Builder and Restoration Panel FAQs

CHU will apply reasonable market rates to restoration costs to determine a claimable entitlement.

CHU encourage the use of listed panel restorers who have agreed to prior rate schedules when completing works for CHU insured clients.  

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Carpets within a lot are considered a lot owners contents item by definition in the CHU Strata Insurance Plan unless endorsed otherwise. Associated restoration costs should respectfully be referred to a contents or landlord insurer for consideration.

Alternate accommodation or rental loss is considered on the basis of claimable damage to insured property to an extent which causes the lot/unit to become unfit for its intended purpose.

Generally, the use of restoration equipment is considered to be a reasonably incurred inconvenience rather than causing a lot/unit to be unfit. Claims of this nature will be reviewed individually under their particular circumstances.

Unfortunately no, carpet within an individual lot is not considered to be part of the insured property. We would refer you to your contents/landlord insurer to liaise with them in regards to this aspect.

If there is an accepted claim under Policy 1 you can claim for excess electricity usage. What we require is 12 months of bills prior to the date of loss to be able to calculate the difference.

It is safe however it likely won’t be comfortable. Depending on the severity of the amount of drying equipment required will depend on the property being deemed habitable. For example, if it’s just one small dryer in a bedroom that is used as a spare room the property would be deemed liveable.

If the property is unliveable during the restoration period and you are owner occupied you may qualify for temporary accommodation.

Any structural components of your property.

The Lot owner is responsible for Lot owners Carpets, Curtains, Furniture, Dishwashers.

The Owners Corporation is responsible for common area contents.

Yes, resultant damage is covered, however cover is limited to what is covered as building under strata legislation, i.e., walls, fixed hardwood floors and floating floors, general contents and carpet within the lot is not deemed as building therefore no cover.

Yes, as the walls and ceiling is part of the building cover exists for remediation of the walls and ceiling.

This information can be found under the claims tab at www.chu.com.au or click on one of the links below:

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Contact your friendly CHU claims consultant on 1300 361 263 and/or provider to attend your premises, we will figure that out for you.

Of course, please use the contact details on CHU’s website under our claims tab or click on one of the links below:

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They can certainly be used for other types of events including fire and drug contamination, please contact our panel for advice.

Yes they do and they will confirm whether this is required and make the property safe to habitable condition.

No the lot owner cannot claim loss of rent as at the time of the event there were no current lease agreement in place or evidence of arrangements in place for a tenant to move into the premises on a date post the incident date.

Please contact the CHU after hours emergency hotline and our after-hours panel on 1800 022 444 will be able to assist you with arranging the required services.

This would depend upon the lot being habitable during the drying process, CHU may be able to consider rent abatement upon consideration of the full claim.

The policy does not cover your contents items and if you feel that the strata’s negligence in some form has caused the damage to occur we will require your reasons and evidence to support this to be able to consider your request.

Contact a CHU Underwriting Agencies restorer (listed below) who are certified restorers who have undergone specific training through an accredited body such as IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoring Certification) to assist.

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Generally, this decisions should be made in collaboration with an independent hygienist to ascertain the levels of air quality. This will vary from circumstance to circumstance.

The restoration process refers to the extraction and drying process involved to reduce the moisture content to an acceptable level. Re connection of the power should be completed by a licensed electrician.

Drying time is determined by a combination of factors including the location, duration and source of the water, the types of building materials, the weather conditions and how quickly mitigation services begin. Through consistent monitoring and evaluation of the drying process, a professional restorer can determine when the drying is complete and you property has been returned to a dry standard.  While there are no rules to determine how long your property will take to dry, under normal conditions you should expect between three to five days or more, depending on the affected areas, materials and conditions.

A restorer employing specialised drying systems and dehumidifiers may be able to salvage the timber floor and  bring it back to a dry standard.  In many cases, a floors that is cupped or buckling can be salvaged and returned to a pre-loss condition without having to be replaced. The density of hardwood flooring, installation technique used and urethane finishes, will have a large bearing on the probability of success.  Drying of these types of installations may take several three weeks to complete. A professional restorer experienced in timber floor drying will be able to evaluate and make recommendation in respect of the salvageablity of your floor.

If your home’s water damage is taken care of immediately, mould can usually be prevented. However, if materials are left wet for any period of time, the likelihood of mould growth increases.  Prompt action to dry out the affected property is always recommended.

You should contact CHU Underwriting agencies, depending on the situation, an expert restoration company may be appointed to assess the damage and recommend corrective actions.  Dependent on the complexity of the situation, the restorer may recommend a mould assessment be performed by a third party hygienist.

You may be able to clean up some of the damage yourself, but first, make sure to take photographs of the affected areas before you do anything.  It’s okay to mop up excess water, but if the water flooded a large area of your home, you’re going to need professional services to prevent and repair hidden damage.  Water that has soaked into porous materials can be difficult to detect, Restorers use sophisticated equipment to detect and dry out all resultant water damage to prevent further issues such as mould, mildew, and structural deterioration. 

When water damage has occurred, water can be absorbed into the plasterboard, Skirting, sub-flooring, etc. Drying these surfaces requires air movers to accelerate evaporation and release absorbed moisture into the air. Dehumidifiers are used to remove this excess moisture to help protect property and create conditions for efficient drying. Please do not turn off or move drying equipment without first your restorer.

We recommend that drying equipment runs continuously until the property has been returned back to a dry standard, however, if this is not possible, then you should consult with the Restorer who will be able to advise you further.

Opening your windows to assist with the restoration drying process is not always recommended.  Outside weather conditions can have a detrimental effect on the restorers drying process, restorers will use professional judgement to determine of outside air can be used to speed up the drying process, if in doubt please consult your restorer directly.

Please contact your Restorer who will be able to provide you with a power usage estimate which can then be submitted to CHU for review.

You should contact CHU Underwriting agencies on 1300 361 263, who will be able to advise you further.

You should contact CHU Underwriting agencies on 1300 361 263 or 1800 022 444 (after hours). CHU can engage a qualified restorer who in most cases will be able to attend your property on the same day, usually within hours of the initial call.

Hard surfaces can be cleaned and sanitised. Affected items that cannot be sanitised require disposal. Porous materials such as drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, particleboard, panelling, etc. that have been directly affected should be removed during the emergency service visit.