The AA Home Insurance [Review]

Founded

1905

Company Type

Public limited company

Company Overview

The AA was initially founded in 1905 as the Automobile Association to help drivers of newly-introduced cars. Having since expanded its services considerably, the company offers AA Home Insurance policies along with a range of other financial products.

Today it is a demutualised organisation floated on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250.

As well as car-associated products and services, such as Car Insurance and road maps, The AA also offers financial services products such as Home Insurance, Travel Insurance, Pet Insurance, Life Insurance, Mortgages, credit cards, loans and mortgages.

The AA’s Home Insurance has won a 5 star rating from Defaqto 5 years running.

The AA Home Insurance Review

• The AA Contents Cover includes automatic ‘new for old’ cover – if an item is lost or too damaged to replace, the AA will pay out any amount to buy a new one at current market price
• The AA offer ‘lock and key’ cover; if any locks in your home are broken or keys stolen, they will cover the cost of replacing or repairing them
• A standard Home Insurance policy from The AA offers optional Accidental Loss or Damage Cover for household goods, personal possessions anywhere in the world, and high cost valuables worth more than £1,500 per item
• Standard Buildings Insurance cover from The AA is only available to homes worth up to £1 million
• Neither of The AA’s Home Insurance policies include matching sets cover to cover entire sets of items if one matching item cannot be replaced
• The AA apply a compulsory excess to their Home Insurance: £100 of each incident of loss or damage; £250 for claims for escape of water; and £1,000 in the event of a subsidence, heave or landslip claim

Buildings & Contents Policy Summaries

The AA’s standard Home Insurance policy offers flexible Contents Cover, with limits and cost dependent on which items in your home you would like to insure and for how much.

Review of The AA Home Insurance Cover
Cover	Limit	Availability
Buildings Cover	Unlimited*	Core Option 1
Contents Cover	Unlimited	Core Option 2
Buildings & Contents Cover	Unlimited/Unlimited	Core Option 3
Contents Accidental Damage Cover	£6,000 Limited to £1,000 for contents stored outside on the property	Optional
Personal Possessions Cover	£1,500 per item	Optional
Specified Valuables Cover	Unlimited Minimum value of £1,500 per item	Optional
Bicycle Cover	£1,500 per item Limit of £3,000 per claim if article(s) are stolen from outbuilding or garage	Included
Currency Cover	£750 Lower limit of £500 for debit/credit card fraud	Included
Lock & Key Cover	£1,000	Included
Alternative Accommodation Cover	£25,000	Included
Policy Documents

*Unlimited rebuilding costs providing your home is worth £1 million or less

AA Home Insurance Plus

The AA Home Insurance + Review
Cover	Limit	Availability
Buildings Cover	Unlimited	Core Option 1
Contents Cover	Unlimited	Core Option 2
Buildings & Contents Cover	Unlimited/Unlimited	Core Option 3
Buildings Accidental Damage Cover	Unlimited	Included
Contents Accidental Damage Cover	£6,000 Limited to £1,000 for contents stored outside on the property	Included
Personal Possessions Cover	£5,000 per item	Included
Specified Valuables Cover	Unlimited Minimum value of £5,000 per item	Included
Bicycle Cover	£5,000 per item	Included
Currency Cover	£1,000 Increased limit of £5,000 for debit/credit card fraud	Included
Lock & Key Cover	Unlimited	Included
Alternative Accommodation Cover	£50,000	Included
Policy Documents

While Home Insurance + offers comprehensive cover for valuable homes, compared to a standard policy its lack of options may be less appealing to some applicants. Before deciding whether you need all of the cover provided by The AA’s top policy option, review your home and its contents and decide whether the extra cover is worth the added cost.

Additional Information About The AA

Exclusions

General

Damage or loss associated with:

• Wear and tear, corrosion, rot, or deterioration
• Insects, parasites or vermin
• Acts of terrorism, war, invasion, rebellion or revolution
• Properties owned, used, or held in trust in connection with any business profession or trade
• Pressure waves from aircraft and aerial devices
• Pollution or contamination
• Property being used for illegal activities
• An unfurnished or unoccupied property

Buildings Cover

Damage or loss associated with:

• Property that has been lent, let, sublet or shared
• Repairing or replacing an undamaged item that is part of a matching set

Contents Cover

Damage or loss associated with:

• Cleaning, drying, dyeing, heating or washing
• Theft or attempted theft from unattended vehicles unless items are in a locked covered boot or glove compartment and there is evidence of forced entry

Accidental Loss or Damage Cover

Damage or loss associated with:

• Fungus or mildew
• Aatmospheric or climactic conditions
• Frost or the action of light
• Alterations, repairs, maintenance, restoration, dismantling or renovation
• Cleaning, drying, dyeing, heating or washing
• Faulty design or workmanship or faulty materials
• Mechanical or electrical failures.

Additional Cover & Services

Home Emergency Repair Line

With any AA Home Insurance policy, you will be able to access their Home Emergency Repair Line. If you have urgent repairs that need to be done in your home and need help finding a suitable tradesperson, you can call the Emergency Repair Line and The AA will put you in touch with a suitable, qualified professional.

Home Emergency Cover

This optional cover ties in with the automatically included Emergency Repair Line. As well as having access to the 24 hour helpline, The AA will pay up to £500 per claim towards the cost of your home repairs. There is no limit to the amount of times you can call the helpline and claim for repairs. This cover, however, does not include routine maintenance or repairs to damaged boilers or roofs.

Home Emergency Response

This is an optional add on to The AA’s Home Insurance Plus policy and included if you take out an AA Home Membership. Similar to Home Emergency cover, you will have access to a 24 hour helpline for repairs with the difference being that The AA will cover the cost of your emergency repairs in full, including the cost of parts and labour and VAT.

The AA will also pay out £150 per night for 3 nights to cover alternative accommodation while you are waiting for the repairs to be finished

Legal Expenses

The AA include £50,000 (including VAT) of cover to cover the cost of legal expenses for personal legal matters, such as personal injury claims, contract disputes, employment disputes, and protection of property. In addition, The AA will give you access to a 24 hour helpline for free initial advice on any legal matter and access to a range of free legal documents online.