Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Vandalism?

Vandalism is a terrible thing to experience and can cost quite a bit of money to repair. People have had their homes vandalized, their businesses vandalize, and their vehicles vandalized. It can be more common in some areas than others, but no matter where you live, there can be a risk. Vandalism to a person’s home can be pricey, and it is covered in most homeowners insurance plans. Vandalism to specific parts of your home and property should be researched before purchasing a plan.

Many people are curious as to whether or not they homeowners insurance plan will cover damage to your vehicle if it is in your driveway. The short answer is no; home insurance plans do not cover vandalism on vehicles when they are on your home’s property. In order for coverage to vandalism on your car, you will need to have a comprehensive car insurance plan. This is not required by law in many states, so it is an insurance add-on that is both optional and one that you have to seek out.

What Is Vandalism?

Vandalism is what happens when a person purposely destroys or defaces the property of someone else without the owner’s consent. As a concept, vandalism can be a wide array of things. It can include the specific destruction of a person’s property, such as light fixtures, as well as numerous other types of things that can cause damage to a person’s house. Some of the most common forms of vandalism include spray painting or painting on a person’s home. In addition, breaking of windows and lights, or tampering with plumbing are also forms of vandalism.

In addition, arson is considered vandalism, as well as cutting trees or bushes without their owner’s permission. In some cases, people have vandalized homes by gluing locks to prevent access into the home or salting someone’s lawn. Salting a person’s lawn can destroy it, and vandalism that destroys property in other ways is also something that can happen.

Is Vandalism Covered Under Your Home Insurance Policy?

Fortunately, vandalism is covered by most homeowners insurance plans. Even so, it is vital to read over your plan in its entirety to know what is covered and what is not. Each homeowners insurance plan has exclusions to it, and each homeowners insurance provider provides slightly different policies.

Do You Need Vacant Home Insurance?

If you have a vacant home, you should know that vandals are often attracted to them. They are easier to choose as a target because nobody is watching them, and the vandals are less likely to get in trouble. Many home coverage plans have inclusions that allow the policy provider to remove coverage due to vandalism if a home has been vacant for more than 30 or 60 days. As soon as they become aware that a home is vacant, they may cancel this type of coverage. For people who are aware that their home will be vacant for a period of time, the best plan is to talk to your home insurance agent about the length of time it will be vacant and what you are doing to secure the home while you are away. You may need to purchase a specialty insurance plan from a specialty insurance carrier to get this type of coverage.

Filing A Vandalism Claim

There are numerous steps that should be taken if your home is victim of vandalism. Once you are aware that vandalism has occurred, you should call the police and file a detailed police report. In order to file your insurance claim, and have it accepted; the police report will be vital. This is a detailed and accurate account of the damages that occurred, provided by a third-party that can verify the information. Make sure to get a copy of the police report to use when filing for your claim.

The police may do an investigation on the crime, which can give you more insight into what happened. The next step of the process is to take pictures of the crime scene that you can submit for evidence to your home insurance provider. Take pictures from multiple angles of everything that was damaged. Also, take the time to look over the entirety of your house to make sure you have not missed any damage caused by the vandals.

Make sure not to make any repairs on your home before your claims adjuster, as well as your insurance company’s claim adjuster, comes to your home to assess the damages. You can look to minimize the damage by doing temporary things like boarding up a broken window, however.

Once you have the appropriate information, it is time to contact the insurance company and file a claim. Make sure you have the necessary documentation on hand so you can make your case to the insurance company. Photos, video, inventory of things that have been destroyed, and your police report, will be helpful to having your claim accepted.

Having a homeowners insurance plan provides you the protection you need in case your home is victim to vandals. This can provide peace of mind and financially protect you from unexpected situations. Compare free quotes on homeowner’s insurance from multiple companies here at Homeowners.