Beware Spotty Mold Insurance Coverage

Owners with mold in the home may face a double-whammy: Their insurance policy may not cover the damage it’s caused.

Mold needs water or moisture to grow, but not all causes of water damage are covered by homeowners’ policies, reports the Illinois Department of Insurance. Standard homeowners policies don’t cover water damage caused by “maintenance” problems, such as continuous or repeated water seepage or leakage, humidity or condensation problems, or landscaping or drainage problems. Homeowners policies also exclude water damage caused by floods.

The best way to avoid an iffy insurance claim for mold? Heading off mold before it takes hold. Help owners do that by posting to your website a free article, How to Kill and Prevent Bathroom Mold, from the REALTOR^® Content Resource. It’s one of five free articles now available in the September “Stretch Home Repair/Remodel Dollars” article package.

You can also post to your website (or your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter feed; add to your e-newsletter; email; or brand, print, and hand-deliver) any of about 1,000 always-free home listing, selling, and ownership articles. Just search the REALTOR^® Content Resource by keyword or topic for other content ranging from home improvement and maintenance to taxes and finance.

While you’re adding REALTOR^® Content Resource materials to your marketing communications, be careful not to download photos or videos on the site. The REALTOR^® Content Resource doesn’t have permission to allow others to use them, and owners of the images actively search online — and charge violators for — unauthorized uses. Learn more in the Reprint Rights Policy.

The REALTOR^® Content Resource is brought to you by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®. With it, you can download free home ownership content from HouseLogic to your marketing materials.