HomeAssistance – a useful service (not just) for homeowners
Locked out? Flooded? Bedbug invasion? HomeAssistance offers help for domestic emergencies. It is particularly valuable for homeowners, but tenants can benefit as well.
Four examples from real life – this is how minor domestic catastrophes can quickly have a happy ending.
Emergency 1: child locked in
Three-year old Lena is playing with the door key in the bathroom – and locks herself in by mistake. There's a great deal of excitement, because she can't get out on her own. And access to the bathroom would only be possible via the roof. You now urgently need a professional who can safely open the door from outside. Zurich HomeAssistance lines up a locksmith service at short notice that quickly liberates the child.
Emergency 2: burst pipe
When the lady of the house goes to the coffee maker on Sunday morning, she gets her feet wet. She's horrified to discover that water is flowing out of the sink cabinet unit. A glance under the sink reveals a hole in the supply pipe to the sink. Water is shooting out of it at high pressure. Fast assistance is now vital to keep damage to a minimum. Zurich HomeAssistance looks for an expert for the immediate action that is needed.
Emergency 3: window pane broken
A married couple is getting their garden ready for winter. In the evening, the husband is cutting the last vine tendrils from the house wall when he loses his balance and falls off the ladder. Luckily, he lands on soft grass – but the ladder slides against a window and breaks the living room glass pane. But it is supposed to frost that night. Who can help now? Zurich HomeAssistance has an idea: They quickly find a carpenter who puts up a temporary cover on the window.
Emergency 4: bedbugs as a trip souvenir
A young family returns from their sports vacation, bringing back not just many pleasant memories but also a small bedbug colony in their luggage, which now takes up residence in the parents' bedroom. Zurich HomeAssistance assumes the costs for pest control up to CHF 5,000. This coverage is of special interest to tenants.
Mopping up water instead of calling around for workmen
When these kinds of emergencies happen at home in the evening, on weekends or on a holiday, finding the right experts is often difficult. Zurich HomeAssistance comes into play in these kinds of situations: As part of this service, expert help is lined up if necessary at any time of the day or night. Instead of scouring the Internet and endless phone calls, just one call is necessary – a call to the emergency number.
Maintenance agreements come first
Normally, Zurich HomeAssistance is used most often for blocked plumbing installations and water damage. But the service also helps in other emergency situations, such as being locked in or out or for lost keys. Caution is necessary when it comes to heating system breakdowns: If a maintenance agreement already exists and has as an emergency service, this service must be contacted first to avoid putting the warranty at risk. If possible, tenants should also first inform the building management or private owners to avoid any discussions later.
Pest infestation – anyone can be affected
When it comes to pests, most landlords do not feel responsible since pests does not affect the building fabric. However, tenants are very much affected since they suddenly have to share their bed with tiny, bloodthirsty creepy-crawlies. Permanently removing bed bugs and other pests is complicated and often expensive. At the same time, bed bug infestations can happen to literally anyone who spends their vacation in a hotel or vacation apartment. You can even fall victim to the pests in a movie theater, plane or hospital. Zurich HomeAssistance is also worthwhile for tenants just for this coverage.
