Why Hoarding Affects Homeowners Insurance Claims
If you struggle with hoarding, you can put your health in danger due to the dangerous and unsanitary conditions created by clutter. What is worse, hoarding can also make your possessions insurance claims denied. That is because most risks that arise because of hoarding occur because of negligence and poor home maintenance.
Yet, you are probably able to obtain homeowner’s insurance without any difficulty. To accept or reject your petition, the insurance representative conducts a “drive-by” inspection of your home. And, unless you have piles of possessions in the yard, you’ll be granted the coverage.
However, you might be left without coverage when you would like to renew your policy or when an insurance agent performs a home inspection for any reason.
How Hoarding Affects Your Own Insurance Claim
If your house is in poor condition, the adjuster may recommend not renewing your coverage. But you may get a warning against the insurance company — to repair the safety hazards and maintenance issues in a restricted timeframe — or risk losing coverage.
The common hazards Related to hoarding contain:
- Fire — Too much clutter (i.e, paper, plastic, and flammable materials) can start a fire, especially when it accumulates around heating vents, stoves, or power outlets. In the kitchen, the accumulation of dirt, food products, and trash increase fire danger. Check them out here to find out more.
- Water Damage — Because of the clutter, hoarders conduct restricted roof and plumbing maintenance, which can result in severe water damage. Also, if water damage happens, the excess contents around leaks may aggravate the damage. And, even if a water reduction is found, it’s hard to differentiate between new and preexisting harm. Most insurance companies don’t cover mold damage as it’s considered a house maintenance problem. Stop water leaks and declutter your house to prevent mold. Visit Sterling water damage restoration company for more information.
- Pests — As rodents and insects are drawn to unchecked, cluttered garbage, they can damage the walls, wiring, and even foundation, resulting in dangerous living conditions.
- Trip Hazards — Excessive amounts of contents in the house creates a trip hazard for the insured and their guests.
- Blocked Exits — Belongings that block or block exits make it even more challenging to escape during a crisis. In addition, it can prevent firefighters from entering the house if a fire begins.
Also, if the time comes to submit an insurance claim but your loss was due to one of the above issues, your claim may be denied. The insurance adjuster may say that the damage was not accidental. The loss could have been prevented in advance but became inevitable as a result of massive clutter accumulation. Another reason that your claim may be denied is that walking between rooms is a struggle, making locating the damaged region difficult.
Get Professional Hoarding Cleanup Services
Rather than waiting for your insurance company to assess your home or for a reduction to happen, start dealing with the issue immediately. With professional hoarding cleaning services, you can declutter your home and remove dangerous living conditions. This is the area where PuroClean comes in. Our certified technicians can sanitize and deodorize your home to bring it into some secure and insurable condition. Speak to your local PuroClean office for more information, or visit PuroClean here to know more about their services.
