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Accidental damage
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Cover for accidental damage to insured items at the home.
- Yes
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Fire
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Cover for damage caused by fire and its by-products (smoke, soot, ash, etc). Waiting periods for bushfire may apply, unless you are switching from another policy with equivalent cover with no change in sum insured.
- Covers fire, bushfire and application of heat where there is no flame
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Explosion
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In some policies the actual exploding object is not covered.
- Yes
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Theft
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Cover for theft or burglary from your home. Most insurers require you to make a police report.
- • Covers theft
• No cover for theft from homes not sufficiently furnished for normal living purposes or common property/unenclosed car space at multi-residency sites
• No cover for theft by residents or someone at the site with consent of residents -
Flood
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Flood as per the standard industry-wide definition. Waiting periods may apply unless you're switching from another policy with equivalent cover with no change in sum insured.
- • Covered<br>• Covers earth movement, vibration, erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide, settling, collapse and earth shrinkage/expansion, but must occur within 168 hours of flood<br>• Flood excess: greater of $500 or your basic excess<br>• 72 hour waiting period
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Storm and cyclone
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Cover for storm damage, including from wind, hail, snow and rainwater runoff (some insurers cover runoff under flood). Waiting periods may apply unless you are switching from another policy with equivalent cover with no change in sum insured.
- • Covers storm, cyclone, tornado, lightning, hail and snow<br>• Covers earth movement, vibration, erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide, settling, collapse and earth shrinkage/expansion, but must occur within 168 hours of storm<br>• No cover for damage caused by water seeping/percolating into building<br>• 72 hour waiting period
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Earthquake
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Earthquake cover often comes with an additional excess of $300 or more. Check your PDS for details.
- Yes
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Tsunami
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Products that cover tsunami usually include it under earthquake cover, and often comes with an additional excess of $300 or more. Check your PDS for details.
- Yes
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Action of the sea
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This usually covers the normal movements of the sea, including damage from king high tides, water erosion, etc.
- No
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Storm surge
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Where the sea level rises as a result of a storm. You may also have to claim for storm damage or flood for this to be covered. Some insurers only cover in the event of a cyclone. If this is important cover for you, check the PDS.
- No
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Vandalism
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May also be called malicious damage. Some insurers also classify riot as a separate event.
- Yes
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Impact damage
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Cover if a tree falls on your house or a car crashes into your front room, for example. Some insurers that cover animal damage do so under this event.
- Yes
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Animal damage
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This cover often comes with a range of exclusions – insect damage or damage caused by your pets typically isn't covered, for example.
- • Covers damage caused by animals<br>• No cover for damage caused by animals kept in building/on site chewing, scratching, soiling or tearing<br>• No cover for damage caused by birds, vermin, wildlife or insects (including termites)
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Escape of liquid
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From pipes, tanks, pools, spas, baths/basins, aquariums, waterbeds etc. Excludes faulty workmanship or leaks that cause damage over time.
- Yes
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Breakage
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Damage to easily broken objects like mirrors. Not to be confused with accidental damage, which is a broader level of cover.
- Yes
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Out-of-hours claiming
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The easiest ways to begin a claim outside business hours. All insurers have a phone line you can call during the day, and some insurers still have in-branch claiming.
- Online and 24/7 phone
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How the insurer can settle your claim
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Insurers will settle your claim in one of three ways.
- • Repair damaged items
• Replace damaged items
• Pay you the item's replacement value, up to your sum insured or other sublimits -
Cash settlement
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How much will you get in a cash settlement? How a cash payout is calculated can depend on whether you request it or the insurer offers it. Non-cash alternatives might include gift cards, pre-paid debit cards, store credit, etc. Customer cost: The insurer will pay what it will reasonably cost you to repair/replace your contents. Insurer cost: The insure will pay what it would cost them. This offer may take into account trade discounts the insurer can access, leaving you out of pocket.
- • Customer cost if insurer offers cash
• Insurer cost if you ask for cash (may be less than retail cost) -
New for old contents replacement
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All insurers promise to replace contents with equivalent new items, although some policies have exceptions.
- Yes (excludes clothing, shoes and linen out of use/stored away and computers over 4 years old)
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Cover for unlisted portable contents
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Many insurers will cover a limited range of items for accidental loss or damage away from home.
- • Covers some items for accidental loss/damage
• No cover for disappearance when cause cannot be established
• Choose overall limit from $2500–$5000
• Up to $1000 per item
• Covered anywhere in Australia
• $100 excess
• Optional -
Optional cover for specially listed valuables
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For an extra premium you can insure individual portable valuables against accidental loss or damage, both at and away from home. Individually listed items are insured for their replacement value and will be shown on your certificate of insurance.
- • Cover for accidental loss/damage
• No cover for disappearance when cause cannot be established
• Covered anywhere in Australia
• $100 excess -
Contents in the open air
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Open air usually includes any area on your property that is exposes to the elements, but may also include unlockable areas like a garden shed. Each insurer has different definitions, so check with them for restrictions.
- • Up to $8000 overall
• Up to $2000 per item
• No item sublimit for barbecues or garden furniture -
Temporary accomodation
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If your home is uninhabitable after an insured event. Some insurers will only pay this benefit if the rent at your new accommodation is more than your current rent. In that case they will only pay the difference, not the full cost.
- • Up to 10% sum insured
• Paid on top of sum insured
• Covers temporary accommodation for your family -
Emergency storage
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Covers the cost of commercial storage for your undamaged contents, if they are unable to be kept at your home or temporary accommodation after an insured event.
- No
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Motor burnout
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Cover for burnout of motors that are part of your insured contents, e.g. washing machines. Also called motor fusion.
- • Motors up to 10 years or $2000 overall
• Optional -
Debris removal
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Cover to remove destroyed contents after an insured event.
- • Up to $15000 overall
• Paid on top of sum insured -
Keys and locks after break-in
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Cover for replacing locks and re-coding electronic keys after a break-in or theft of the keys. Policies usually stipulate you report the break-in to the police.
- Up to $1000 overall
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Jewellery
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Cover for unlisted jewellery at the home. If you want a higher level of cover you may be able to specifically list the item. If you need cover away from home, see listed valuables cover above.
- • Up to $5000 overall
• Up to $1000 per item or collection -
Artworks
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Cover for unlisted works of art. If you want a higher level of cover, you may be able to specifically list individual items.
- • Up to $5000 overall
• Up to $1000 per item or collection
• Limit combined with collections -
Collections (e.g. stamps, coins)
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Cover for unlisted collections like coins and stamps. If you want a higher level of cover, see listed valuables cover above. In some cases cover may depend on the type of collection, so check the PDS.
- • Up to $5000 overall
• Up to $1000 per item or collection
• Limit combined with artworks -
Digital media
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Cover for contents such as digital media, software, and storage (e.g. discs, drives).
- • Up to $5000 overall
• Up to $1000 per item or collection -
Spoiled food
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Cover for food (and sometimes medication) that spoils if your fridge/freezer stops working. Typically you won't pay the full excess unless it is as a result of an insured event (in which case you'll probably be claiming for other damages).
- • Up to $1000 overall
• Cover for failure of public electricity supply
• Optional cover for motor burnout -
Visitors' contents
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Cover for your visitors' belongings if they are lost or damaged in an insured event. Standard exclusions and restrictions will apply.
- Up to $1000 overall
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Pet cover
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Some policies will cover your vet bills in certain circumstances.
- No
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Permanent fixtures
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For strata owners, does the policy cover 'permanent fixtures' like floorboards, air conditioners etc
- • Up to sum insured overall
• Covers fixtures not insurable by body corporate -
Overlapping cover at a new house
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Let your insurer know you're moving house and they may cover your contents at both properties during the moving process.
- Up to 14 days cover at both addresses
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Cover for contents while moving house
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Cover while moving your contents to a new home. Usually only covers your contents while they're in the moving truck, not while you're loading in or out.
- • Up to 20% contents sum insured overall
• Cover for overturning of removal vehicle, collision and fire