EQC Insurance

Making a Claim

Natural Disaster Damage

  • 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).
  • 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).
  • 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 still unsure about your insurance cover, please call us anyway and we will do all we can to check it for you.

You do not have EQCover if your fire insurance policy has lapsed or been cancelled.

 

The following are not insured by EQCover:

  1. Any items excluded in your home and/or contents/fire insurance policies;
  2. Intangible property, for example, information stored on a computer;
  3. Jewellery, precious stones, money, works of art, securities, documents or stamps;
  4. Motor vehicles, or the parts or accessories of a motor vehicle;
  5. Trailers, or the parts or accessories of a trailer;
  6. Boats, or the parts or accessories of a boat;
  7. Aircraft or anything in or on an aircraft;
  8. Explosives;
  9. Any bush, forest, tree, plant or lawn;
  10. Growing crops (including fruit trees and vines) or cut crops in the open fields;
  11. Animals, including livestock and pets;
  12. Tennis courts, whether inside or outside and whatever the surface;
  13. Jetties, wharves or landings;
  14. Roads, streets, drives or paths;
  15. Retaining walls, bridges or culverts more than 8 metres from your home, or if they are on the main driveway, more than 60 metres from your home;
  16. Dams, breakwaters, moles, groynes, fences, poles or walls;
  17. Drains, channels, tunnels or cuttings;
  18. Reservoirs, swimming pools, baths, spa pools, tanks or water towers;
  19. Burglary, theft or vandalism following an earthquake or natural disaster;
  20. The costs of staying somewhere else temporarily after an earthquake or natural disaster.

Items 16, 17 and 18 will be insured if they are part of the building which is your home.

Any of the above items might be insured by your own insurance policy. You should check your policy to see if that is the case or alternatively ask your insurance agent or insurance company.

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