When you have a loss to the contents of your home, from a burglary or fire, for example, your carrier will ask for a detailed list of what’s been lost or damaged.

Here are some tips agents and brokers can use to assist their clients in documenting damage to personal property.

All insureds have duties under their policies after a loss, beginning with contacting the insurer. Standard Homeowners, Tenant and Condominium policies all share some identical duties for property damage, based on the standard ISO HO 00 03 form language. Generally, you’ll be asked to:

• Prepare an inventory of damaged personal property showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss, and attach all bills, receipts and related documents that justify the dollar amounts in the inventory;
• Show the damaged property to the adjuster, provide the carrier with all the records and documents requested and permit the carrier to make copies;
• Send the carrier a signed, sworn proof-of-loss that sets out, to the best of your knowledge and belief: |
  • the time and cause of loss;
  • the interests of all “insureds” and all others in the property involved and all liens on the property;
  • other insurance that may cover the loss;
  • changes in title or occupancy of the property during the term of the policy;
  • specifications of damaged buildings and detailed repair estimates; and
  • the inventory of damaged personal property described previously.

The inventory can be neatly handwritten, on an Excel spreadsheet, on a form downloaded from the internet, in a detailed, narrated video of your belongings from room to room, in information added to an app or in some other form of record. What’s important is that every item is accounted for, with as much detail as possible.