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Compare home insurance policies that provide cover for deliberate damage done to your home or its contents.
Malicious damage is harm, or vandalism, that’s done intentionally to your home or its contents.
Unlike accidental damage in home insurance, which covers mishaps such as spilling a glass of red wine onto the carpet, vandalism and malicious damage deals with acts done in a deliberate attempt to cause harm.
In home insurance, this can include anything from someone purposefully smashing your windows to daubing your walls with graffiti.
Most home buildings and contents insurance policies cover damage to your home, or the contents of your home or garden that’s done deliberately and maliciously.
This is providing that the damage hasn't been done by you, family members living in your home or by paying tenants or guests.
You could also be excluded from making a claim if you’ve been negligent in any way. For example, if you left your home unattended with the windows open or doors unlocked and vandals entered your property causing malicious damage.
In most cases, a home insurance policy won’t cover you for loss or damage caused by vandalism if you leave your home unoccupied for more than the period shown in your policy - usually around 30 consecutive days.
A vacant property can be an easy target for vandals. So be sure to ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your home, get a friend to visit periodically and increase security measures if you’re going to leave your property empty for any length of time.
In home insurance terms, vandalism is classified as acts that cause intentional, malicious damage or destruction to your property or its contents. This could include deliberate acts such as:
If you’re unfortunate enough to have your home or property intentionally damaged by someone, you should:
There are steps you can take to deter vandals, including:
Bright lighting can deter vandals from causing damage. Put up security lights with motion-activated sensors to illuminate dark areas of your property
A burglar alarm and CCTV system make your home less of an appealing target
Strategically plant prickly bushes and shrubs to act as a boundary to your property
Adding a layer of security film to your windows gives them extra protection and strength against breakage
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