Following the hot summer, Gallagher strongly recommend that as part of your usual inspections, you take the time to have a look inside and outside of the property. This is particularly important if there is any tree within metres of the damage and you are in an area of clay soil.
Clay minerals attract and absorb water, so the more clay the soil contains, the greater potential there is for subsidence as the soil dries and shrinks. Early notification is key so that the ground movement can be monitored quickly and efficient engineering programmes and repairs put into place. What's on Practical Law?
Show less Show more. Who picks up the liability for subsidence where it was discovered during the ownership of the previous owner: the previous owner or the current owner?
Ask a question. Practical Law may have moderated questions and answers before publication. The most common causes of subsidence are leaking drains and tree roots. Property owners should ensure that drains are regularly serviced and vegetation is maintained at a suitable size.
Both may require professional advice from a drain expert and a arboriculturalist. Subsidence tends to be noticed in areas of weakness around a property, such as around windows and doors. It certainly seems that we may be facing a future with an increase in extremes of weather, whether that results in an increase in hot dry summers is yet to be seen.
However there is a focus on how far the law is willing to make a third party liable for natural events such as subsidence and flooding. I anticipate that there will be an increasing need for the Court to address these issues into the future. What use can insurers make of AI to help speed up the handling of their subsidence claims? Where insurance claims rise exponentially as a result of a natural event, such as a subsidence surge year, insurers will want to utilise as many efficiencies as possible to effectively deal with the influx of claims whilst ensuring a positive customer journey for their insured.
We recommend that you plant any trees of shrubs as far away from your property as the expected height of the fully-grown plant.
Removing the roots can lead to instability and water-logging, creating the ideal conditions for subsidence! Instead of removing it, make sure that the tree is regularly pruned back to prevent the roots from growing too deep or too far to cause damage. You should speak to a tree surgeon to help you decide on the best way to do this. The ground beneath your house can become water-logged because of rain or flooding, but it can also be caused by leakage and water escape.
If you think you have a subsidence problem, the first thing you should do is contact your insurer. They will be able to advise on what to do next, but the next step will probably be to contact a chartered surveyor who will help you identify the cause. Here are some of the solutions they might suggest. You should then monitor whether the symptoms of subsidence such as cracks in the wall continue or stop.
Underpinning is the most extreme and expensive course of action. Underpinning is when you excavate the ground beneath your property and replace it with materials that are less likely to subside. The complications associated with subsidence can bring the price of a property down by as much as 20 per cent.
But remember, that saving comes with some serious risks attached. Whether you decide to risk it or not, you should always ask for as much information as possible from the estate agent and the sellers. You could also get a speculative insurance quote to see whether there are any premiums attached to the area. Those that are happy to will probably want some kind of guarantee that they will be safe, such as evidence of corrective work.
They may also use the subsidence to negotiate down the rental price of the property. Get more information on buying, selling and letting a property with subsidence.
This varies from insurer to insurer, but we will cover properties with subsidence issues. However, like any insurer, we will need all of the information relating to the problem so that we can price it into our cover. Are you looking for more information on subsidence?
Download our free infographic on buying, selling and letting a property with a history of subsidence. A comprehensive policy such as our Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance Essential and Premier policies will cover all of the costs to repair damage caused by subsidence. Landlord FAQs Or call us on 63 43 Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website.
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What are the signs of subsidence?
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