What Can Invalidate House Insurance? 13 Key Factors

Home is where the heart is, but it’s also where we keep our treasured possessions. It’s why we avoid potential heartbreak by sourcing the best home insurance to protect our house and belongings. A robust home insurance policy will cover unforeseen setbacks, from burglary and break-in damage to fires and floods.

But a recent survey by insurer Aviva found that 63% of UK homeowners had done something that could invalidate their home insurance coverage. In this article, we outline 13 ways you could risk invalidating your house insurance.

Here are 13 of the most common actions that risk invalidating your insurance policy. Read on to find out what they are and how to avoid falling foul of your insurers the next time you need to make a claim.

Some wear and tear on your home is normal, but failing to address issues such as decay or dampness could soon make a small problem a big one. Your insurers will notice when assessing a claim.

Not only is it more pleasant and healthier to live in a well-maintained home, but your insurers will expect it. Standard home insurance policies require the homeowner to keep the property in good condition.

Although this seems to contradict point number one on our list, upgrading your home could concern your insurers. Although they don’t expect you to keep them informed every time you want to paint a wall or fit a new carpet, you should declare more extensive renovations. They’ll want to have this on the record in case of potential claims related to building work on a new bathroom, kitchen, or extension.

Inform them of any key changes to your windows or doors, too. Something as simple as installing a cat flap could affect your premiums if the insurer deems it a security risk.

As much as we love our homes, getting away is good. While you’ll likely have no issues with a couple of weeks in the sun, you risk invalidating your insurance if you travel longer. This is because things like water leaks can cause severe damage to your home if they aren’t attended to. The risk of burglary also increases when there’s nobody home.

Insurance policies state the maximum time you can be away, so check yours and speak to your insurer before taking a long holiday or check out our list of the best unoccupied home insurance providers.

When buying home insurance, you must disclose accurate details about your house and circumstances. That includes your property’s age, construction materials, security measures, high-risk items, and previous claims. Failing to provide this information could lead to invalidation during a claim.

Ignoring a pest infestation is a bad idea—full stop. But insurers especially don’t take infestations lightly, especially if something like a nibbled electrical wire is the source of the fire at the centre of your insurance claim. If you suspect a termite or rodent problem, find an expert to deal with it as soon as possible.

Subletting isn’t usually considered standard in a house insurance policy. You should declare all tenants in your original application. Insurers will view new arrivals as undeclared risks to your home and possessions, and any claims could be penalised.

If you do plan to sublet, even for a short time, contact your insurer to inform them of this update to your living arrangements.

Insurers are understandably fussy about the security of your home. When you apply for insurance, you’ll usually state what security measures you have on your property. This includes any burglar alarms and the types of locks on doors and windows. If you change anything about your home’s security, you must notify your insurer, who may wish to alter your premiums.

Additionally, remember to lock windows and doors when you leave the house. You should also beware of sharing live holiday photos on social media. If this tips off burglars that your property is empty, insurers may view this as a careless disregard for security and reject your claim.

A failure or delay in paying your annual or monthly premium is a serious condition that risks invalidating your coverage. The easiest way to pay on time is to set up a direct debit with your bank.

Familiarise yourself with your policy’s terms and conditions to ensure you abide by them. For example, your policy might require storing certain valuables in a safe or notifying the insurer of new purchases.

It’s understandably upsetting to find your home damaged by flood or burglary. But while it might be the last thing you wish to do, you should photograph all damage to anything you want to make a claim on.

And, as tempting as it might be, don’t throw out any damaged goods before seeking permission from your insurer first. They’ll want to see evidence before they can process a claim.

If you’re a break-in victim, don’t delay reporting it to the police. Some insurance policies will require that you report the incident within a specific timeframe (e.g., 24 hours). Claims may be rejected for any incidents reported after this window. Insurers will usually request a police crime number before assessing your claim.

Home insurance applications can take a long time, but resist the temptation to speed up the process. Not only do you risk filling out your application incorrectly (see point 4), but you might also fail to accurately value your contents or the cost of a rebuild. Underestimations could result in an insurer paying only a portion of your claim, while overestimating your coverage could lead to disputes during claims.

It should be unsurprising that insurers won’t pay out in the event of intentional damage to property or belongings. Company investigators will scrutinise any suspicious claims for potential fraud, so contact your insurers with genuine claims only.

Any damage caused by illegal activities will also invalidate a claim.

To summarise, here’s what to do to prevent invalidating your home insurance:

Your policy may not cover new additions or changes to your home. This leaves you at risk of denied claims for damages relating to unreported renovations.

It’s not illegal, but many mortgage lenders require you to have house insurance as a condition of their loan. If you rephrase the question to “Do I need home insurance?”, then the answer is a resounding yes!

You should inform your insurer of any significant changes to your home or lifestyle. This includes the addition of a dog in the home. Some insurers exclude specific breeds or increase premiums based on potential risks associated with your new pet.

Unreported valuables exceeding your policy’s limits might not be fully covered. This could leave you under-compensated in case of theft or damage. Always inform your insurer of any high-value items you own, such as digital devices, watches, or jewellery.