Property - commercial
Why I’m dreaming of subsidence this Christmas
Editor’s View: Rather than our days being merry and bright, this Christmas looks set to be wet and windy rather than white, causing Emma Ann Hughes to dream of subsidence rather than snowman building this December.
Portion of buildings underinsured falls to six-year low
The percentage of UK buildings that are underinsured has fallen to its lowest level for at least six years, but remains “unacceptably high”, according to data from valuations provider Rebuild Cost Assessment.
Blog: Vacant properties – don’t let the risks move in
With empty homes up 10% in five years and the proportion of high street retail premises left vacant hitting a one in seven all-time high, RiskSTOP’s David Reynolds reminds us of the key steps in managing unoccupied buildings.
Dagenham blaze highlights ongoing high-rise fire safety problems
After a fire tore through a multi-storey building in Dagenham, East London, insurers have observed new notifications regarding building fire safety defects continue to trickle in, and cladding problems highlighted by the Grenfell Tower blaze remain.
Circular economy: A fresh approach to property repairs
Nick Turner, head of surveying at Woodgate & Clark, on the steps that need to be taken for insurers to adopt the circular economy in property repairs.
Property insurance payouts hit record quarterly high
Insurers paid £1.4bn in claims for property damage during the second quarter of the year, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Addressing the fire risk of rooftop solar panels
After an increase in fires involving solar photovoltaic systems, largely in residential installations, Rob Murton, senior development underwriter for Ventis Insurance, and Lee Masson, managing director at Halliwell Forensics, examine how insurers can…
Claims ‘hell’ with Policy Expert causes mother to set up group
A mother-of-two, who has been through a 17-month battle with Policy Expert following a fire at her home, has set up an action group to help “other families going through hell with claims.”
Insurers need to unlock the mass-timber revolution
Judith Schulz, fire safety engineering lead at Arup, tackles what insurers need to know about mass-timber risks.
Use ‘data explosion’ to make property claims more predictable
Lessons could be learned from the motor sector in terms of making property insurance data more standardized to help with predictability and clarity around claims.
Q&A: Marc Lewis, Ecclesiastical
Marc Lewis, underwriting director for the UK for Ecclesiastical, reveals how the insurer is embracing artificial intelligence plus its plans to grow the casualty business.
Why asbestos should be in the conversations at renewal
Martin Parker, head of construction underwriting for the UK at specialist insurer Markel, highlights the increasing risk to the many contractors not exposed to the height of the asbestos crisis in the 1970s and 1980s.
Diary of an Insurer: Lisa Usman, McLarens
Lisa Usman, adjuster and conservation specialist at McLarens, helps a museum hit by a storm, tackles broken glass, tries to save soaked photographs and meets with restorers.
Should UK insurers brace for more strong tornadoes?
After homes in Manchester were torn apart by Storm Gerrit, Tegwen Gabb, senior weather and climate analyst at Eurotempest, examines whether tornadoes could become increasingly frequent in the UK and the consequences for the insurance industry.
ABI still 40% short of capacity for fire safety scheme
The Association of British Insurers’ Fire Safety Reinsurance Scheme, designed by McGill and Partners, is still some way off launching, despite numerous claims it would be ready by the end of summer 2023.
Vandals continue to target heritage buildings
Nine out of 10 heritage organisations have experienced crime within the space of 12 months, according to research commissioned by Ecclesiastical.
Questions remain as more brokers sign leasehold pledge
Seven more broking firms have signed up to the leasehold commission pledge in association with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Podcast: How climate change is transforming insurance
Climate change means the areas impacted by subsidence will double by 2050, and double again by 2080, Heikki Vesanto, manager for GIS data science at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, has warned.
Why generative AI is a commercial insurance game-changer
Andy Moss, co-founder and CEO of Send, on how artificial intelligence isn't the future of commercial insurance but an already embedded part of operations today.
Axa reveals how it is already using AI
To kick off Insurance Post’s AI Week, Dougie Barnett, director of mid-market and customer risk management at Axa Commercial, exclusively reveals how the provider has used artificial intelligence to complete tasks in hours rather than months.
Storm Babet to cost insurers at least £450m
Fresh estimates from PWC calculate the costs of damage due to the severe weather caused by storm Babet to be between £450m and £650m.