Natural Disaster Damage
- Am I covered by the Earthquake Commission?
- What should I do about the mess & damage to my property?
- How to make a claim
Am I covered by the Earthquake Commission?
- If you have current home and/or contents insurance, you also have the Earthquake Commission’s cover.
- EQC covers damage to residential property* caused by the following perils:
- Earthquake
- Landslip
- Tsunami
- Volcanic eruption
- Hydrothermal activity
- Storm or flood (land only – not the property on it)
- Fire following any of the above.
* Residential property is your home, its contents and the land immediately surrounding the dwelling (within limits).
For more information on EQC’s cover click here.
What should I do about the mess & damage to my property?
If possible take photos before moving anything.
You can make temporary repairs for safety or to prevent further damage or discomfort.
You can get essential services like toilets and water systems repaired immediately but keep everything the repairer replaces (and keep a copy of the bill).
You can clean up spillages or crockery and glass breakages (but don’t throw anything not perishable away yet).
You can dispose of perishables like ruined or spilt food. (List the items as you bury, burn or dump them).
How to make a claim
- Claims can be lodged with EQC by calling our free-phone on 0800 326 243 at any time. If our lines are busy please keep trying. Staff are dealing with claims as quickly as possible. You can also lodge a claim online by clicking here.
- You have 3 months to lodge a claim from the time the event occurred.
- When you call EQC, we will ask you who you are insured with and for your idea of the extent of damage. We will then let you know whether someone will call to help with your claim, or whether you can go ahead and get the repair done. We will follow this up in writing.
- If you are unsure about your insurance cover, please call us anyway and we will do all we can to check it for you.
Click here for more information on making a claim with EQC.