defective work carried out by you or on your
behalf to any private residence within the United
Kingdom that you used to own
Any liability that arises solely from you occupying
your home, but not as owner of the property, is not
covered under this section. However if you have our
Contents cover, this covers liabilities arising from
you occupying your home.
Previous homes
If the claim is for a home you used to own and live
in:
• you must not be covered by any other insurance,
and
• you must no longer have any interest in that
property.
Page 11Section 1 Buildings continued
If you claim
How we settle claims Your excess
You will have to pay any excesses shown in your
If the buildings are damaged by any of the causes schedule. This includes the specific excesses for:
listed in Section 1, we will choose whether to:
• subsidence, heave or landslip
• manage and pay for repairing or rebuilding the
• escape of water.
damaged part using our own suppliers
• pay to repair or rebuild the damaged part using We will only take off one excess for each claim,
your suppliers, or unless there is an endorsement shown in your policy
schedule to say otherwise.
• make a cash payment
If we have asked a supplier to deal with all or part of
We won’t pay more than the amount it would have
your claim, we may ask them to collect the excess
cost us to repair or rebuild the damaged part using
from you.
our own suppliers.
If the damage to the buildings isn’t repaired or rebuilt, Our guarantee
we may pay the difference between the market value We guarantee any work carried out by our suppliers
of your property immediately before the damage and for 12 months. We don’t provide any guarantee for
its value after the damage. work carried out by a supplier chosen and instructed
We may take off an amount for wear and tear if the by you.
buildings were not in a good state of repair at the time
of the damage. Reducing your sum insured
We will not reduce the sum insured after paying a
How much we will pay claim.
The most we will pay for any claim will be:
• the total sum insured shown on your schedule or
the full rebuild cost of your buildings, whichever is
What we don’t pay for
less, plus ✘✘ We won’t pay:
• any amounts due under the following parts of • to alter or restore any undamaged part of the
Section 1B: buildings
–– Alternative accommodation, kennel fees and lost • to replace or alter any undamaged items solely
rent because they are part of a set, suite, group or
–– Clearance costs collection, unless they are part of a bathroom
–– Professional fees suite or fitted kitchen and the damaged parts
–– Government or local authority requirements. can’t be repaired or replaced.
If the sum insured isn’t enough to cover the cost to
rebuild your buildings, we will reduce any payment in
line with the premium shortfall.
For example, if your premium was 75% of what it
would have been if the sum insured was enough to
rebuild your buildings, we will pay no more than 75%
of your claim.
Page 12Section 2 Contents
Section 2 Contents
! Defined words appear in bold – see page 36 for definitions. Your schedule will show if you have this cover.
A Core cover
The contents in your home are covered ✔✔Fire, explosion, lightning, earthquake and
for damage caused by smoke
✔✔Storm or flood ✔✔Being hit by vehicles, aircraft, flying objects
and animals
✔✔Water or oil escaping from fixed water or We also cover damage from anything that drops
heating systems from an aircraft or flying object.
We also cover water or oil escaping from:
✔✔Subsidence or heave of the site on which
• underground drains and pipes
your home stands, or landslip
• domestic appliances
• storage tanks. ✘✘ We don’t cover loss or damage caused by:
• normal bedding down of new structures or
✘✘ We don’t cover:
shrinkage
• subsidence, heave or landslip damage caused
• settling of newly made up ground
by escaping water or oil under this section.
However, you may have cover under the section • coastal or river erosion
‘Subsidence or heave of the site on which your • demolition or structural repairs or changes to
home stands, or landslip’ below your home.
• tanks, pipes, appliances or heating systems
✔✔Vandalism or malicious acts
themselves
• loss or damage when it has been more than ✘✘ We don’t cover:
60 days since you last slept at your home on a • loss or damage caused by paying guests or
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional tenants
visits or stays). • loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
✔✔Theft or attempted theft from your home regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
✘✘ We don’t cover: visits or stays).
• loss by deception, unless the only deception used
✔✔Falling trees or branches
is to get into your home
• loss of money unless force or violence is used to ✔✔Falling TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite
get into or out of your home dishes and their fittings
• loss or damage caused by paying guests or
tenants, or while your home or any part of it is ✔✔Riot, civil unrest, labour disputes or political
lent disturbance
• loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
We will pay up to £5,000 for any contents claim
following a theft from your garage or outbuildings.
Page 13Section 2 Contents continued
B Additional cover
You’re covered for ✔✔Oil and metered water
We will pay for the value of:
✔✔Frozen and chilled foods
• oil from a domestic heating installation
We will pay the cost of replacing any food in your • metered water
freezer or fridge that is lost or damaged by:
that is lost by a cause insured under Section 2A.
• the temperature rising or falling
• the refrigerant or refrigerant fumes escaping. ✔✔Alternative accommodation, kennel fees and
✘✘ We won’t pay: storage
• if your freezer or fridge is over 10 years old, We will pay up to £30,000 if your home is not fit
unless it is regularly serviced to be lived in following a valid claim made under
• for loss or damage resulting from a deliberate act Section 2A for:
or neglect by you, or by your electricity provider • the cost of providing comparable alternative
or their employees or agents accommodation for you and kennel fees for your
• for loss or damage when it has been more than pets while your home is being repaired
60 days since you last slept at your home on a • the cost of temporarily storing your contents
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional while your home is being repaired.
visits or stays). We will only provide cover for your contents if:
✔✔Loss of keys • they aren’t covered by any other insurance policy
• we have arranged for their temporary storage.
We will pay to replace and fit locks:
• on the outside doors of your home; or ✔✔Contents outside
• to any safe or alarm system in your home We will pay up to £6,000 for loss of or damage to
if the keys have been lost or stolen. your contents from any of the causes listed under
Sections 2A (and 2C, if shown in your schedule)
✔✔Moving home while they are outside but within the boundaries of
We will pay for loss of or damage to your contents your home.
by a cause listed under Sections 2A (and 2C, if ✘✘ We won’t pay for:
shown in your schedule) while the contents are • loss of money
being moved from your home to another private
• loss of or damage to bicycles
property that you are going to live in permanently
within the British Isles. This includes cover while • loss or damage when it has been more than
the contents are temporarily stored for up to 72 60 days since you last slept at your home on a
hours. regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
✘✘ We won’t pay for loss or damage:
• to money ✔✔Contents temporarily away from your home
• to china, glass, earthenware or other fragile items We will pay up to £10,000 for loss of or damage
• to bicycles to contents from any cause insured under Section
• caused by any paying guest or tenant. 2A while the items are temporarily away from your
home in the British Isles.
Page 14Section 2 Contents
✘✘ We won’t pay for: ✔✔Garden plants
• bicycles We will pay
• camping equipment • up to £2,500 for loss of or damage to trees,
• loss of money shrubs, plants and lawns at your home and any
• loss by deception design fees necessary to put it right. Within this
• loss of or damage to guests’ belongings limit we will pay up to £500 for any one plant,
• loss by theft, vandalism or malicious acts unless shrub or tree.
these happen in an occupied private home or • for loss of or damage to trees, shrubs, plants
building where you work, or force and violence is and lawns following subsidence, but only if your
used to enter the building home is damaged at the same time and by the
• personal possessions. same cause.
✘✘ We won’t pay for:
•• If you have our personal possessions cover,
this covers damage to or loss of your personal • loss or damage caused by any pets, other
possessions. animals, birds, insects, fungus, or frost
• trees, shrubs, plants or lawns which die naturally,
✔✔Contents at university, college or boarding or die because you haven’t looked after them
school properly
We will pay up to £10,000 for loss of or damage • loss or damage caused by storm, flood, or weight
to contents from any cause insured under Section of snow
2A while the items are being kept in your lodgings • loss or damage when it has been more than
whilst you’re away at university, college or boarding 60 days since you last slept at your home on a
school in the British Isles. regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
✘✘ We won’t pay for:
• bicycles ✔✔Birth of a child, religious festivals and
• camping equipment weddings or civil partnerships
• loss of money We will increase the sum insured for contents by
• loss by deception 10% for 30 days before and 30 days after:
• loss of or damage to guests’ belongings • you have a baby
• loss by theft, unless there is evidence of forcible • a religious festival that you celebrate
and violent entry to your lodgings • your wedding or civil partnership ceremony.
• personal possessions.
The date of the birth, wedding, civil partnership or
•• If you have our personal possessions cover, religious festival and the 30 days periods, must be
this covers damage to or loss of your personal within the period of insurance on your schedule.
possessions.
✔✔Title deeds
✔✔Downloaded content We will pay the cost of preparing new title deeds
We will pay up to £3,000 to replace content to your home after loss or damage by any cause
that you have bought and stored on your home insured under Section 2A while the deeds are in
computer, mobile phone or other portable your home or in your bank for safe keeping.
entertainment device that is lost or damaged by any
cause listed in Section 2A.
✘✘ We won’t pay for rewriting the lost information.
Page 15Section 2 Contents continued
B Additional cover contd C Accidental damage
✔✔Home entertainment equipment
This cover is optional
We will pay for accidental damage to any home
audio, video or home computing equipment while
in your home. You’re covered for
Accidental damage is sudden and unintentional
physical damage that happens unexpectedly. ✔✔Accidental damage to your contents
✘✘ We won’t pay for: We will pay for accidental damage to your contents
• loss of or damage to any discs, records, memory while they are in your home or being moved to
cards, USB drives or musical instruments your new home.
• loss of or damage to any audio, video or Accidental damage is sudden and unintentional
computing equipment designed to be portable physical damage that happens unexpectedly.
other than laptop computers and tablets
• damage by any paying guest or tenant You’re not covered for
• loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a ✘✘ We won’t pay for:
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional • damage to bicycles
visits or stays). • damage to money
• damage caused by any paying guest or tenants
✔✔Glass
• damage by a cause listed in or specifically
We will pay for accidental breakage of mirrors, fixed excluded by Section 2A
glass in furniture, pictures or ornaments, plate glass
• loss or damage when it has been more than
tops to furniture and ceramic hobs while in your
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
home.
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
✘✘ We won’t pay for: visits or stays).
• breakages caused by any paying guest or tenant
• loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
Page 16Section 2 Contents
D Personal liability
You’re covered for You’re not covered for
✔✔Personal liability ✘✘ Any liability relating to:
We will pay up to £5,000,000 to cover your legal • death or illness of, or bodily injury to, you or
liability for damages you have to pay if someone your domestic staff
makes a claim against you for: • damage to property belonging to or being looked
• accidental death or illness of, or bodily injury to, after by you or your domestic staff
any person • death, illness, injury, loss or damage caused by:
• accidental loss of or damage to property. −− you owning or occupying any land or building
except your home or temporary holiday
that happens within the period of insurance on
accommodation
your schedule.
−− any business
This will also include costs, expenses and legal fees −− an agreement, unless that liability would have
for defending you, if we have agreed this in writing existed anyway.
beforehand. • you owning, keeping or using any:
This section covers liabilities arising from you −− vehicles, except caravans and trailers while
occupying your property. Any liability that arises they are not being towed
solely from you owning your home, not as occupier −− drones or model aircraft
of the property, is not covered under this section. −− animals except domestic pets
However if you have our Buildings cover, this covers −− horses, ponies, donkeys or mules
liabilities arising from you owning your home. −− dangerous dogs as described under the
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Dangerous
Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 and any
updates to that legislation.
• any disease that can be passed from one person
to another.
•• Liability for accidental death or illness of, or bodily
injury to, your domestic staff is covered under
Section 2E Employer’s liability.
Page 17Section 2 Contents continued
E Employer’s liability F Tenant’s liability
You’re covered for You’re covered for
✔✔Employer’s liability ✔✔Tenant’s liability
We will pay up to £10,000,000 to cover damages We will pay up to £10,000 for any claim resulting
you become legally liable to pay for any claim from a single incident for amounts you become
caused by a single incident involving accidental legally liable to pay as a tenant of your home for
death or illness of, or bodily injury to, your domestic damage caused to the buildings by any cause
staff. covered by Section 1A.
This will also include costs, expenses and legal fees If you have contents accidental damage (Section
for defending you, if we have agreed this in writing 2C), this also includes any amounts you become
beforehand. legally liable to pay for accidental damage to:
We only cover incidents that happen within the • underground drains, pipes, cables and tanks
period of insurance on your schedule. which you are legally responsible for and which
provide services to or from your home
• fixed glass in windows, doors or roofs, fixed
ceramic hobs, sinks and bathroom fittings in
your home.
Accidental damage is sudden and unintentional
physical damage that happens unexpectedly.
You’re not covered for
✘✘ We won’t pay for:
• breakages caused by your paying guests or
tenants
• loss or damage when it has been more than
60 days since you last slept at your home on a
regular basis (which doesn’t include occasional
visits or stays).
Page 18Section 2 Contents
If you claim
How we settle claims If the sum insured isn’t enough to cover the cost to
replace all of the contents of your home as new, we
For any item of contents that is lost or damaged we will reduce any payment in line with the premium
will choose whether to: shortfall.
• replace or repair the item or part For example, if your premium was 75% of what it
• pay the cost of replacing or repairing the item or would have been if the sum insured was enough to
part, up to the amount it would have cost to replace replace the entire contents of your home as new, we
or repair using our own suppliers, or will pay no more than 75% of your claim.
• make a cash payment
We won’t pay more than the amount it would have
Your excess
cost us to replace or repair using our own suppliers. You will have to pay any excesses shown in your
schedule. This includes the specific escape of water
If appropriate parts or replacement items are not
excess.
available, we will pay the full cost of the item, provided
the sum insured is adequate. There is no excess for claims under the additional
covers contents outside and garden plants.
How much we will pay We will only take off one excess for each claim,
The most we will pay for any claim will be: unless there is an endorsement shown in your policy
• the Contents sum insured shown in your schedule schedule to say otherwise.
• the amount shown in your schedule for any loss of If we have asked one of our suppliers to deal with all
or damage to valuables that you haven’t included or part of your claim, we may ask them to collect the
as separate items excess from you.
• £4,000 for any one valuable unless your schedule
shows otherwise Sets and suites
• the sum insured shown in the schedule for any If part of a set or suite is lost or damaged, and we
specified item can’t replace or repair it, we will:
• £10,000 for business equipment • replace the set or suite as new
• £1,000 for money • pay the cost of replacing the set or suite as new, up
• £1,000 for guests’ belongings to the amount it would have cost us to replace the
item using our own suppliers, or
• £5,000 for theft from garage or outbuilding
• if no equivalent or replacement set or suite is
• the amounts shown in Section 2 under the
available, pay the full cost of the item, provided the
headings:
sum insured is adequate.
–– Alternative accommodation, kennel fees and
storage If we ask you to, you will have to give up the
–– Contents temporarily away from your home undamaged parts of the set or suite to us where the
–– Contents at university, college or boarding school full replacement cost has been paid.
–– Downloaded content
–– Contents outside Specified items
–– Garden plants. If you claim for an item listed in your schedule, you
On top of your total sum insured, we will also pay for: will need to give us proof of the item’s value. To help
you do this, we recommend that you keep receipts,
• Alternative accommodation, kennel fees and storage
copies of valuations, photos and instruction booklets.
• Garden plants
• Loss of keys Reducing your sum insured
• Oil and metered water We will not reduce the sum insured after paying a
• Title deeds. claim.
Page 19Section 3 Personal Possessions (Optional)
! Defined words appear in bold – see page 36 for definitions. Your schedule will show if you have this cover.
A Core cover B Additional cover
Your personal possessions are covered You’re covered for
for
✔✔Items in a bank
✔✔Accidental loss and damage We will pay for accidental loss of or damage to
We will pay for accidental loss of or damage to: items listed on your schedule as being in a bank or
safe deposit box.
• your personal possessions
• any other items listed on your schedule under We will also cover items when they are taken out of
‘Personal possessions’ the bank or safe deposit box if we have agreed that
they can be temporarily taken out.
while they are within the British Isles.
This includes cover for: ✔✔Money
• possessions stolen from your unattended We will pay up to £1,000 for the theft or accidental
vehicle, but only if the vehicle is locked and your loss of money which is either with you, or which
possessions are hidden from view in a closed you have left in a secure place, anywhere in the
glove compartment or locked boot. world. You must report the theft or loss to the police
• loss or damage to bicycle tyres and accessories, within 24 hours.
but only if the bicycle is lost or damaged at the ✘✘ We don’t pay for:
same time.
• shortages caused by mistake (eg someone
• the theft of an unattended bicycle, but only if it shortchanging you)
is in a locked building or secured with a bike lock
• any loss in value (eg as a result of currency
to an immovable object.
devaluation)
• money confiscated by Customs or other officials.
Your personal possessions aren’t covered
✔✔Overseas travel
for
We will cover items that are insured under Section
✘✘ We don’t pay for loss of or damage to 3A for up to 60 days while they are temporarily
• business equipment outside the British Isles. You must either have the
• vehicles items with you, or have left them in a secure place.
• watercraft propelled by hand (such as a
surfboard or rowing boat) You’re not covered for
• sports equipment, model aircraft or drones
while they are being used ✘✘ We don’t pay for anything that is excluded under
• camping equipment while it is set up or in use Section 3A.
• items taken by Customs or other officials
• any bicycle while it is being used for organised
racing, pace-making or trials
• Money. You may have cover under Section 3B
Money.
✘✘ We also don’t pay for loss or damage:
• for theft involving deception
• by any paying guest or tenant
• covered under Section 2A.
Page 20Section 3 Personal Possessions (Optional)
If you claim
How we settle claims Your excess
You will have to pay any excesses shown on your
For any personal possession, set or part of a set that is schedule.
lost or damaged we will choose whether to:
There is no excess for claims for money.
• replace or repair the item or part
• pay the cost of replacing or repairing the item or We will only take off one excess for each claim,
part, up to the amount it would have cost to replace unless there is an endorsement shown in your policy
or repair using our own suppliers, or schedule to say otherwise.
• make a cash payment. If we have asked a supplier to deal with all or part of
your claim, we may ask them to collect the excess
✘✘ We won’t pay more than the amount it would have
from you.
cost us to replace or repair using our own suppliers.
If appropriate parts or replacement items are not Sets and suites
available, we will pay the full cost of the item, provided If part of a set or suite is lost or damaged and we can’t
the sum insured is adequate. repair or replace it, we will choose whether to:
How much we will pay • replace the set or suite with a new set or suite
• pay the cost of replacing the set or suite with a new
The most we will pay for any claim will be:
set or suite
• the Personal Possessions sum insured shown on
• make a cash payment up to the cost of replacing
your schedule
or repairing the set or suite with a new set or suite
• £4,000 for any one item, set or collection unless using our suppliers.
your schedule shows otherwise
If no equivalent or replacement set or suite is available,
• £1,000 for any bicycle unless it is specified on your
we will pay the full cost of the set or suite. We won’t
schedule.
pay more than your total sum insured.
If the full replacement cost has been paid, we may ask
you to give us the undamaged parts of the set or suite.
Specified items
If you claim for an item listed in your schedule, you
will need to give us proof of the item’s value. To help
you do this, we recommend that you keep receipts,
copies of valuations, photos and instruction booklets.
Page 21Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional)
! Defined words appear in bold – see page 36 for definitions. Your schedule will show if you have this cover.
Your cover
This is an optional extension to either:
• Section 1 Buildings standard cover, or We agree to provide the insurance in this section,
• Section 2 Contents standard cover. subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and
Your schedule will show if you have chosen to limitations set out in this section, provided that:
include it. If not and you would like to add the • reasonable prospects exist for the duration of the
cover, call 0800 051 0234. claim
This section tells you what legal costs you are • the date of occurrence of the insured incident is
insured for and in what circumstances. There are during the period of insurance
some losses not covered that apply to the whole • any legal proceedings will be dealt with by a court,
policy (see pages 7 and 35). or other body, which we agree to, within Area 1 or
Area 2
Anyone claiming under this section must have the
agreement of the policyholder. • the insured incident happens within Area 1 or
Area 2.
You’re covered for
✔✔Employment disputes
You are covered for disputes relating to your
contract of employment within Area 2.
✘✘ You are not covered for claims relating to:
• employer’s disciplinary hearings or internal
grievance procedures
• any claim relating solely to personal injury
• a compromise agreement while you are still
employed.
✔✔Contract disputes
We will provide cover for:
1. Your legal rights in a contractual dispute arising
from an agreement or alleged agreement which
you have entered into in a personal capacity for:
–– the buying or hiring in of any goods or
services in Area 1
–– the selling of any goods in Area 2.
2. Your legal rights in a contractual dispute or for
misrepresentation arising from an agreement
which you have entered into for the buying or
selling of your principal home in Area 2.
Provided that, in both 1 and 2:
I. The amount in dispute is more than £100.
II. You have entered into the agreement or alleged
agreement in the period of insurance or in
respect of 2, during the 180 days leading up to
the start date of the cover under this section.
Page 22Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional)
✘✘ You are not covered for claims relating to: ✘✘ You are not covered for claims relating to:
• construction work on any land, or designing, • a failure or alleged failure to correctly diagnose
converting or extending any building where the your condition
contract value exceeds £5,000 (including VAT) • psychological injury or mental illness not
• the settlement payable under an insurance policy associated with you having suffered physical
(we will cover a dispute if your insurer refuses bodily injury.
your claim, but not a dispute over the amount of
the claim) ✔✔Property protection
• a dispute arising from any loan, mortgage, You are covered for a civil dispute relating to your
pension, investment or borrowing principal home which you own or for which you
• a dispute over the, terms of a lease, licence or are responsible within Area 2, following:
tenancy of land or buildings (although we will • an event which causes physical damage to your
cover any dispute with a professional adviser principal home, provided that the amount in
relating to these matters) dispute is more than £100
• a motor vehicle owned by or hired or leased to • a legal nuisance (meaning any unlawful
you. interference with your use or enjoyment of your
land, or some right over, or in connection with it)
✔✔Bodily injury or illness • a trespass.
You are covered for a specific or sudden accident You must have established legal ownership or right
which causes your death or illness or bodily injury to the land that is the subject of the dispute.
to you in Area 1.
✘✘ You are not covered for claims relating to:
✘✘ You are not covered for claims relating to: • any contract entered into by you
• death, bodily injury or illness, including any • any building or land other than your principal
gradually occurring bodily injury or illness, home
that does not result from a specific or sudden
• someone legally taking your property from
accident
you, whether you are offered money or not, or
• defending your legal rights (if someone accuses restrictions or controls placed on your property
you of causing them an injury), although by any government or public or local authority
defending a counter-claim is covered
• work done by, or on behalf of, any government
• legal costs incurred by the representative on a or public or local authority unless the claim is for
contingency fee basis accidental physical damage
• psychological injury or mental illness, unless the • a motor vehicle owned or used by, or hired or
condition follows a specific or sudden accident leased to you
that has caused physical bodily injury to you
• mining subsidence
• clinical negligence – refer to Clinical Negligence
• adverse possession (meaning the occupation of
section below.
any building or land either by someone trying to
✔✔Clinical negligence take possession from you or by you trying to take
possession)
You are covered where it is alleged an identified
• the enforcement of a covenant by or against you.
negligent act of surgery or clinical or medical
procedure causes death or bodily injury to you in
Area 2.
Page 23Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional) continued
Your cover continued
✘✘ You are not covered for defending a claim relating ✔✔Jury service and court attendance
to an event that causes or could cause physical You are covered for your absence from work:
damage to material property, but defending a
• to attend any court or tribunal at the request of
counter-claim is covered.
the representative
✘✘ You are not covered for the first £250 of any claim • to perform jury service.
for legal nuisance or trespass. This is payable by you
The maximum we will pay is the net salary or
as soon as we accept the claim.
wages that you lose for the time you are absent
✔✔Legal defence from work and do not receive payment, minus any
amount the court gives you.
You are covered for costs and expenses to defend
your legal rights if an event: ✘✘ You are not covered for:
• arising from your work as an employee within • Any claim if you are unable to prove your losses.
Area 2 leads to:
–– you being prosecuted in a court of criminal
jurisdiction
–– civil action being taken against you under
legislation for unlawful discrimination
–– civil action being taken against you under
Section 13 of the Data Protection Act 1998
• leads to your criminal prosecution for an offence
connected with a motor vehicle in Area 2.
✘✘ You are not covered for any claim relating to:
• parking or obstruction offences
• you driving a motor vehicle for which you don’t
have valid motor insurance.
✔✔Tax protection
You are covered for a comprehensive examination
by HM Revenue & Customs that considers all areas
of your self-assessment tax return in Area 2, but
not enquiries limited to one or more specific area.
✘✘ You are not covered for:
• any claim if you are self-employed, or a sole
trader, or in a business partnership
• an investigation or enquiries by HM Revenue
& Customs Specialist Investigations or the HM
Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office.
Page 24Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional)
If you claim
What we will pay How we settle claims
We will pay a representative, on your behalf, costs When we receive your claim, if legal representation is
and expenses incurred following an insured incident, necessary, we will appoint a preferred law firm or in-
provided that: house lawyer as your appointed representative. They
• the most we will pay in costs and expenses is no will try to settle your claim by negotiation without
more than the amount we would have paid to a having to go to court.
preferred law firm. The amount we will pay a law If the appointed preferred law firm or our in-house
firm (where acting as an appointed representative) lawyer can’t negotiate settlement of your claim and it
is currently £100 per hour. This amount may vary is necessary to go to court and legal proceedings are
from time to time issued or there is a conflict of interest, you may choose
• in respect of an appeal or the defence of an appeal, a law firm to act as the appointed representative.
you tell us within the time limits allowed that you If you choose a law firm as your representative
want to appeal and we agree that reasonable who is not a preferred law firm, we will give your
prospects exist choice of law firm the opportunity to act on the same
• for an enforcement of judgment to recover money terms as a preferred law firm. However if they
and interest due to you after a successful claim, we refuse to act on this basis, the most we will pay is
agree that reasonable prospects exist. the amount we would have paid if they had agreed
Where an award of damages is the only legal remedy to the DAS Standard Terms of Appointment. The
to a dispute and the cost of pursuing legal action is amount we will pay a law firm (where acting as the
likely to be more than any award of damages, the most representative) is currently £100 per hour. This
we will pay in costs and expenses is the value of the amount may vary from time to time.
likely award. The representative must co-operate with us at all
times and keep us up to date with the progress of the
claim.
What we will not pay
If the representative refuses to continue acting
In the event of a claim, if you decide not to use
for you with good reason, or if you dismiss the
the services of a preferred law firm, you will be
representative without good reason, cover will end
responsible for any costs that fall outside the DAS
immediately, unless we agree to appoint another
standard terms of appointment.
representative.
If you settle or withdraw a claim without our
Your excess agreement, or do not give suitable instructions to
You must pay the first £250 of any claim for nuisance the representative, we can withdraw cover and may
or trespass, as soon as we accept the claim. reclaim from you any costs and expenses we have
paid.
How much we will pay
The most we will pay for all claims resulting from one
or more events arising at the same time or from the
same originating cause is £50,000, as shown in your
schedule.
Page 25Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional) continued
If you claim continued
Your responsibilities when making a If you don’t accept a reasonable offer to settle a claim,
we may refuse to pay further costs and expenses.
claim
We may decide to pay you the reasonable value of
If your issue cannot be dealt with through legal advice
your claim, instead of starting or continuing legal
and needs to be dealt with as a potential claim under
action. If this happens, you must allow us to take over
this policy, phone us on 0800 464 3026 and we will
and pursue or settle any claim in your name, at our
give you a reference number. We will not be able to
own expense and for our own benefit. You must give
tell you whether you are covered, but we will pass the
us all the information and help we need to do so.
information you have given us to our claims-handling
teams and explain what to do next. Where a settlement is made on a without costs basis
we will decide what proportion of that settlement will
If you would prefer to report your claim in writing,
be regarded as costs and expenses and payable to us.
please write to:
We may ask you, at your expense, to get an expert
Claims Department
opinion on the merits of a claim or proceedings, or
DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited
on a legal principle. The expert must be approved in
DAS House
advance by us and the cost agreed in writing between
Quay Side
you and us. If the expert’s opinion is that it is more
Temple Back
likely than not that you will recover damages (or obtain
Bristol BS1 6NH
any other legal remedy we have agreed to) or make a
You must: successful defence, we will pay the cost of getting the
• keep to the terms and conditions of this section opinion.
• take reasonable steps to avoid and prevent claims
• take reasonable steps to avoid incurring
unnecessary costs
• take every step to recover costs and expenses and
court attendance and jury service expenses that we
have to pay, and pay us any costs and expenses
that are recovered
• send any information we ask for, in writing
• report to us full and factual details of any claim as
soon as possible and give us any information we
need
• get our agreement before seeking help from a
solicitor or accountant. Otherwise, we won’t pay the
costs even if we do accept the claim
• co-operate fully with us and the representative
• give the representative any instructions we ask
you to
• tell the representative to have costs and expenses
taxed, assessed or audited, if we ask for this
• tell us if anyone offers to settle a claim, and not
negotiate or agree to a settlement without our
written consent.
Page 26Section 4 Legal Assistance (Optional)
Special conditions Exclusions
Disputes These exclusions apply to Section 4 Legal
If there is a disagreement between you and us about assistance.
the handling of a claim that is not resolved through
our internal complaints procedure, you can contact
the Financial Ombudsman Service for help. ✘✘ You are not covered for:
Alternatively there is a separate arbitration process. • any claim:
The arbitrator will be a barrister chosen jointly by you −− where you fail to notify us of the insured
and us. If there is a disagreement over the choice of incident within a reasonable time of it
the arbitrator, we will ask the Chartered Institute of happening and this adversely affects the
Arbitrators to decide. reasonable prospects of a claim or we
consider our position has been prejudiced
−− relating to your alleged dishonesty or alleged
Laws violent behaviour
This section is governed by the law that applies in the −− relating to written or verbal remarks that
part of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or Isle damage your reputation
of Man where you normally live. Otherwise the law of −− where you may be one of a number of people
England and Wales apply. involved in a legal action resulting from one or
All Acts of Parliament mentioned in this section more events arising at the same time or from
include equivalent laws in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the same cause which could result in the court
the Channel Islands or Isle of Man as appropriate. making a group litigation order.
• any incident or matter arising before the start
of cover
• any costs and expenses incurred before we
accept your claim in writing
• fines, penalties, compensation or damages
which you are ordered to pay by a court or other
authority
• any insured incident intentionally brought about
by you
• a legal action taken by you which we or
the representative have not agreed to, or
where you do anything that hinders us or the
representative
• a dispute with us or Nationwide not otherwise
dealt with under ‘Special conditions’, excluding
employment disputes
• costs and expenses arising from or relating to
judicial review, coroners inquest or fatal accident
inquiry.
Page 27Section 5 Home Emergency (Optional)
! Defined words appear in bold – see page 36 for definitions. Your schedule will show if you have this cover.
Your cover
This is an optional extension to either
Section 1 Buildings standard cover or We agree to provide the insurance in this section,
Section 2 Contents standard cover. subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and
Your schedule will show if you have chosen to limitations set out in this section, provided that
include it. If not and you would like to add the the insured incident happens during the period of
cover, call 0800 051 0234. insurance.
This section tells you what emergency costs you Major emergencies
are insured for and in what circumstances. There
are some losses not covered that apply to the whole In the case of a major emergency that could result
policy (see pages 7 and 35). in serious risk to you or substantial damage to your
home, you should contact the emergency services and
Anyone claiming under this section must have the the company that supplied the relevant equipment or
agreement of the policyholder. service immediately.
You’re covered for:
You are covered for insured incidents under the
headings set out below that are sudden, unexpected
and require immediate corrective action to:
• prevent damage or further damage to your home
• make your home safe or secure
• relieve unreasonable discomfort, risk or difficulty
to you.
✔✔Roof damage
You are covered for any damage to the roof of
your home that causes or is likely to cause internal
damage.
✔✔Plumbing and drainage
You are covered for sudden damage to, or blockage,
breakage or flooding of, the drains or plumbing
system in your home.
✔✔Main heating system
You are covered for the sudden failure to function of
the main heating system in your home.
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