News & Advice

Teenage parties should be fun for everyone, but sadly they can sometimes get out of hand. In this post we'll look at how you can avoid house party damage and a potentailly significant home insurance claim.

A recent article in the Daily Mail looked at what happened when a 15-year old teenager hosted an unsupervised birthday party at her family home. When news of the party spread on Facebook, hoards of unwanted guests arrived, which led not only to damage, but to the theft of the family’s TV, iPods, mobile phones and jewelry, totaling £2,000 of missing items.

Last year, according to another article in The Telegraph, the average repair bill for teenage house party damage was £162.  That’s a 38% increase on the 2010 figure of £117. In the case of 15 year old Rachel Ross, however, her parent’s bill for house party damage amounted to a staggering £15,000 after an Internet invitation got out of hand, bringing dozens of unwanted guests to her parents’ home.

These are alarming figures for parents and, what’s more, some insurers are refusing to pay out for house party damage on the grounds that their policies do not cover theft without forced entry.

Parties are an integral part of growing up and chances are that if you have a teenager, they are going to want to host their own get-together at some point.  To help avoid a party going awry and the need to make a claim on your insurance for house party damage in the first place, we’ve compiled a list of five tips to keep your property – and your child – safe.

5 tips to avoid teenage house party damage

1. Consider holding the party at a different location. It’s worth enquiring about the cost of hiring a room at a local youth centre or community venue – it may not be as much as you think.
   
   
2. If you can’t afford to hold the party elsewhere, it’s a good idea to plan the guest list with your child in advance. Set limits on numbers and ensure that if invitations are sent through Facebook, that the event is ‘closed’ to avoid strangers and unwanted guests.
   
   
3. Be clear on the start and end time. Make guidelines with your child and ensure they understand the rules beforehand. Stay at the party and make frequent checks by offering food and refreshments. Having a second adult around would make this easier.
   
   
4. Lock away alcohol and valuables. Even if you believe your child would not be tempted to drink, other guests may be. Keep alcohol hidden in a different part of the house and make sure nobody has brought drinks with them. Valuables should be kept in a safe place – out of sight, out of mind.
   
   
5. Designate ‘party’ and ‘non-party’ areas. If you don’t want guests wandering upstairs or into the garden, make this clear in the beginning.

Remember that accidents do happen and whatever is left in the party areas is inevitably at some risk. By planning ahead and discussing do’s and don’ts with your teen, you are on the road to a safe, responsible and enjoyable party.

About AKA Claims

AKA Claims are a firm of independent Loss Assessors, who work on a no win-no fee basis.  

If you need to make a home insurance claim and you’re unhappy with the settlement offered to you by your insurance company, just call us now on 0800 285 1610 to arrange a no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced Loss Assessors. Alternatively, please just complete our Contact Us form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.