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If you're keeping belongings in a ground-floor unit in a flood-risk area in New Zealand, the key is to check whether water could get in, how high it could rise, what would be damaged first, and whether your insurance would cover the loss.

This applies whether the unit is a storage room, garage, rental unit, or part of a residential property.

What to check before storing anything

1. Flood entry points and water levels

• Check council flood maps and property-specific flood information.
• Look for low doorways, garage entrances, floor drains, vents and gaps around pipes.
• Check whether water could enter from the street, nearby streams, surface runoff or overflowing drains.
• Ask the property manager or owner whether the unit has flooded before and how high the water reached.

2. What the contents are stored on

• Avoid storing belongings directly on the floor.
• Use sturdy shelving or raised pallets, with heavier items kept low on the shelves.
• Keep valuable items and important documents well above any plausible flood level.
• Remember that shallow water can still ruin cardboard boxes, rugs, electrical equipment and upholstered furniture.

3. Packaging and moisture protection

• Use sealed plastic tubs rather than cardboard boxes.
• Use waterproof bags inside containers for documents, photos and small valuables.
• Check for damp smells, mould, condensation and water marks.
• Don't assume a container is waterproof just because it has a lid; many are not designed to withstand immersion.

4. Items that should not be stored at floor level

• Passports, certificates, photographs and irreplaceable keepsakes.
• Laptops, electronics, batteries and electrical appliances.
• Mattresses, sofas, clothing, books and other absorbent materials.
• Medicines, food, chemicals, fuel or other items that could be contaminated or create hazards.

Insurance: don't assume contents are covered

This is one of the most important checks in New Zealand.

• Contents insurance: Ask your insurer specifically whether floodwater entering a ground-floor unit is covered, including surface flooding and stormwater or sewer backflow.
• Storage arrangements: If the unit is rented separately or used for storage, confirm whether your policy covers belongings kept there. Some policies have location, storage or flood-related exclusions.
• Excess and limits: Check the flood-related excess, per-item limits and whether replacement value or depreciated value applies.
• Building versus contents: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake cover relates to eligible residential land and certain other losses; it does not automatically insure your personal belongings. Check the details with your private insurer. About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū AkeCover for storm, flood, and landslide damage :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

Useful official resources:

• Natural Hazards Portal — find local council hazard maps
• Natural Hazards Commission — make your property flood-ready
• Get Ready — flood preparedness advice

If the unit is already being used for storage

Use this checklist to assess it:

Flood-risk storage checklist

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I have checked the local council's flood maps and hazard information.

I know the unit's history of flooding and the likely water-entry points.

All valuable items are raised off the floor.

Important documents and valuables are in suitable waterproof containers.

I have photographed and inventoried the contents.

My insurer has confirmed cover for flood damage to contents at this location.

I have a plan to move items if flooding is forecast.

My strongest recommendation: If the unit has a credible risk of flooding, don't keep irreplaceable belongings or expensive items there, even if everything is raised off the floor. Shelving and sealed containers reduce potential losses, but they cannot guarantee protection against deep or fast-moving floodwater.

One question that would help me tailor the advice: Is this a unit you live in, a rented storage unit, or a ground-floor unit in a building you own? The insurance and property checks differ for each.