10 surprising things you didn't know your house insurance covers

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Home insurance claims take presctiption the rise in Canada.

In the past decade, the Insurance Bureau of Canada points out that property claims as a percentage of all insurance claims have risen from 24.4% to 39.3%. Most of this is due to the fact that in Canada, disasters like floods, drought and fires are increasing more frequent and much more intense.

As increasingly more Canadians are being forced to put in claims, they're discovering that their insurance doesn't always cover everything. If your tree falls on your home, for example, insurers could possibly get out of spending money on repairs whether it's found the tree was rotting and you neglected to take action.

That being said, when the time comes to make claims, many Canadians could be surprised at what their insurance actually covers. In the end, reading insurance documents could be dull, and memorizing all you have covered is near impossible.

So we pulled together 10 surprising things that your insurance can cover, based on items that fall under coverage from providers like Aviva, Economical Insurance, and The Co-operators.

1. Spoiled food

Say you're at work and a power surge knocks your fridge, leaving the meals inside to spoil while you are away. Then chances are you can be reimbursed for losses for approximately $500. Your mini fridge from college finally kicks the bucket?… Sorry, that's not covered.

2. Rampaging animals

If a belligerent moose decides to trample a garden and knock down your fence, you can actually be reimbursed for that damage. Also, home insurance can cover you in case your dog decides to bite a guest – and that guest sues you. But you need to tell your insurer you own the dog and have it in your yard prior to that.

3. Meteors and airplanes crashing into your home

Home insurance coverage is there to provide coverage against “perils.” Did you just google 'define: peril'? Same. This can cover unlikely events like meteors and aircraft damaging your home.

4. Mold

A recurring problem in several provinces, yet insurance plans can frequently only provide partial coverage, if any at all. Be sure to browse the difference between mold and mold because of water damage and mold to be aware what you're engaging in.

5. Identity theft

Many policies guard upon your personal property and can even pay out on multiple occasions for expenses associated with id theft. When it comes to The Co-Operators, you may be reimbursed up to $10,000 ($25,000 for several clients) for just about any legal fees or time away from work due to id theft.

6. Dorm room theft

Even though your little one is all grown and off to college, your house insurance can likely still cover their/your belongings under something called “personal property off premises.”

7. Flooding – but you need to add it on

Yes, the classic case you hear about in the news – someone living beside a river or on the lakefront property watched his or her home was flooded, only to realize when it came time to make a claim that their property insurance didn't cover floods. But yes, home insurance has the choice to add flood coverage. It's just separate. Don't forget to add it on if you live near water or have been in an area vulnerable to floods.

8. Lock replacement

Home insurance can cover the cost of replacing your house locks in the event your keys get stolen. Vehicles are covered also – as long as they're on your property.

9. Trees and/or shrubbery

Outdoor trees, shrubs and vegetation is often covered for a number of the total building. Trees are generally only covered if damaged by fire, theft, lightning or vehicle crashes.

10. Gravestones

You read that right, gravestones and urns have coverage. With no, they don't have to be in your yard to become covered. Weather damage, theft, and vandalism are included. Home insurance may also covered funerary expenses of family.

Just because something is roofed on this list doesn't mean that it's always covered. Every insurance company and policy varies, so please use this guide as reference and never as a guide to suit your individual insurance needs.

However, as the quantity of claims in Canada rise, knowing what could possibly be covered is important. You we do hope you never need to claim, but it is best to be prepared whenever you do.