Does Home Insurance Cover Damage Caused by My Old TV Aerial?

Caeva O'Callaghan | February 9th, 2021

My Old TV Aerial Fell and Has Damaged My Roof and Damaged My Neighbour’s Property Also – Am I Covered?

You probably don’t think of your TV aerial all that often. But if it falls and damages someone else’s property, how is insurance involved?

Your neighbour’s property is covered under the liability section of your home insurance policy. Your own roof has cover under one of two sections: accidental damage, or storm damage.

Of course, it all depends on why your TV aerial fell in the first place. There are a few reasons why this could happen. It’s important to find out what went down to make sure your claim is successful.

In this article, we’ll answer questions such as:

• Will my neighbour’s property have cover under my home insurance?
• Can I claim on insurance for damage to my roof?
• Does a TV aerial have insurance under buildings cover?

TV aerials pose a falling risk to neighbours, property and members of the public. It is always your responsibility to make sure they’re fixed to your roof properly.

Neighbouring properties and liability

When property is damaged due to a risk on the other side of the fence, the liability section of a home insurance policy will kick in. For example, if your TV aerial slides off your roof and puts a nasty dent in your neighbour’s car, your home insurance policy will cover the cost of repairs. This will apply no matter what company you have insurance with. Of course, this also applies vice versa. As long as your neighbour has appropriate cover, their policy will pay for damage to your property from an aerial falling off their own roof.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should forego regular maintenance. If a visitor injures themselves because your aerial fell on their head, they could make a claim off your house insurance if you have public liability on your policy. Yes, your insurance provider will foot the bill, but it’s not all rosy for you. Chances are, you’ll pay more for your house insurance when you come to renew it as your insurer will increase your premium after a claim.

Your TV aerial falls under your buildings insurance policy. This means that insurance companies consider a TV aerial, as well as its fixtures and fittings, part of the structure of the house.

Your roof and accidental damage

If you have accidental damage on your buildings insurance policy, this should cover any damage to your roof. A falling TV aerial can do quite a lot of damage on the way down, never mind the cost of repairing or replacing the aerial itself.

However, this kind of cover costs extra, and many people opt out. You may think of it as just another upsell your insurance provider wants you to pay for. And it is – but the truth is, accidental damage covers almost anything you could think of. It’s incredibly useful to have, even if you live a quiet life. You never know what’s just around the corner.

Accidental damage can cover any mishap from an errant seagull to a clumsy backhand to the aerial while putting up the Christmas lights. You can buy accidental damage cover for your contents as well as for your building’s structure. Just because you have one, doesn’t mean you’re covered for the other.

Without accidental damage cover, you’ll have to pay to repair or replace your TV aerial if clumsiness or mishaps occur.

Storm damage

If high winds or a lightning strike take down your TV aerial, you will be able to claim on your buildings insurance policy. It covers storm damage to your roof, as well as anything installed on it.

Of course, it has to be a storm which causes your aerial to fall. If you find your aerial on the ground surrounded by broken branches, leaves, and one or two roof slates, a storm is likely. But if there’s no other damage to the surrounding area, a storm is unlikely. Your insurance company will investigate to see if there was inclement weather at the time you say.

Insurers generally assume storms involve violent winds, along with snow, rain or hail. However, in some cases, you may have hail or snowfall without winds. Or, strong winds that cause damage all by themselves. Almost any extreme bad weather can damage a property and count as a “storm”.

If there aren’t any other obvious signs of damage externally, it’s possible that a part of your roof’s structure has worn out, causing your aerial to fall. As a property owner, it’s your responsibility to maintain your roof.

General wear and tear is not covered under any insurance policy. It’s up to you to maintain your property. Your insurance will not pay out if you do not do so. You won’t be able to make a claim to repair your building’s structure, and you’ll have to pay to replace your TV aerial out of pocket.

If you have any queries on your house insurance contact us today!

Get in touch with us today to find out if you have the right level of cover for your property. We are available to talk by phone between 8.30am and 5.30pm each weekday on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.

If you would like an immediate home insurance quote online, input your buildings and content information into our quote system. We compare home insurance in Ireland from 12 insurance companies. We look forward to helping you today.