Water damage: finding the cause and documenting the claim

First steps

1. 1.Stop the water: turn off the main valve, or the one for the appliance concerned.
2. 2.Switch off the electricity in affected rooms if water is near sockets or appliances.
3. 3.Photograph the damage before moving or cleaning anything.
4. 4.Notify your insurer within the time limit set by your policy, and your neighbour or building manager (syndic) if other flats are affected.
5. 5.Keep damaged items until the assessment.

Why the cause matters so much

Cover often depends on where the water comes from: a private pipe, a common part of the building, a neighbouring flat, water ingress through the roof, sewer backflow. Each case may fall under a different policy or a different party. Until the cause is precisely established, the claim can stall. Our guide Water leak in Luxembourg: who pays? covers each situation.

That is why we start by locating the leak, with non-destructive methods, before assessing the damage.

What we do

• locating the leak or the water ingress;
• recording the damage: photos, moisture measurements, extent of the affected area;
• report within 72 hours, ready to send to your insurer;
• loss assessment, on behalf of an insurance company or as an independent adjuster on your side.