Dwelling or Contents?

 Summary: There are a number of items common to daily living that cause difficulty to insurers and their customers because it is not certain whether damage to such items should be covered by insurance on the dwelling or by that on dwelling contents. Wall-to-wall carpeting, and, to a lesser extent, draperies or curtains, and lighting fixtures or fans continue to be a particularly active subject of discussion and argument. (Area rugs are always considered personal property.) This discussion focuses on policy language and interpretation in both the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) homeowners forms, and concludes with court determinations of coverage issues. Although some of the cases cited were decided years ago, all have been verified as being valid case law.

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