Landlord Insurance

Depending on the cover you choose, CHU Landlord Insurance may include: 

• building cover, if selected; 

• landlord contents cover, if selected; 

• loss of rent, where available; 

• certain loss or damage caused by tenants or paying guests; 

• legal liability, where available; and 

• optional Rent Default by Tenant cover for eligible formal lease arrangements. 

The cover available will depend on whether the property is a strata property, a freestanding house, or another eligible property type. 

When you take out a policy, you can choose from: 

• Landlord Buildings and Contents cover; 

• Landlord Buildings cover; or 

• Landlord Contents cover. 

Building cover is generally not available for strata lots where the building is required to be insured by a strata body corporate or similar entity. However, building cover may be available for certain property types where the body corporate is not required to insure the building, such as some Survey Strata schemes in WA or Standard Format Plan properties in QLD. 

You may still need landlord insurance if you rent out a strata property. 

Residential strata insurance generally covers the building, common property and common contents insured by the strata body corporate. It may not cover landlord-owned contents inside your lot, strata fixtures that the body corporate is not required to insure, loss of rent, certain tenant-related damage or your legal liability as a landlord. 

CHU Landlord Insurance can help protect you for these landlord-specific risks, depending on the cover selected. 

Landlord contents are items you own and provide for your tenants or paying guests to use at the rental property. 

Examples may include: 

• furniture and furnishings; 

• appliances; 

• curtains and blinds; 

• carpets and other floor coverings; and 

• other contents described in the Product Disclosure Statement. 

For strata lot owners, landlord contents may also include strata fixtures that the strata body corporate is not required by law or its constitution to insure. 

Strata fixtures are fixtures within a strata lot that the strata body corporate is not required by law or its constitution to insure. 

For strata lot owners, these may form part of landlord contents under the policy. You should consider the replacement value of relevant strata fixtures when selecting your contents sum insured. 

Loss of rent cover may apply if your rental property becomes unliveable due to loss or damage caused by an insured event and a claim has been accepted. 

For building cover, loss of rent may apply where the building is insured under the policy. 

For contents-only cover, loss of rent is only available where you are a strata lot owner with contents cover only. 

Rent Default by Tenant is different and is only available as an optional cover for eligible formal lease arrangements. 

Rent Default by Tenant is an optional cover available for an additional premium. 

It may cover rent you lose if your tenant fails to pay rent in accordance with the lease agreement and certain events occur, such as the tenant leaving without the required notice, being legally evicted, failing to vacate after an order has been served, or being released from the lease due to hardship or family domestic violence. 

Rent Default by Tenant is only available for formal lease arrangements. It is not available for casual lets. 

CHU Landlord Insurance may provide cover for eligible casual lets, including properties rented to paying guests through short-term rental platforms (such as AirBNB or Stayz). 

However, not all short-term accommodation arrangements are eligible. CHU Landlord Insurance is not designed for properties that are used as hotels, motels, resorts, inns, commercially operated serviced apartments or similar accommodation. This means cover is not available where your unit or property is managed or used as part of a commercial accommodation arrangement. 

For eligible casual lets, loss of rent may apply where the rental property becomes unliveable due to an insured event and a claim has been accepted. Cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions, limits and exclusions. 

Rent Default by Tenant is not available for casual lets. 

CHU Landlord Insurance may cover certain loss or damage caused by tenants or paying guests, depending on the cover selected and the circumstances of the claim. 

This may include theft, vandalism or malicious acts, accidental damage, and damage by tenants’ pets, where the relevant cover applies and the claim meets the policy requirements. 

Cover does not apply to all tenant-related damage. Exclusions, limits and conditions apply, including for wear and tear, poor maintenance, neglect, poor housekeeping, illegal activity and other excluded causes. 

Legal liability cover may apply if you have buildings cover, or if you are a strata lot owner with contents cover only. 

The policy may cover your legal liability for personal injury or damage to property arising from an occurrence at the rental property address. 

The most the policy will pay for legal liability arising from any one occurrence or series of related occurrences is $30 million, including approved legal costs. 

If you own a freestanding house, you are generally responsible for arranging building insurance if you want cover for the building. 

If you own a strata property, the building is usually insured by the strata body corporate. Building cover is generally not available for strata lots where the building is required to be insured by a strata body corporate or similar entity. 

Some property types, such as certain Survey Strata schemes in WA or Standard Format Plan properties in QLD, may be treated differently because the body corporate may not be required to insure the building. 

Yes. If you own an eligible freestanding house, you may be able to choose Landlord Buildings and Contents cover, which can include building cover, landlord contents, loss of rent, certain tenant-related damage and legal liability. 

CHU Landlord Insurance is designed for property owners who rent out eligible residential investment properties, including freestanding houses and strata properties. 

Eligibility depends on the property type, occupancy, cover selected, underwriting criteria and the Target Market Determination. 

Yes. You should tell CHU if your weekly rental income changes, particularly if you have selected the Rent Default by Tenant option or you want to make sure your level of cover remains appropriate. 

If you’re a strata lot owner, you will not have to pay an excess under your CHU Landlord Insurance policy if the strata building owner, body corporate or owners corporation makes a claim on a CHU policy for loss or damage caused by the same incident. 

This means that where both claims relate to the same incident, only the excess under the strata building policy would be payable. 

Yes. You can cancel your policy. A refund may be available depending on the circumstances, policy terms and whether any premium remains refundable. 

Please contact CHU to discuss cancellation or changes to your cover. 

No. Home and contents insurance is generally designed for owner-occupiers who live in the property. 

Landlord insurance is designed for property owners who rent out their residential investment property. It can cover rental-related risks such as landlord contents, loss of rent, certain tenant-related damage and legal liability, depending on the cover selected. 

Landlord insurance is not generally mandatory in Australia. However, landlords may choose to take out cover to help protect against rental-related risks such as loss or damage to the rental property, landlord contents, loss of rent, tenant-related damage and legal liability. 

You should consider your own circumstances and read the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination before deciding whether the product is right for you.