Is Your Insurance Policy Due For Renewal?

Not all insurance is created equal and it’s important for your landlords to choose the right cover.

1. Choice

Not every rental property or every lease arrangement is the same, and landlords need the option to select the product that covers the risks they face. The insurance provider should have a suite of products to choose from.

2. Building type

The risks are different for different types of property – house, apartment, villa, unit, townhouse, flat and serviced apartment. The options for building and contents, or contents only, policies should be available.

3. Leasing scenario

Not all insurers offer cover for the different ways properties are leased. While most cover fixed-term letting scenarios, not all offer products addressing the risks associated with other types of rentals like serviced apartments or Airbnb.

4. Short-term cover

Cover for short-term letting arrangements are not offered by all insurers. And even those that do offer the cover for holiday homes are less likely to provide cover for Airbnb.

5. Standard inclusions

There are differences between insurers as to what is covered as standard and what is an optional extra. For example, flood cover, fusion cover and pet damage are not standard in many policies. But they are standard in EBM RentCover policies.

6. Comprehensive cover

There are common risks that landlords face and the policy chosen should have good provisions for tenant-related issues, all types of damage, liability and weather-related events.

7. Tenant-related matters

Cover for tenant-related risks, like loss of rent or damage, is important as these are the most common reasons why landlords need to claim.

8. Limits of cover

The maximum values that can be claimed, and the periods of time when losses are covered, should be high enough to provide peace of mind.

9. Flexibility

Circumstances change, and the insurance provider should have the flexibility to adapt. For example, EBM RentCover introduced new policies in response to COVID-19.

10. Cost-effective

While cost should never be the deciding factor, affordability is important. Landlords should be able to secure the right cover at a competitive price.

Claims

It can be argued that the true test of an insurance policy comes when it’s time to make a claim.

11. Track record

The insurer’s history when it comes to claims management and payouts is paramount. One known for denying claims is a risky choice.

12. Handling

Any premium savings are quickly eroded if the claims process is onerous and time-consuming.

13. Process

It needs to be transparent and streamlined.

14. Options

Choice in lodgement should be available – phone, email, online, hardcopy forms.

15. Support

The insurance provider should be able to guide the policyholder or agent through the process – what they need to do and what supporting documentation is required.

16. Personalised

Overseas call centres and chatbots – these have their advantages, but nothing really compares to being able to talk or correspond with someone local.

17. Specialist team

Dealing with someone who takes an interest in the claim, knows the process and will see it through from start to finish, can alleviate stress.

18. Empathy

When things go wrong and a claim needs to made, having someone who empathises and wants to help can be invaluable.

19. Discretion

Product Disclosure Statements are black and white and set out what is and isn’t covered. But having an insurance provider who sees the shades of grey, and goes out of their way to do all they can to help the policyholder, is advantageous.

20. Settlement

Fairly assessing and settling the claim should be the insurer’s priority. A provider with the authority to settle claims in-house can really speed things up.

Sharon Fox-Slater is the Managing Director of EBM RentCover, which protects more than 150,000 rental properties across Australia. For more info, visit RentCover.com.au.

If you have not yet renewed or affected your landlord insurance policy, please contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

Source: EBM Rent Cover Newsletter