A defect that does not present itself right away.
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A defect which is not immediately apparent.
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A hidden flaw that will, in time, cause property damage that is uninsurable. Such damage is uninsurable because the element of chance is no longer present. The property was flawed from the beginning, so the breakdown and damage was inevitable, and not accidental.
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UK: An existing defect that is not apparent or discoverable by reasonable care. For the purpose of decennial insurance, latent defects are ‘defects which have occurred at the time of construction but do not manifest themselves until some substantial time afterwards.