Vandalism doesn’t just happen to phone
boxes

When you think of vandalism what springs to mind? A smashed phone box or graffiti on a bus shelter maybe? In fact, about a quarter of all vandalism in the UK occurs to homes, with damage to walls, fences and other garden items being the most common, so it’s important that it’s covered by your home insurance.

According to the Home Office Crime Reduction site, vandalism or criminal damage applies to a crime in which any person without lawful excuse intentionally or recklessly destroys any property belonging to another. Accidental damage or activities resulting in non-permanent damage (i.e. damage that can be rectified, cleaned off or removed at no cost) are not classified as criminal damage or vandalism.

There are plenty of ways you can deter vandals, like fitting outside lights, gates and fences. And becoming a member of a neighbourhood watch scheme in your local area encourages neighbours to look out for uninvited visitors.

But if you are unlucky and your home is vandalised, you should call the police immediately. If the offenders can be caught there are prosecution measures in place and hopefully you can get some compensation for the damage caused if your case goes to court. Make sure you take photos of any damage and make a note of any information that might help such as when it happened, or any previous incidents.

The more information you have, the better the evidence you can give to the police and your home insurance company. When the damage has been assessed there are vandalism removal specialists that can help clean up.

Privilege home insurance policies cover your buildings, contents or both against vandalism.

Our Buildings insurance covers all the major risks – fire, storm or floods, lightning, explosion, water or oil damage, subsidence, theft or vandalism. Our Contents insurance cover is what’s known as ‘new-for-old’. Which means that if you make a claim, we won’t just give you today’s value for items that might be a few years old now, we’ll replace them with brand new ones same make/model (excludes clothing).

So make sure you’re protected against unwanted alterations to your home and get a home insurance quote from Privilege today.

With access to all these benefits, why not get a Privilege Home Insurance quote from us today?