Falling Tiles
It is a Landlord’s duty to look after their properties and the wellbeing of their tenants. I have just instructed a full survey of my properties after I heard that a nearby Landlord was being sued for a personal injury claim following the high winds this year. I hope he has sufficient landlords and public liability insurance.
I met him at last year’s Landlords show in London and we got talking after realising with both had properties in St Albans. We became friends and meet up on regular occasions. Last week, he told me about a problem he has with one of his tenants after they got injured from a falling roof tile. The tenant is now suing him for damages for injury to themselves and damage to their car, which was parked out the front.
He told me that the tenant had left the property to go to work during the high winds and as he was standing at the car the winds, lifted a few tiles which slid off the roof. His tenant was injured by the falling roof tiles and is now off work. As well as hitting his tenant he has claimed for damage to his car as the tiles dented the bonnet and cracked his windscreen.
I was not surprised the tenant was suing his landlord, but did feel sorry for him as he was a friend. However, he admits that he hadn’t recently checked the roof of his property which was built in the 1980s and said had he done so, he may have realised that some of the roof tiles needed attention.
This prompted me to call my insurance broker and tell him the story. My broker warned me that this could happen and agreed that I should arrange for my properties (of a similar age) to be checked. He recommended a company he has used before for roof damage claims and I contacted them to have survey.
Fortunately the roofs of my properties are in very good condition for their age and only needed minor maintenance. I am glad that I spoke to my fellow landlord and learnt from his misfortune. I hope I have managed to avoid a claim on my landlord and public liability insurance. My insurance broker was a real help as he explained the implications, what I was covered for and recommended the survey. If you’re worried about your properties, speak to your landlord and make sure you regularly maintain them to avoid claims like this.
