Condo Smarts June 10, 2025
Marble Floors

Dear Tony: We purchased a large ground floor unit with extensive patio areas in 2022. Within the unit we made a significant number of renovations, including marble floors, granite counters and oak cabinets, reflective custom floor lighting, and costly wall paper. Our building had a significant flood from a cracked toilet tank recently, and most of our unit being the lower level, suffered the damages along with sewer back up into the living areas. The owners were away at the time. Because the damages included sewer back up, our policy that we purchased on line, did not include any coverage, and now we are reassessing the cost of renovations and whether to pursue damages against the offending strata unit? Please tell your readers: make sure your home owner policy includes sewer back up to cover all your personal property and renovations! Craig

Dear Craig: Many owners get caught by the details of their home owner policies. Sewer back up is not necessarily excluded, it’s just not always included in every policy. Homeowners, landlords and tenants are purchasing their policies at a growing rate on line without realizing the risks. Insurance brokers are one of your best resources. Policies are not cheaper on line, and if they are, there is likely a limit, exemption or exclusion you are unaware of. It is the responsibility of owners and landlords to purchase insurance that covers their personal property, personal liability and any improvements or betterments made by the owner or previous owners in the strata lot. With the growing number of heat pumps and split AC units being installed, those also need to be added to your home owner policies. Unless they were purchased and installed by the strata corporation or owner developer, they are not an asset of the corporation and the owner’s responsibility to insure. In the situation where there may be a total loss of a building, the betterments are still the sole responsibility of each owner, and in the event of a settlement, they are not reflected in the strata policy or distribution of funds. Betterments are still a claim of each owner. Strata corporations are required to report on their insurance to owners as part of the annual general meeting. The report generally consists of the summary document. Owners are advised to bring the document to their insurance broker and determine what coverage is available, what improvements are in the strata lot, personal property that may be of value, including the appliances in the strata lot, and personal liability. Consider the diverse geography, climate and building designs in our province. Will your policy cover sewer backup or flood, tidal surge, slope shift or a share of a deductible your strata corporation may levy or that may be your responsibility?

tony@choa.bc.ca

Tony Gioventu, Executive Director CHOA
Kindly note CHOA is a member-based, non-profit association. If your strata is not currently a CHOA member please consider joining – membership details are posted on our website at: https://www.choa.bc.ca/about-choa/join-choa/