We had a water leak and there are going to be pretty major repairs going on for at least 3 months. They have to replace all the flooring, sheetrock, and the entire kitchen is unusable. We asked insurance about loss of use and they said it doesn’t apply to us. Doesn’t seem right as the house isn’t safe to live in now, much less when the construction begins. Does this not qualify under being unsafe?
This will depend on the verbiage in your policy regarding A.L.E.
Additional Living Expense (A.L.E.) coverage is a standard part of MOST homeowners’ insurance policies. It will cover your additional living expenses, such as food or staying at a hotel, while your home is temporarily uninhabitable after a covered property damage loss.
Without seeing the job, I don’t know what would qualify it being unsafe to live in. Open walls do not necessarily mean it is unsafe. However, if you cannot use your kitchen to make meals that will fall under A.L.E. if you have that coverage. You will need to save your receipts and when you eat out, submit those to your carrier. Some carriers will not relocate you to another residence or hotel unless you do not have a full working bathroom, or this city or county has tagged your house unhabitable.