What to do in case of water damage to the floor?

Questioner

Due to sagging pipes (detected by the sewage company), water has risen from the drain of my shower. This has caused water damage to my laminate flooring. The insurer wants to know how long this flooring has been in place before they can determine how much they can pay me. However, I took over the flooring from the previous occupant, for whom I have no contact details. Should I contact the housing association about this and ask the previous occupant to contact me about this? And what if it turns out that the floor has been in place for more than 1 year and I only get 200 euros in compensation, for example? I can't use this to lay a new floor in my home, while it's not my fault that the pipes have subsided. I would like your advice on this.

Lawyer

If you want to know for sure how old the floor is, you can indeed approach the previous occupant via the housing association. In the event of damage, there is usually a payment of the current value estimated by the expert who is called in. If you believe that the floor is worth more than 200 euros, for example, you must demonstrate this and claim it from the landlord.