Does kitchen insurance actually require TR19 cleaning?
The short answer is yes — most major UK commercial kitchen insurance policies reference the TR19 grease standard (or the BESA grease specification) directly in policy wording. Without a current certificate, kitchen fire damage claims are routinely reduced or refused.
What the major insurers require
Aviva, AXA, Allianz, RSA, Zurich and Hiscox all reference TR19 (or BESA equivalent) in their commercial kitchen policy wordings. Specific clauses vary:
- Some insurers make TR19 compliance a condition precedent to cover — no current certificate, no cover.
- Others make it a warranty — a breach reduces the claim payout proportionally to the perceived increase in risk.
- A few require evidence of "regular kitchen extract cleaning to industry standard" — TR19 is the recognised standard, so the requirement is effectively the same.
Always read the policy wording. The specific clause determines whether a missing certificate voids cover entirely or just reduces payout.
What happens after a fire
If you have a kitchen fire and submit a claim, the loss adjuster will ask for:
- Your last TR19 certificate.
- The full history of TR19 certificates for the period of cover.
- Any communications with your cleaning contractor about deferring or missing scheduled cleans.
If the last certificate is more than 3, 6 or 12 months old (depending on your kitchen usage hours), the loss adjuster will assess whether the grease build-up at fire time was within the bounds the policy required. If it was not, the claim is challenged.
What this means in practice
A TR19 certificate is not an optional add-on. It is the documentary evidence that supports your insurance claim. Treat the renewal cycle as seriously as you treat the insurance premium itself.
See our TR19 certificate service for current pricing and scheduling.
