CHCH renters and EQC

Wondering if anybody has any experience of this.

We have just been given a timeline for the repairs on our rental property and it looks like we will need to relocate for 2 weeks. Now I was under the impression that our contents insurance should give us some financial assistance to relocate etc during this time.

Apparently though, as we don't have a claim in on the property we are not entitled to anything. We didn't lose any contents in any of the quakes so had no reason to make a claim. I don't understand how we can have a claim in on the property as we don't own it? I know of friends whose insurance comapnies have paid for relocation costs from their rental home so I know it happens. The insurance company couldn't really answer the question as to why we weren't covered, just that we aren't! Seems a bit strange really.

What has happened to other people? I have asked for a copy of the policy document to have a good look through myself.

Thanks Squoggs I am pretty sure that we won't have to pay rent for those 2 weeks so that will help. I'll talk to the letting agent next week to see if that is a possibility if we can't get anywhere with our insurance company.

It's your landlord that you need to talk to you, not your insurer. It will depend on their insurance company, not yours. As LuckyRed says above, their policy may not cover alternative accommodation for you if you don't have to pay rent but it is worth asking. Your insurer only covers your contents which is a totally separate issue.

I am no expert but my understanding is that if a tenanted property is uninhabitable due to repairs, the landlord has to meet the reasonable cost of relocating during that period of time. That may be covered by insurance or they may have to pay it themselves. Check your tenancy agreement and I would also check the tenancy tribunal website or something like that (sorry I don't have time to check myself, kids bedtime and all that!).

Good luck, I really hope things go well for you!

We rent, and our contents insurance covers us for accommodation costs that are in excess to what we would typically pay, storage, transportation to storage and pet accommodation. We're with state.