Fire in three-bedroomed rented house – £92,000 buildings claim plus landlord’s contents and loss of income

Mr & Mrs B, who live in Surrey, own a three-bedroomed house nearby which they rent out. One afternoon they received a call from the tenants telling them the house was on fire. When they arrived 15 minutes later, the fire brigade had put the fire out but the house was almost completely destroyed.

The couple soon realised they faced a significant insurance claim. They spoke immediately to their insurers who arranged for a loss adjuster and a forensic investigator to come to the house the next morning. In the meantime, they spoke to a representative from loss assessors Morgan Clark who explained what they should expect and what they needed to do: “He was very gentle and knowledgeable and made us realise very quickly that we needed help. He explained the enormity of what we faced: the forensic investigation, dealing with the tenants, liaising with the insurance company and proving we had met our requirements as landlords.”

The following morning the loss adjuster arrived and discussed the claim with the couple and Morgan Clark’s loss assessor. This was a long and complicated discussion and at the end of it, the loss adjuster commented: “I am very glad you are in Morgan Clark’s hands.”

The claim

Morgan Clark handled the entire claims process including arranging for emergency works to put in a temporary staircase and board up windows and doors. They brought in chartered surveyors and specialist contractors to reinstate the house. As part of the reinstatement specification, the surveyor suggested a slight change to the internal layout of the house including knocking through from the kitchen to the dining room.

According to Mr B, “using Morgan Clark made dealing with the loss adjuster very easy. And having Morgan Clark, the surveyor and the contractors working as a team ensured it went very smoothly.

“But in addition there were some very difficult situations with our tenants who tried to get money out of us or the insurer: Sara Bailey from Morgan Clark dealt with them admirably.”

The results

Morgan Clark negotiated a full buildings claim of £92,000 plus £5,000 landlord’s contents. They also negotiated cover for loss of rental payments from the date of the fire until handover at completion of the reinstatement.

Mr B was delighted that he decided to use Morgan Clark: “From our point of view it was painless. We could put it to one side, knowing it was in the hands of Morgan Clark. They lifted the entire burden of managing the process. I would recommend them absolutely, particularly in the early stages when you need someone who knows the ropes. It was essential for us.”