How Long Do Home Insurance Claims Stay on Your Record?

You’ve filed a claim after a fire, accident, or theft. How long do home insurance claims stay on your record? One company maintains a database of home and auto insurance transactions, and they keep records for up to seven years.[1]

Filing a home insurance claim means enduring a covered event, reporting it to your insurance company, moving through an investigation, and accepting a check. Your agent reports the entire event to the reporting agency.

Every homeowners claim is different, but the time frame remains the same. Whether your loss was caused by an accident, theft, fire, or something else, it will stay on the reporting company’s records for seven years. Since that group keeps records throughout the United States, the time frames don’t change from state to state either.

The Role of CLUE After a Claim

The Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) is a national database of homeowners and auto claims.

Only CLUE-subscribing insurance companies can submit data to the reports.[1] When you open up a claims conversation — even if you’re unsuccessful in getting a check at the end of it — all of your data is recorded.

Whether it’s time to renew your coverage or you’re researching a new insurance company, that organization can pull CLUE reports. Home insurance records are organized by address, so your agent might ask for data concerning your current address and a prior address.

When put together, the agent will understand how risky your current home is and how often you’ve leaned on an insurance policy in the past.

A typical CLUE report contains the following information:[2]

A CLUE reference number
Date the report was issued
Who requested the report
The address that’s the target of the report
How many claims have been filed for this address
For each claim: the date, company, policy type, payments to the homeowner, cause of the payments (water, theft, etc.), and the status (open or closed). Claims may also have an “additional info” field, where the company can specify if the issue involved a catastrophic loss.

You have a right to access CLUE reports attached to your name and address.[3] To do so, call the company at 1-866-897-8126. If you find information that’s inaccurate or complete, notify CLUE. The organization must conduct a free and reasonable investigation of your concerns. If errors are found, CLUE will correct them and inform all agencies that got inaccurate versions of the document.

Will Claims Impact Your Insurance Premiums?

Homeowners buy insurance to protect them when the unexpected happens. Using your coverage can come with some unintended consequences. Experts say filing multiple claims in a short period can raise your rates or cause your current insurer to refuse a renewal.[4]

Research suggests that premium changes can vary depending on the type of claim you’ve filed.[5] This chart makes the risks clear:

Claim Type	Premium Increase for 1 Claim	Premium Increase for 2 Claims
Fire	29%	60%
Theft	27%	55%
Water	25%	50%
Weather	16%	29%

You may face higher premiums as long as the claim stays on your record. The impact could be more significant if the risks are caused by something (like an old roof) that you could fix.

In general, the premium impact is most severe in the months after the claim is filed. The longer you go without another claim — and the more you can prove you’ve mitigated the risks — the less you’ll spend in the following years.

Should You Work With a New Company?

Claims can have a deep impact on your relationship with your agent. Sometimes, they can hit your pocketbook too. These two strategies can help you cope:

Investigate Private Insurance Options

Even if your agent handled your claim beautifully, exploring a new insurance partner could be helpful. Experts say of people who switch companies, close to 40% do so because they got a better price.[7]

While CLUE reports contain seven years of data, every insurance company uses that information differently. Some might ignore information older than five years. Others might eliminate data that is more than three years old. Look into your options and gather quotes.

While you’re shopping, ask about discounts for the following:[8]

Burglar alarms
Sprinkler systems
Impact-resistant roofing
Bundling home and car plans with the same company

Explore Your Options After an Insurance Denial

If you live in a high-risk area, like a floodplain, you can’t fix the problem. Insurance companies may decide that you’re just too risky to cover.[6] If they do, you’ll need to find another way to protect your home.

Start by calling your state insurance department and asking about the following options:[9]

Private insurance: Your current company may decide you’re too risky, but another company might disagree. Your state agency may have good resources for you to explore.
FAIR plans: Alternate insurance designed for high-risk homes may be your only choice if your home can’t be fixed or disaster-proofed. Your state organization can help you enroll.
Beach and windstorm plans: Some states use a variant of FAIR plans to help people living in risky spots. Your state insurance department can explain and help you enroll.

Get Proactive About Current & Future Claims

While filing a homeowners insurance claim can (and often will) increase your premiums, you can take steps to save money and reduce the damage.

File Claims Carefully

You’re not required to use your insurance coverage for every problem that hits your home. Sometimes, it’s best to pay for the damage out of pocket instead.

Before you file a claim with your insurance company, ask yourself the following questions:

Am I sure this problem is covered by my policy?
How much will I pay in deductibles?
Is the amount I’ll save by using my policy more than the amount I might pay in extra premiums?

Some minor problems (like the theft of a bike or a tiny fire on your porch) might be easier to handle without involving your insurance company.

Prevent the Next Problem

Spending money on home-improvement projects could make the next disaster a little less likely. In some cases, these changes can save you money on your premiums too.

Experts recommend the following upgrades:[7]

Replace old plumbing
Add water intrusion detectors
Upgrade your roof
Cut back dry brush around your home

Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund

Some homeowners use their insurance policies for every problem, as they just don’t have the money to fix issues independently. While it’s difficult to build up a nest egg overnight, look for ways to set aside money for home repairs.

Ask your bank about automatic deposits into a savings account you dedicate to home repairs and emergencies. If you’ve already faced a claim, handling the next one alone could be a smart strategy to reduce your premiums long term.