Burglar Alarm Requirements - 04 Dec 2009 16:55
If your home insurance policy has a burglar alarm warranty clause attached to it, failure to set your alarm allows your insurer to repudiate your claims legally. This warranty stipulates that the cover applies to the home when the alarm is activated. A breach of this warranty is considered a breach of contract on your part.
It is the insureds responsibility to ensure that the alarm is in working order and set when the home is empty. During a claim in question, it is also the insured’s responsibility to prove that the alarm was in working order at the time of the break in. To ensure this, it’s beneficial to get your alarm system tested by a reputable service provider at least once a year.
If the alarm system is old, it best be updated as well otherwise current security providers might not be able to register that the alarm is set or going off. Even if the alarm is set and working, if it’s not connected to armed response, then your claim could be repudiated as well.
The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and the South African Intruder Detection Services Association (SAIDSA), entered into agreements a few years ago and came up with the Bylaw 25, which sets the standard for the installation and quality of burglar alarms.
The reason it has not been implemented to date is a result of the number of alarms that would require upgrading to meet the standard, which would also make the alarm more complicated to use for consumers.
With over 11,000 burglaries a month, it’s imperative that whatever alarm system you are using, that it’s in working order.
If your home insurance policy has a burglar alarm warranty clause attached to it, failure to set your alarm allows your insurer to repudiate your claims legally. This warranty stipulates that the cover applies to the home when the alarm is activated. A breach of this warranty is considered a breach of contract on your part.
It is the insureds responsibility to ensure that the alarm is in working order and set when the home is empty. During a claim in question, it is also the insured’s responsibility to prove that the alarm was in working order at the time of the break in. To ensure this, it’s beneficial to get your alarm system tested by a reputable service provider at least once a year.
If the alarm system is old, it best be updated as well otherwise current security providers might not be able to register that the alarm is set or going off. Even if the alarm is set and working, if it’s not connected to armed response, then your claim could be repudiated as well.
The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and the South African Intruder Detection Services Association (SAIDSA), entered into agreements a few years ago and came up with the Bylaw 25, which sets the standard for the installation and quality of burglar alarms.
The reason it has not been implemented to date is a result of the number of alarms that would require upgrading to meet the standard, which would also make the alarm more complicated to use for consumers.
With over 11,000 burglaries a month, it’s imperative that whatever alarm system you are using, that it’s in working order.