Temporary accommodation

• Who will I work with on my claim? 

  Published 23 April 2013

  Temporary accommodation, contents and loss of rent claims are also dealt with by dedicated teams, but you may not work with the same staff member throughout the process. 

• What do I need to do to get my temporary accommodation claim approved? 

  Published 18 February 2013

  You will need to email, fax or post us the following information:

  1. Two quotes for temporary accommodation - that you have found
  2. Two quotes for storage and removal (if not covered by EQC/Fletchers)

  Once we have this information, have confirmed your policy entitlements, the dates the house repairs/rebuild are taking place and checked that the accommodation quotes are reasonable, we can approve your claim immediately.

• When should I contact Southern Response about getting my temporary accommodation approved? 

  Published 18 February 2013

  Please do not leave it until the week before you have to vacate your house before you contact us.

• How do I contact the temporary accommodation team? 

  Published 18 February 2013

  You can call the team on 0800 501 525 or email us at tempaccom@southernresponse.co.nz If your call is forwarded to our answer phone, please leave a detailed message as these are checked regularly and one of the team will return your call to help progress your claim.

• What temporary accommodation costs will Southern Response pay? 

  Updated 14 March 2013

  Published 14 January 2013

  Southern Response will pay for reasonable accommodation costs for you and your immediate family residing with you. This allowance also covers kennel or cattery fees for your domestic pets.

  (Please note that your entitlement depends on the type(s) of policy(ies) you held when the earthquake(s) took place.)

   

  If you have an Advanced Contents Cover policy

  Southern Response will pay up to a maximum of $2000 for reasonable storage costs at a storage facility approved by Southern Response. We will continue your insurance cover while your household contents are at the approved storage facility.

  Southern Response may also pay reasonable costs towards moving your household contents to the approved storage facility and the cost of returning your household contents to your house (this may also be covered under your house policy.)

  And if you choose to put your household contents in a storage facility, you will need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover for the period your contents are in storage.

  If you have a Premier or Market Value House cover policy and have chosen to rebuild or repair with Southern Response

  Southern Response will pay for removal costs under either of these AMI house policies. You need to provide us with two removal quotes. When we approve one of these quotes, we will contact the removal company to confirm the quote and to ask them to invoice us directly. We will advise you which quote we have accepted and the removal company will then contact you directly to make all other arrangements.

  If a packing cost is included in the removal quotes, we will also cover this. Alternatively, if you wish to claim for costs spent on doing your own packing, we will reimburse actual costs incurred e.g. purchase of boxes and other packing material.

  There is no cover for storage of your household contents under these AMI policies. If you choose to put your household contents in a storage facility, you will need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover.

  If you elect our Cash Settlement or Buy Another House option, there is no cover for removal cost.

  If you have Standard or Premier Contents cover policy

  You may be eligible for removal cover but it will depend on what kind of AMI house policy you have. If you do not have an AMI house policy, there is no AMI removal cover.

  AMI Standard and Premier Contents policies do not cover your contents while they are in storage. Whether you choose to store your household contents in a storage facility or another location of your choice, you need to liaise with AMI directly to get further insurance cover.

  In all cases you are responsible for the payment of any tenancy bond your landlord may require .

• What does ‘unfit to live in’ mean? 

  Your house (whether you own or rent it) could be unfit to live in if the extent of the damage means it is not fit or safe for normal domestic occupancy. This considers whether the occupants can eat, sleep and live hygienically and safely in the house given the damage.

• When are you entitled to a temporary accommodation allowance? 

  • When your house is deemed to be unfit to live in
  • If Southern Response requires you to leave your house to carry out building work

  Please contact Southern Response to discuss your temporary accommodation options.

• How much is your temporary accommodation allowance? 

  You are entitled to a maximum temporary accommodation allowance of up to 25% of the contents sum insured. For example, if you had $60,000 contents insurance, you have up to $15,000 available for temporary accommodation costs.

• How will your temporary accommodation allowance be paid? 

  Either directly to you in increments so that you can pay your landlord or Southern Response will pay directly upon receipt of an invoice. This will be discussed with you.

• How long are you entitled to a temporary accommodation allowance for? 

  The term of the temporary accommodation allowance, provided under your AMI Contents policy, has been extended. The maximum allowance of 25% of your sum insured can now be used over a 12 month period, rather than the 6 month period shown on your Contents policy.

  This 12 month period is cumulative rather than consecutive. For example, if you move in with a family member for a few months and you are not claiming any temporary accommodation allowance from Southern Response, then this period is not counted towards your 12 month entitlement.

• If you are in temporary accommodation does this mean your house will be rebuilt? 

  No. Whether your house is unfit to live in does not determine whether it can be repaired or not. Only a Detailed Repair / Rebuild Analysis (DRA) will determine if it is repairable.

• Who is responsible for finding your temporary accommodation? 

  You are required to find your own temporary accommodation. However, you need to confirm the length of temporary accommodation required prior to signing any contract that will tie you in to a longer term lease.

• What type of temporary accommodation is suitable? 

  As your circumstances will vary depending on the type and extent of damage you have at your house, you should contact Southern Response on 0800 501 525 to discuss your accommodation needs.

  If you are staying with friends or family, Southern Response will consider providing part of your temporary accommodation allowance for that accommodation. You will need to discuss your situation with Southern Response as part of accessing your temporary accommodation allowance.

• When will your temporary accommodation allowance end? 

  When any of the following occur:

  • You return to your home; or
  • You move into permanent accommodation (ie, if you purchase a new home or find a new permanent rental); or
  • You have exhausted your 25% contents sum insured allowance; or
  • You have exhausted the maximum cumulative period (12 months) for temporary accommodation

• What happens when your temporary accommodation allowance under your Contents policy runs out? 

  The Government established the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service (CETAS) as a temporary accommodation service and financial assistance initiative. Once your temporary accommodation allowance under your Contents policy has been used, you can apply for additional accommodation assistance through this initiative.

  For more information or to download their application form

  • visit www.quakeaccommodation.govt.nz, or
  • phone 0800 673 227, or
  • visit one of their service offices.