Historically, many people leasing domestic investment properties (or even parts of their own home) to tenants or guests were offered excellent coverage under ‘Home & Contents’ policies.

As the Australian property market has evolved, and with the ever-growing popularity of companies like Airbnb, Stayz, and Booking.com, insurance as a landlord that effectively covers your building and/or any contents has become increasingly difficult to find.

The reality of the current market is that there are few very insurers who offer products that contain the necessary covers and inclusions that every landlord should be concerned about when their property is occupied by a tenant or guest.

At Aspire Insurance, we offer coverage that gives you peace of mind by utilising the market-leading insurance policies that only Advisers and Intermediaries can access.

Loss of rent is designed to cover your lost rental income following an insured event that means the home cannot be leased or generate income. We can access products that can provide this coverage for properties with both long-term tenancy leases and holiday rental properties (as long as certain conditions are met).

Rent Default is designed to cover your lost rental income if a tenant defaults on their rent, or leaves the property unexpectedly because of an event covered under the policy. Due to the nature of this cover, it is typically only offered to landlords who lease their property on a long-term basis of 3 months or more.

Disguised under various insurer-specific terms like ‘Advanced Cover’, ‘Premium Cover’, or ‘Basic Protection’ is the important distinction between Accidental Damage policies and Listed Events policies.

Accidental Damage policies are superior in coverage – they cover all manner of damage other than what is specifically excluded under the policy wording. In the event of a claim that doesn’t fit with an obvious category, the insurer must provide clear and irrefutable reasoning as to why a claim cannot be covered.

Listed Events policies are far more common among most insurers and only cover what is listed under the policy wording, excluding all other damage or loss. Furthermore, you as the insured are always responsible for proving why a claim should be covered if the insurer rejects a claim.

At Aspire Insurance, we educate each and every one of our clients about this distinction so that they can make an informed decision, and rarely offer Listed Events policies when the cost of an Accidental Damage policy offers so much more protection at a fraction more of the premium.

Insurance professionals repeatedly bring up underinsurance, and for good reason. Most consumers are under the false impression that they can insure an asset for whatever they like, and get paid that amount in the event of a major loss, despite its actual value.

On the contrary, insurers will reduce the cost they pay you in a claim if you undervalue an asset and only pay the premium on the undervalued amount. For example, if you insure a building half as much as its worth, a substantial claim payment could be cut in half because of an underinsurance clause.

Insurable replacement value rarely reflects market price, and almost never matches up to an estimation that’s not based on careful and professional valuation. Building materials and labour are only part of the costs associated with demolishing a destroyed building and rebuilding it to modern-day standards.

At Aspire Insurance, we encourage our clients to engage professionals to value their home & contents whenever possible. We also have access to advanced tools to help you calculate a true replacement value for your home & contents that won’t leave you underinsured and financially crippled following a major loss.