I’ve spent £15,000 on Airbnbs since my home flooded but Axa won’t cover the costs: SALLY SORTS IT

While away on holiday in August last year, a pipe ruptured in the bathroom of my rented property.

The downstairs rooms were flooded, the ceiling collapsed, the floors buckled and the house was rendered uninhabitable.

My rental contract states that in the event of such incidents, alternative accommodation will be provided through the landlord’s insurer, Axa.

But the insurer told me I would have to make a claim for these costs on my Admiral contents cover. Admiral told me it was a buildings insurance matter. I have spent about £15,000 on hotels and Airbnbs for myself and my two young children.

S.C., Buckinghamshire

Sally Hamilton replies: Having been through a similar flooding disaster myself last year, I sympathise with your predicament. I was lucky that it was cut and dried from the start that my building insurer would pay for temporary accommodation while repairs were carried out and, as I didn’t have to move out immediately, I had time to plan.

Your case was more complex as you are a tenant, and with the place uninhabitable, had to decamp almost straight away while your landlord made the insurance claim.

However, you felt you were on solid ground as you had it in black and white in your contract that the cost of temporary lodgings would be met via the landlord’s insurer.

But Axa was dragging its heels. You first contacted me in October last year, more than six weeks after the escape of water blighted your home.

You had expected Axa to step in and resolve matters quickly, but instead you were left to fend for yourself and move from place to place, spending thousands on top of your usual rent for the uninhabitable home.

All in all, you moved ten times, including staying in one property where you had to sleep in a child’s bed even though you are 6ft 2in. It was unsettling for you and your children, who are aged nine and 12.

The situation was more challenging because your landlord lives in Australia, and at first you weren’t permitted to discuss matters directly with Axa.

Your biggest concern was having to terminate the tenancy, because the rented home was perfect for you and your children’s schooling.

When a rented home becomes uninhabitable, owners with landlord’s insurance are typically covered for their lost income if the incident results in the tenancy being ended early.

Some policies, as with your landlord’s Axa plan, offer the choice to the policyholder of meeting alternative accommodation costs for the tenants instead.

The latter option is more hassle for the landlord and potentially more expensive for the insurer, but if an owner has good tenants and does not want to let them down, then it is prudent to have this cover.

I would suggest all tenants check their agreements to ensure that such costs would be met if the worst happens.

Some landlords without this cover may waive rent if they can afford to while repairs are completed, while others may simply end a tenancy.

For policyholders to qualify for alternative accommodation cover, their tenants must typically continue to pay rent as normal – as you have done.

You also worried that if you stopped, the cover would be invalidated and you would never get back the £15,000 already forked out on Airbnbs.

I asked Axa to explain what was delaying its decision on meeting these costs and helping you find a more suitable temporary abode. My questioning fired it into action and a few days later it suggested that issues had arisen while checking out whether your Admiral contents policy would meet the bills.

Some policies offer alternative accommodation cover, though these usually provide a far lower sum than buildings policies.

It shouldn’t have taken so many weeks to find out that you weren’t covered by Admiral. (As an aside, you said you were impressed with Admiral, with it swiftly meeting your five-figure contents claim).

Following my intervention, Axa finally clarified that it was responsible for reimbursing your Airbnb bills as well as meeting future housing costs until you can return to your rental home. Just before Christmas you settled into a property for which Axa has paid £24,000 in advance for a 12-month tenancy.

When we caught up last week you said you have finally had your £15,000 reimbursed. You thanked me profusely and said, ‘What do others do without a Sally to help?’

An Axa spokesman says: ‘We are very sorry for the delays with confirming alternative accommodation for S.C. We will continue to provide support until he is able to return to his home.’ Axa has also paid you £500 as an apology.

I can’t access £6,000 in my eBay account

I have an issue with eBay, which is causing an enormous amount of stress. The company suspended an old account I held due to a small sum outstanding from 2018 – and now won’t let me access around £6,000 held in a newer account. I need the money for upcoming expenses including a holiday deposit.

E.G., West Dunbartonshire.

Sally Hamilton replies: You told me you had sold two watches via the marketplace through your newer account, with the buyer paying £6,041 promptly. They were happy with their purchases.

It turned out eBay had blocked access because of a £181 debt dating back seven years.

You say you have no recollection of what this was for but offered to pay it to have the restrictions lifted.

EBay agreed and said it would send you a payment link – but this never arrived.

You attempted four or five times to get this sorted.  But the customer chat service made no progress, and as time waits for no man (or customer services rep) you contacted me for help.

Within two days eBay issued a new payment link, you paid the debt and had access to your £6,041. Better late than never.

• Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk — include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.