Homeowners whose properties suffered damage from landslips or flooding, during the recent storms, have three months to lodge a claim with the Earthquake commission.

'The priority for local residents is to look after themselves, their families, and friends and take stock of what has happened to their properties,” says General Manager Customer and Claims Trish Keith.

'There is plenty of time to lodge a claim with EQC.

'If your property has suffered land slip or flood damage, and you have home or contents fire insurance, then you can make a claim with EQC within three months of when the event occurred.”

EQC covers only damage to residential land within certain limits that has been caused by storms and floods. Insurance companies cover house and contents damage according to the terms of their policy with the customer in these cases. However EQC also covers damage to home, contents, and land within certain limits for natural landslip damage.

'Those who need to make their home safe, sanitary, secure and weather-tight immediately, should get the work carried out and keep records, take photographs where appropriate, and keep a copy of any bills paid.

'Temporary or urgent repair work done now will be part of a future claim if accepted by EQC,” says Trish.

Claims can be lodged online at www.eqc.govt.nz/claims, via email on info@eqc.govt.nz, or by calling 0800 DAMAGE (326 243). The EQC call centre is open 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays. More information about EQC's cover for the March floods is online at http://www.eqc.govt.nz/get-help-now-claims/march-floods.

What does EQC cover for floods and storms?

With storms or floods, EQC covers natural disaster damage to residential land within the property boundary, and includes:

• The land under a home or outbuildings (e.g. garage or sheds);
• The land within 8 metres of a home or outbuildings;
• The land under or supporting the main access way, up to 60 metres from a dwelling, but not the driveway surfacing.

EQCover for land damage also extends to the following:

• Bridges and culverts within the above areas, and
• Some retaining walls and their support systems necessary for the support or protection of a home or insured land including the main access way within 60 metres of a house.

How much can EQC pay out?

EQCover pays the lesser of either:

• The cost to repair the damaged land, or
• The value of the damaged land, or the value of 4,000 square metres, or the value of the minimum-sized building site allowed in the area in which you live – whichever is the lower.

It is also important to note that bridges, culverts, and retaining walls that support the home or insured land are covered for indemnity value. This means the valuation takes into account their age and state of repair.