scutterUK

Hi there folks. well i had all my belongings delivered from the UK last week and as i now have more expensive things in the flat i thought i better sort some insurance out.

first off i tried to get contents insurance on the flat, obvious really eh? well no, they wouldn't insure the flat because it doesn't have it's own address. you see it's basically a converted garage so it's not an OFFICAL flat (uhh). ok i thought i'd ask my land lady to see if they can include me on their insurance. this she was happy to do. originally she had asked her insurance company who said it would cost $30 to add me. cool i thought, cheaper than getting my own insurance. Then they decided they couldn't insure my things as the flat wasn't part of the main house..... ( ) so, as i stand i'm un insured!

i can't get my own insurance neither can i be included in with the main house. so what options do i now have? i can't afford to move and get a bigger place with it's own address. at the moment i'm paying $150/week which includes gas and electric! this is ideal as i've not got any regular money coming in yet. but looking at it another way if anyone breaks in i'd loose all my stuff i've just paid £2K to have shipped over.

any suggestions?

....apart from this everything else is still going ok.

PS just thought i'd add everything got here in one piece! (good job pss!). My tele even works without having to worry about getting an aus video to get sound and picture! cool eh?

ABCDiamond

If the "flat" was to be called 10a (as an example if the house is no 10) would that make any difference to the Insurance company.

I mention that as I have a house down in Sydney, that has a granny flat with it. The house is number 10, and we called the flat 10a, we have been renting them individually for 2 years now and seems like no problems. I am 95% sure that both tenants have contents insurance.

CornishPasty

yeah my parents did something like this in the UK, they had to apply to the council (or someone) though and give it a number. You had to register it for reasons of phone/post/electric etc etc. Do you have your own bills? If so you may find its already is registered, check out the address on the bills. Your land lady needs to sort it out really. Its in her interest long term.

scutterUK

abc and cornish, you're both right. it's because the house hasn't got a separate address, like 10a, that i'm getting this problem. apparently the flat is supposed to be inspected by someone for it to be given its own address. having spoken to an electricity friend from what he's seen of the flat so far it wouldn't pass any inspections just on the electrics. it has a plug in the bathroom or something which he said was illegal... so shhh don't tell anyone.

i was thinking about trying to get just some of the individual items insured like my laptop of desktop (when it arrives), just the bits that are worth something and that would be easy for a thief to pick up.

sooo.... any ideas?

CornishPasty

I know in the UK you cant have standard plugs in the bathroom (hence the 2 plug ones) but you can in Australia. double check with him (he isnt English is he!)

I am no insurance person but I would look at two things.

1/ asking the landlord to get the place into the spec required or:
2/ Get her to talk again with the insurance people, I cant believe they wont insure a building on her property. For example, there are people who have guest houses on their property which dont have an address.

I think its a matter of talking to some insurance people and asking advice, but it seems a bit strange that as it isnt a seperatley listed address that it isnt still a part of her property. It has to be one or the other surely.

scutterUK

thats pretty much what i was thinking. she's already spoken to her insurance company again and they're definite that it's a separate entity to her own home, even though its in her garage! i'm going to have a ride round when i get chance and sit on someone's desk until they find me some insurance. I don't want to make a big fuss with the landlord as i'm hoping to only be here until march, by which time i hope to have enough money coming in to afford something bigger. so if she went to the trouble of getting the flat up to standard i'd feel bad if i then go and leave.

..i guess i should start and cross my fingers at night and when i go to work.

cheers for the help though.

leigh