No, house insurance does not cover rodent damage in most cases. Rodents, such as rats, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks, can cause significant damage to your home and belongings.
They can chew through wires, pipes, insulation, wood, furniture, and clothing. They can also contaminate your food and water sources, and spread diseases and parasites.
However, most standard house insurance policies exclude rodent damage from their coverage, meaning that you will have to pay for the repairs and replacements out of your own pocket.
What is Rodent Damage?
Rodent damage is any harm caused by rodents to your property or health. Rodents are small mammals that have sharp teeth and claws and can gnaw on almost anything. Some of the common damage caused by rats and other rodents are:
- Electrical damage: Rodents can chew through electrical wires and cables, causing short circuits, power outages, fire hazards, and damage to appliances and electronics.
- Plumbing damage: Rodents can chew through pipes and hoses, causing leaks, floods, water damage, and mold growth.
- Structural damage: Rodents can chew through wood, drywall, insulation, and other materials, causing holes, cracks, and weakening of the walls, floors, ceilings, and foundations of your home.
- Personal property damage: Rodents can chew through furniture, clothing, books, documents, and other items, causing loss of value and functionality.
- Health damage: Rodents can contaminate your food and water sources with their urine, feces, saliva, and blood, causing food poisoning, infections, and diseases. They can also carry fleas, ticks, mites, and worms, which can transmit diseases and parasites to you and your pets.
When Home Insurance Will Cover Rodent Damage?
While standard home insurance generally excludes rodent damage and infestations, there are specific circumstances where they might cover it under two categories:
Accidental Damage Caused by Rodents
- Secondary damage: If rodent activity leads to secondary damage, like chewed wires causing a fire or a pipe leak due to gnawing, your insurance might cover the resulting damage (fire, water) but not the rodent activity itself.
- Sudden and accidental events: Some policies might cover sudden and accidental damage caused by rodents like a large tree branch falling due to rodents chewing and damaging your roof. However, this is rare and depends on the specific wording of your policy.
Structural Damage Caused by Infestation
- Covered perils: If your policy explicitly lists “vermin infestation” or “rodent damage” as covered perils, then damage caused by them would be covered. However, this is highly unusual and most policies exclude it.
- Add-on coverage: Some insurers offer optional add-on coverage for rodent or pest infestations. This would cover the cost of extermination and potential repairs directly attributable to the infestation.
How to Prevent Rodent Damage in Your Home?
The best way to avoid rodent damage is to prevent rodents from entering and infesting your home in the first place. Here are some tips on how to prevent rodent damage in your home:
- Inspect your house, roof, and attic regularly for signs of rodent activity, such as droppings, gnaw marks, holes, nests, and noises. If you find any evidence of rodents, act quickly to eliminate them and seal the entry points.
- Properly seal any gaps, cracks, or holes in your walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, vents, pipes, and wires, using materials that rodents cannot chew through, such as metal, concrete, or steel wool.
- Keep a clean and organized home, by removing any clutter, trash, or debris that can provide shelter or food for rodents. Store your food and water in sealed containers, and dispose of your garbage regularly and securely. Clean up any spills or crumbs immediately, and wash your dishes and utensils after use.
- Use traps, baits, or repellents to catch or deter rodents from your home. Follow the instructions and precautions carefully, and dispose of the dead rodents safely and hygienically. Alternatively, you can hire a professional pest control service to handle the rodent problem for you.
- Check your insurance policy and review your coverage options. If you are concerned about rodent damage, you may want to consider adding or upgrading your coverage to include rodent damage, or to increase your limits or deductibles. You may also want to compare different policies and providers and shop around for the best deal and service.
