Buildings insurance

If you’re a leaseholder we’re usually responsible for arranging your building's insurance, covering the structure and communal parts of the building. If you pay for building insurance in your service charges then you'll be covered under this policy.

If you're making a claim and your loss date is before 1 April 2023 this claim will be handled by Zurich. If your loss date is 1 April onwards then this will be with Protector – please check what's covered before making a claim. You can call the insurance officer on 020 7525 7660 for advice.

Make an enquiry about building insurance

Making a claim

To log a new claim you can:

Information you'll need ready before making a claim

  • Cause of damage 
    • Has the cause been rectified, for example, if there is an escape or water or water ingress, has the water been stopped?  
    • Is the property secure?  
  • Description of damages  
    • How many rooms have been affected? 
    • Areas of damage - such as walls, ceilings, décor or flooring
    • Photos of damages where possible
    • Details of any contents, stock, money or other damages
  • Date of Loss  
  • Is the property tenanted? 
    • Is the property suitable for use? 
  • Are there any losses in respect of rent or business interruption to be considered? 
  • Are there any third parties responsible for the damage (we'll require their details to investigate a potential recovery)
  • Any crime reference numbers or emergency service details are to be provided where applicable

You can also contact our insurance officer on 020 7525 7660.

What's covered

The policy includes cover for the structure and communal parts of the building for damage caused by:

  • fire, explosion lightning or earthquake
  • smoke
  • riot, civil commotion, strikes, labour or political disturbances
  • malicious damage
  • collision by aircraft, other aerial devices, any vehicle (or articles dropped from them) or animal
  • storm or flood
  • escape of water from any fixed tank, fish tank, pipe or appliance and damage caused to such by bursting or freezing
  • falling trees or branches (and removing any fallen trees or branches that cause damage to the buildings) or telegraph poles or lampposts
  • theft or attempted theft
  • subsidence or ground heave of the site on which the buildings stand, or landslip
  • leakage of oil from any fixed oil-fires installation, including smoke and/or smudge damage arising from defective vaporisation
  • breakage or collapse of television or radio signal receiving apparatus

You’re not covered for day-to-day maintenance or repairs that are caused by wear and tear.

Policy excess

  • £350 each and every loss in respect of all other perils
  • £500 each and every loss in respect to escape of water
  • £1000 each and every loss in respect of subsidence

To request a policy booklet, please phone the Insurance Officer on 020 7525 7660.

If you can’t live in your property due to damage covered under the policy, contact us.

During office hours: contact the insurance officer on 020 7525 7660.

Outside office hours: contact Protector on their emergency number: 0161 823 1912

If you need to report a repair to the communal areas, email repairs@southwark.gov.uk or call on 0800 952 4444.

Get a copy of the insurance certificate

If your building insurance claim relates to damage caused by the council or its contractor and you have paid the policy excess, please contact us with further details. Please note that compensation will only be considered if the council is legally at fault for the incident.

Submit policy excess enquiry

If you just need the details of the policy they are:

  • Insurer: Protector Insurance
  • Policy number: 3144381
  • start date: 1 April 2023
  • end date: 1 April 2024

Download the full insurance policy booklet (PDF, 989kb)

Contents insurance

Your service charges don’t provide cover for your contents, so we strongly advise you to get contents insurance.

We provide a home contents insurance scheme (PDF, 221kb), on a new-for-old basis, which has been specially designed for tenants and leaseholders.

We’re not responsible for loss or damage to your belongings, including that caused by other residents

Page last updated: 04 March 2024

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