Damages & Claims

Should I authorise repairs prior to getting Atlas' consent?

Preferably you should ask for a quotation and wait for our approval prior to authorising repairs. However, we do appreciate that under abnormal circumstances a quick decision has to be taken. In this respect, provided you are covered for the damages incurred, you should not find any difficulty being reimbursed. In this case it is important that the damaged items are kept and the amount being claimed is reasonable

What do I do if I want to make a claim?

Please refer to the home claims procedure in our Help and Support section or go to the main menu, select ‘Manage my insurance’ and choose the home option.

In the unfortunate event of a burglary or a large loss due to malicious acts, you must notify the police immediately. Should you have a fire, you must phone the Fire Department (112) immediately. Following this or for any other claim, please notify our Personal Insurance Claims Department on 2343 5381 and we will guide you accordingly. You may also refer to www.atlas.com.mt.

Do I pay an excess if I make a claim?

Yes, you will pay the first €50 of most claims. See the policy document for full details.

What should I do if I am not satisfied with the service I am given?

With the best will in the world, concerns about some aspects of our service can occasionally arise. In such circumstances our staff have wide authority to settle problems and will do everything they can to help. This should be your first point of contact. For further information please refer to our complaints procedure.

Insurance Cover

What is 24/7 HomeHelp?

When you purchase an Atlas HomePlan policy, you are automatically covered for our 24/7 HomeHelp in the event of an emergency where you and/or your family are exposed to a health risk or an event which might potentially cause loss or damage to your home. This emergency assistance is mainly available for sudden plumbing problems, failure of electricity in all or the greater part of your home, loss of the only key to your home and broken or damage windows, all of which could be a potential risk.

Would you have a list of home security suppliers?

Yes, we have a list of home security suppliers. For more information you can call us on 2343 5381.

Who can value my antiques, paintings, silverware and jewellery?

Your antiques and paintings can be valued at a local auction house or antique dealer and your silverware and jewellery can be valued at any certified jeweller in Malta. We can also guide you on how to go about getting your property valued.

What does buildings insurance cover?

Buildings insurance covers the structure of your home including its outbuildings, boundary walls and pools along with any permanent fixtures and fittings like bathrooms, doors, kitchen units and solar/pv panels. It covers the cost of repairing or re-building your home if it’s damaged by flood, fire or any of the other risks covered by the policy. Buildings insurance also includes free public liability as the property owner.

What does contents insurance cover?

Contents insurance covers any of your possessions while they are in your home including large items like furniture, soft furnishings, home entertainment equipment as well as your personal belongings, valuables and money. The Atlas Homeplan Policy replaces or pays for lost or damaged items in your home on a new for old basis (except for clothing and household linen, where a cash sum is paid with a deduction for wear and tear). Cover automatically includes personal liability to the public and to domestic employees.

What is the difference between my buildings and my contents?

Everything you would take with you if you were to move house would be classified as contents, while the rest of the structure plus all finishing works, fixtures and fittings (including fitted kitchens) would be classified as part of the building. For further information relating to the items covered under our building/contents cover, please refer to our policy document.

How much should I insure my home for?

We leave these values entirely up to you and we do not need to assess these ourselves.

Buildings: The sum insured you choose must be enough to cover the cost of rebuilding your home including fixtures, fittings, interior decorations, boundary walls and the like (the market value of the land on which your house is built should not be included). You should also add on an extra amount to cover demolition costs, architects and surveyor’s fees.

Contents: You need to consider all the possessions within your home, and how much it would cost to replace them with new ones today, except for clothing and linen which will be subject to deductions for wear and tear. Use our valuation guide to help you to come up with an overall amount.

Should you require assistance, you can download our value guide.

Can I insure my home and its contents for accidental damage?

We will automatically provide a basic level of accidental cover for both your buildings and contents insurance as follows:

Buildings Insurance: our standard cover includes accidental damage to underground pipes and cables, fixed glass, and sanitary fixtures and fittings (e.g. baths, shower trays, sinks etc.). By choosing our extra accidental damage for buildings option you can extend this cover to include accidental damage to the rest of your buildings provided that the Building is not over 25 years old.

Contents Insurance: Our standard cover includes accidental damage to your radios, television sets (including digital set top boxes and satellite receivers) and computers, games, recording and audio equipment, mirrors and fixed glass. Your cover can be increased if you take out the Extra Accidental Damage cover. This extends the basic accidental damage to include cover for most contents and soft furnishings, like curtains and sofas for breakage and spillage e.g. if you spill a glass of red wine on your carpet you will be covered.

What does ‘new for old’ mean?

New for old means that we will replace the item(s) you are claiming for with new ones of the same make & specification. The only exception is clothing and household linen.

What are valuables?

Valuables are

Coin, stamp and medal collections

Paintings, pictures and other works of art

Articles of gold, silver and other precious metals

Jewellery, watches and furs

The Homeplan policy automatically covers the valuables in your home up to one-third of the total contents value. If your valuables make up more than one-third of the value of your contents you need to inform us. Valuations for individual items would only be required if they cost €3,500 or over.

Can I cover certain items outside my home?

Yes, we can insure certain items (referred to as personal belongings) such as jewellery, watches, cameras and similar items away from your home. Such cover will automatically insure them for up to 15 days while you are travelling in Europe. Worldwide cover is also available. Valuations on such items exceeding €750 would be required for record purposes. Please feel free to ask us for more details. Extra premium would be charged on this type of insurance.

Are my credit cards covered?

Yes, we will cover you for any liability following loss of credit cards anywhere in the world for up to €2,500.

What do I need to be aware of?

Your home must be in Malta or Gozo and be used purely for residential purposes

You need to tell us if you rent out your property or if you use it for commercial business - we can offer you cover but policy conditions might be different

We need to know if there is history of flooding involving your home or if there have been any previous claims

We also need to know if your home is left unoccupied for more than 90 consecutive days in the year

What are the main items not covered?

Any losses due to fluctuation of the electrical supply/ power surges, faulty design, materials and workmanship, deterioration, wear and tear, vermin, rot, climatic or atmospheric conditions or gradually operating causes

Any loss that occurred before the insurance commenced

Cleaning, maintenance, repairs, setting up or dismantling

Depreciation in value following any loss and/or repairs

For complete policy exclusions, please do ask us or refer to the policy document.