Frozen and burst pipes
Frozen pipes can lead to significant damage and water supply disruptions during cold weather
‘Escape of water’ is the term used by the insurance sector to describe a leak in the home. The definition is: “When water has entered the property by the mains water supply and caused damage.”
It’s comfortably one of the most common home insurance claims, with our own 10 years of property claims report revealing that 34% of all claims paid out between 2008 and 2018 were for escape of water situations. This figure has remained remarkably consistent, with escape of water still accounting for 34% of claims between 2015 and 2021.
The reason it’s such a common claim is that even the smallest leak can lead to significant property damage if it’s not spotted and dealt with quickly. And that can be particularly tricky in winter when pipes can easily freeze and burst behind the scenes before your tenants are aware there’s even a problem!
In 2019, The Association of British Insurers estimated that escape of water claims during winter cost the insurance industry around £1.8 million a day.
At Total Landlord, the average escape of water claim between 2015 and 2021 cost on average £3,057, an increase of £600 compared with the five year period from 2014 to 2019 when the average claim was coming in at £2,657.
With the cost of escape of water claims increasing and around a third of all claims consistently related to escape of water, you must check that you’re properly covered by your landlord insurance policy.
Our Essential and Premier policies provide cover for ‘escape of water and resultant damage arising from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes’ – simply contact us for a quote.
According to our own data, over the winter of 2018-19, just under 69% of all escape of water insurance claims were caused by burst pipes.
This type of claim is so common because even a small fracture in a pipe can release major volumes of water and result in surprisingly large claims.
Although the average escape of water claim is for just £3,057, some water damage and repair bills have clocked in at over £100,000 – the highest ever claim, paid in 2018, was for £145,855!
Burst pipes can lead to:
Cosmetic and structural damage – both to your rental property and neighbouring properties
Damage to the contents – furniture, fixtures, fittings and appliances
Expense and hassle of repair work
Possible relocation of tenants while repairs are made
Stress and inconvenience for landlords, tenants and neighbours
Loss of rental income due to a vacant property while repairs are carried out – unless you have an insurance policy that covers you for lost rent
One of the main causes of burst pipes is water inside them freezing – head to the next section to find out more. Read more on burst pipes and how to avoid them in your rental property.
One of the most important things to do when a new tenant moves into your property is make sure they understand what to do and who to contact in an emergency situation.
Show them where the mains water stop-cock and electricity fuse box are located and how to turn them off, and include all this information in a welcome pack. Our guide contains a useful template for you to download and share with your tenants.
Then, in the case of a burst pipe, follow our seven-step checklist to keep the damage and size of the insurance claim to a minimum:
Make sure the tenants shut off the water and electricity
Contact your insurer
Contact emergency plumbers to locate and fix the leak
Make sure the water is contained and furniture and belongings are removed from affected areas
Have the building properly surveyed for potential water damage
Collect evidence of water damage
Use a dehumidifier to remove any resultant dampness from the property
When the temperature drops in the winter, there is an increased risk of frozen pipes, even inside your property. As water freezes, it expands, which can force joints in the pipework apart and even burst the pipes themselves. Then, when the ice thaws, the water escapes and you could end up with a big leak – and a big problem.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid frozen pipes in your rental property:
Make sure all the pipes and water tanks are well insulated
Check insulation in the rest of the property – loft, walls and floor
Advise tenants to open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to let warm air circulate around the plumbing
Inspect pipes regularly to check for cracks and other damage
Ask tenants to run taps – even just on low – for a few hours each day to keep water moving through the system
Check seals on windows and doors to minimise icy draughts
Encourage tenants to keep the property well heated during particularly cold snaps – even leaving the heating on low during the night
And if your property is going to be unoccupied for a period during the winter, turning off the water and draining the system will make sure there’s no water in the pipes to freeze. If you do end up with frozen pipes, you have to proceed carefully because if a pipe has already burst, you could start a flood. We’d suggest that, rather than trying to thaw the pipes yourself, you (or your tenants) turn off the water at the stopcock and call in a professional plumber.
Increasingly, technology is allowing landlords to monitor their properties from afar, which is particularly handy for those with multiple properties scattered across the UK.
So, this winter you might want to consider investing in a smart device that:
Shuts off the water supply automatically if a leak is detected
Alerts you to suspected leaks by text or email
Allows you to turn off the water in your rental remotely, via an app
To find out more, read our guest blog from Aqualeak, Can proptech help prevent your property leak?
