Home Insurance in New Bedford: Homeowners Responsibility Laws
Your MA homeowners insurance policy covers you for a lot of things, but neglect and ignorance can get you in hot water. It pays to take time to research local laws and regulations, not just statewide, but for the city where your home is located. A quick search on the web will uncover lots of information on dog bite liability, homeowner responsibility for trees, personal injury data regarding sidewalk maintenance, and landlord snow removal for rental properties.
How do you sort through all of the legal wording to figure out what you need to do to protect your home and family? Start by visiting your local insurance agency in New Bedford to discuss your current policy. Make sure you are financially protected from slip-and-fall accidents that could occur by visitors to your home, including postal delivery, utility technicians, and other service providers. Then find out what you need to do as a homeowner to ensure that you are protected under your current New Bedford homeowners insurance policy.
Property Maintenance and Upkeep
Many of the laws that you will find online have to do with property maintenance and upkeep. Consider hiring professional snow removal services to take care of snow and ice management in the winter if you have a hard time keeping up with the season. A bad back, a busy work schedule, family demands, and other situations can prevent you from getting out there to make sure that your sidewalk, driveway, doorstep, and other areas around your home are free of snow and ice within a timely manner. Different cities have different regulations. For example, the City of Boston requires businesses to remove snow and ice within three hours of snowfall, while other cities, such as the City of Worcester, gives businesses ten hours. But what about homeowners? Each city and town has its own rules. It’s a good idea to become familiar with the regulations in your area and abide by them carefully to protect yourself.
In addition to snow, there are other potential hazards, including maintenance of trees and shrubs, which could cause damage to your property, city property, or a neighbor’s property if not trimmed and cared for properly. If you own a dog, it is essential to discuss adding extra protection with your home insurance in New Bedford to make sure that you are covered if your dog causes any damage or is involved in an incident with a neighbor. The best thing you can do is to sit down with an agent at your insurance agency in New Bedford to discuss the things that you can do as a homeowner to protect yourself and your home from liability. Maintaining every bit of your property, from the roof to the septic tank, can help ensure that you are covered in the event of an emergency that results in a claim.
Hiring Professional Services
It is also worth noting that you need to be careful whenever you hire professional services to come onto your property and provide installations, make repairs, or even maintain your landscaping. Properly vet each service provider to make sure that they are licensed and certified to perform the services that they are offering and that they are fully insured and covered with worker’s compensation for any injuries that might occur on your property. You need to check out the credentials of any contractor, subcontractor or service provider who steps foot on your property. If the worker were to fall or get hurt while on your property, cause damage to your structure or a neighbor’s property, you want them to be fully insured so you will be protected from liability.
Meet with your local agent to discuss your New Bedford homeowners insurance policy. Find out what is covered and what is not. Ask questions about hiring contractors and what you should look for when verifying their information. If you have any major remodeling or renovations done to your property, let your insurance agency in New Bedford know about the changes. If you upgrade flooring, appliances, cabinetry, roofing, or other essential components within your home, you will want to make sure that it is noted in your policy so it can be replaced to the same value and quality in the event of a claim.
Get a FREE Quote for MA Homeowners Insurance
If you are looking for a reputable provider of quality home insurance in New Bedford and the surrounding area, consider Borden Insurance. Since 1909 our family owned and operated insurance agency has provided local homeowners and business owners with competitive and dependable insurance policies to protect the things that matter most. You can use our online “Get a Quote” service to learn more about home insurance, auto insurance, flood insurance, life insurance, and boat insurance. We also carry commercial policies for commercial autos and business insurance in the Southeastern Massachusetts area. Or give us a call at 508-999-3636 and speak with one of our knowledgeable and friendly agents about your insurance needs.