Business insurance confusion leaves fire-hit hairdressers in the lurch
Posted on January 18th 2012
A fire which destroyed a hairdressing salon has left the management in a difficult situation, because of a delay in the landlord making a business insurance claim. The salon, on Marlow High Street in Buckinghamshire, has been closed since January 4th because of extensive smoke and fire damage, and it is unlikely to reopen until April at the earliest.
The blaze started in a communal office area of the building, and then spread to the area used by the Harringtons Hairdressers company. The landlord of the building is responsible for the communal area, so it is up to him to arrange reimbursement for the damage using his business insurance policy.
Luckily the hairdressing company has other premises in the county, and staff from Marlow have started working at the nearby Beaconsfield salon. Harrington hairdressers have even offered its Marlow customers a discount if they travel to one of its nearby salons in Maidenhead, Henley, or Beaconsfield.
So far no responsibility has been acknowledged by any business insurance company, so the hairdresser cannot begin the long process of refitting the salon. Business owners who rent premises should check with their landlords to see what protection they have in place to avoid being in a situation like Harrington Hairdressers.
Related links
Bucks Free Press report on the fire