AAA homeowner's insurance problem: They never told me I had to fix the roof!

Jan Hustler lost her AAA homeowner's insurance because she didn't repair her roof on time. But the company didn't tell her about the requirement until it was too late. Can she get her insurance coverage back?

Q: I recently received a notification from AAA, my home insurance company, that it would not renew my coverage for this year.

The reason? The AAA underwriting department said my roof had "exceeded its useful life” and needed to be replaced by September. AAA said I could reapply for a homeowner's policy -- in December 2026

How could I have known that we needed a new roof by then? Why didn't AAA notify me earlier so I could have complied by that date? Instead, I was denied before I could comply.

I feel like AAA is mistreating me. Why would AAA treat a loyal customer this way? Can you help get my insurance reinstated? -- Jan Hustler, Santa Clara, Calif.

A: AAA shouldn't have canceled your homeowner's insurance without first allowing you to replace your roof. But it looks as if it never notified you about the required repairs.

Insurance companies can—and sometimes do—require customers to make certain repairs to their homes before they can insure them. Usually, that happens before—or soon after—you purchase your policy. If you have an older home, the insurance company will require an inspection. Based on that, the insurance company may require certain repairs within 30 to 60 days.

In your case, AAA required that you replace your roof before agreeing to insure your home in 2024. While that is legal, it's customary for an insurance company to notify you of the requirement so that you can meet it. According to your records, you didn't get any notification.

According to the records you shared with me, you scrambled to replace the roof and then showed AAA the invoice and photos. But that wasn't enough. AAA was firm that you were out for the next two years but could reapply for insurance in 2026.

Adding to the complexity of your case is that you're in California. Insurance premiums have gone through the roof since the wildfires a few years ago, and it's doubtful you'll find a comparable policy. Moreover, under California law, your insurance company can drop you without a reason. So AAA could have decided not to renew your policy, and that would have been that.

Could you have avoided this? Maybe. If you had known AAA would attach conditions to your homeowner's insurance renewal, you might have been more proactive about finding out what they were. But it looks like AAA didn't mention any new requirements to you.

The next step is to contact an AAA executive about your situation. I publish the names, numbers, and email addresses of AAA customer service higher-ups on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

You contacted my advocacy team for help. I contacted AAA on your behalf and asked it to take another look at your file. It did, and it decided to renew your homeowner's insurance policy.

Christopher Elliott founded Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/

© 2023 Christopher Elliott