New Orleans Bat Removal Tip:

Home Insurance Policy and Bat Damages

Those who have experienced any animal infestation in their house knows how overwhelming and upsetting the situation can be. Something as complex as bat invasion will be difficult to address and the mess that they will leave behind can make your place unsanitary and unhealthy. The damages that bats can cause can lead to costly repairs. You are probably wondering if their damages are covered under the home insurance policy.

Bat Damages and Your Home Insurance Policy

The standard home insurance policy is designed to protect your investment against several perils. This will include wind damage, theft, fire, etc. According to the contract, the homeowners is expected to observe diligence when they are maintaining their property. Except when the bats invaded your house on manners that are covered under the policy, then you will have to shoulder the cost of the repairs and removals.

The Policy

First, you will need to determine the type of policy that you have. If you are carrying a named-peril type of policy, then it is highly unlikely that you will be covered by the damage that the bat will cause. However, for those who are enrolled on the all-risk coverage, then there is a possibility that the insurance agency will shoulder the expenses related with bat infestation. If you carefully ready the homeowner's insurance policy, there is a section that states the exclusion of the bats damages. According to the standard policy, damages caused by birds, insects, vermin, and rodent are not included in the policy. Depending on how your agency define the term 'vermin', bat damages may or may not be covered.

Are Bats Vermin?

If we refer to the definition in the dictionary, bats are considered mammals that belongs in the order of Chiroptera. This simply means that they cannot be considered as insect, birds, or rodents. However, are the bats considered as vermin? According to its definition, vermin refers to small, objectionable, and harmful creature such as fleas. They can also be creatures that will compete with domestic animals and humans. They can also be mammal or birds that will prey on the game animals. Judging by these definitions, I do not think that bat can be considered as vermin. Bats will not compete against human and animals for food since they are mostly insectivores.

How to Know That You Are Covered

The home insurance policy will protect homeowners for a damage that happens on a one-time identifiable incident. This means that you are expected to observe due diligence to ensure that your policy will cover you against bat damages. For instance, a bat damage that has been persist for a long time will definitely not be covered under the policy. You need to prove that you are doing something to control the damages to be qualified.

To ensure that you are protected against the damages of nuisance creatures, you need to talk to your insurance agent. Let them explain the parts that you don't understand and do not hesitate to ask for questions.