What most often causes property damage during the holidays?

BTA: Liquid spills, ball games, and active cooking – what most often causes property damage during the holidays?

Although fire safety is definitely something to pay attention to at the end of the year, there are a number of other reasons that most often cause damage to people's property during Christmas and New Year's. According to data from the insurance company BTA Baltic Insurance Company (hereinafter – BTA), over the last three years, the most common causes have been liquid leaks, and last year alone, they accounted for 46% of all property insurance claims filed during the holiday season. According to Ivo Danče, Director of the BTA Insurance Claims Department, most insurance claims during the holidays are related to various everyday occurrences – broken induction stoves while preparing meals, flying champagne corks and televisions damaged by children playing, as well as burst pipes flooding properties and mobile devices broken due to falls. 

Christmas and New Year's Eve are when families, relatives, and friends gather at home, traditional dishes are prepared in the kitchen, children play, and your home is filled with a distinctive ambiance. However, it is precisely during this busy period that everyday life tends to be "brightened" by everyday challenges – major and minor accidents, causing damage to people's belongings and real estate. Moreover, although various fire hazards can arise during these holidays, such as Christmas trees catching fire, when lit candles are left unattended, when fireplaces are used, etc., there are a number of other reasons that can disturb your peace during the holidays. 

Damaged pipes and water leaks damage both your own and your neighbours’ homes 

Summarizing the insurance claims filed during the Christmas and New Year period over the last three years, BTA concludes that liquid leaks are the most common type of accident. For example, at the end of 2024, they accounted for 46% of all property insurance claims filed during this period, with the average claim exceeding EUR 500. 

For example, last year in Valmiera, when people returned home on December 26 after visiting friends, they found that their bathroom had been flooded because their upstairs neighbours had a water pipe burst on Christmas Eve, which they did not notice immediately. BTA paid an insurance claim of EUR 1,692 for this incident. In another case in Mārupe, people returned home after a 5-day absence and found that the toilet was overflowing and water had accumulated to a height of 10 cm on the first floor of the house – due to the extensive damage, insurance claim of EUR 14,408 was paid. Meanwhile, in Riga, on January 1, shortly after the New Year's celebrations, water started to leak in the kitchen, hallway, and entrance hall of an apartment, causing serious damage due to a burst pipe – an insurance claim of more than €1,220 was paid for this incident. 

"Most often, leaks are caused by damaged or worn-out pipes in the bathroom or kitchen, as well as malfunctions of washing machines and dishwashers. These incidents occur both when people go away for several days during the holidays and when they are at home. In both cases, the consequences are unpleasant – flooding of one's own property or, even worse, the neighbour’s home. As a result, you may have to part with a large sum of money to cover the repairs if the property is not insured," explains Ivo Danče. 

He adds that if you plan to go away during the holidays, you should definitely turn off the water supply. You should also not go away for a long time if you have started the washing machine or dishwasher. 

Induction stoves and mobile devices break during the holidays 

During the holidays, household appliances and mobile devices are damaged quite often. Mobile devices – phones and tablets – are most often affected, slipping out of hands and falling onto tiles or being accidentally knocked over by children playing, damaging the body and screen. For example, in Jūrmala, a child climbed onto a table while playing and knocked over a phone, breaking its screen – insurance claim of EUR 474 was paid for this incident. BTA statistics show that, depending on the value of the device and the extent of the damage, the total claim paid for such cases ranges from €50 to €1,000. 

Both Christmas and New Year's Eve require a lavish feast on the table, but active work in the kitchen often results in a broken induction hob. For example, in one case in Riga, a shelf in the kitchen fell when touched, breaking the stove – BTA paid an insurance claim of €165 for this incident. In another case, a pan lid fell on an induction stove, breaking it – a claim of €258 was paid for this incident. 

Ivo Danče adds that it is precisely these seemingly minor but financially unpleasant incidents that are increasingly prompting people to include property insurance in their property insurance policies. 

Ball games and flying champagne corks damage televisions 

The TV is the "king" of almost every living room, but in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the whirlwind of children's games, they are often damaged as a result of various, completely unpredictable events. In one accident in Riga, a flying champagne cork hit a TV, damaging it – this accident cost €427. In another case, a TV was damaged during house cleaning when it was hit by a vacuum cleaner handle. Televisions have also been damaged by getting caught on a cord and being pulled off the table, as well as being hit by a video game controller and a ball during children's play. Insurance claim amounts for such damage most often reach €400-600. 

"When preparing for holidays and celebrations, you definitely need to be careful, because even minor damage to a modern device usually means that it has to be repaired or replaced – these are unplanned additional expenses that, without insurance, you have to cover out of your own pocket. Overall, if there is a TV in the room, it is safer to choose another room for children to play in – after all, it is not only a broken device that can cause concern, but also the injuries that the device can cause to a child if they fall," says Ivo Danče.