We live in a block of four flats. Our tenancy agreements say we’re obliged to take out insurance, but when a fire damaged the block recently it emerged that the tenants of the flat where the fire started weren’t insured. Who can we claim compensation from in the circumstances?
If you have your own insurance your insurers should pay out for the damage to your property. They will then decide whether it’s worth trying to recover their money from the tenants of the flat where the fire started, assuming the fire was caused by their negligence. Your landlord could conceivably be held liable if he fails to check that his tenants are insured. If he has taken out insurance for the whole property you may be able to call on that policy under legislation brought in following the Great Fire of London.