Will your landlord insurance cover a visit from Santa?

GUEST OBSERVATION

Your tenants and their children may welcome a visit from Santa Claus, but when the jolly red man drops in, it is not without risk to you and your property. 

Here are six insurance scenarios for landlords to consider this festive season:

1. Accidental roof damage 
   
   When nine hefty reindeer land on your roof with a fully-laden sleigh the size of a small car, you’re looking at a load of over 3,000 kilograms – and the potential for serious roof damage.
   
   When you consider Santa has approximately 2.2 billion children to visit, take-offs and landings are necessarily rushed, increasing the risk.
   
   
2. Chimney issues
   
   Even if Santa’s sleigh lands safely without damaging the roof, there are obvious perils in what comes next, particularly when you consider Santa’s considerable girth.
   
   If Santa gets stuck or injured in your chimney, you could be held responsible. His beard alone is thought to be worth millions.
   
   Worse still, you could face a class action from children who failed to receive gifts as a result of an incident on your property.
   
   
3. Fears around ‘Cheers!’
   
   Are your tenants qualified in the responsible service of alcohol? Is your rental property licensed?
   
   These days, it could be considered quite foolhardy to leave alcoholic refreshment for a red-cheeked once-a-year binge drinker. Does your landlord insurance include cover for liability?
   
   
4. Snack attack
   
   In Australia, the weather is hot at Christmas time, and leaving perishable foodstuffs for Santa and/or his reindeer is a foreseeable risk.
   
   Even a small nibble could cause them to come down with food poisoning, with far-reaching and potentially fatal consequences and associated liability risks.
   
   (Please note: leaving food out also increases the risk of vermin – which no landlord insurance policy in Australia will cover.)
   
   
5. Naughty or nice?
   
   Are your tenants naughty or nice? Santa aside, Christmas puts considerable financial strain on household budgets.
   
   If your tenants spend their hard-earned on these things and neglect to pay the rent, quality landlord insurance will see you are covered.
   
   
6. Theft of gifts
   
   Fantastic – Santa’s come and gone, leaving behind hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of gifts beneath the tree.
   
   Your tenants need to know that if these gifts are subsequently stolen your landlord insurance won’t cover the cost of replacements – for that they’ll need their own household contents cover.

 Sharon Fox-Slater is the executive general manager of landlord insurance provider RentCover.