The reasonable emergency accommodation costs necessarily incurred in the event of an admissible claim for loss or damage to the insured property, whereby the unit occupied by a unit owner for residential purposes becomes uninhabitable.

Calculated on the basis of the annual rentable value that would have been applied to a unit prior to loss or damage happening to a building resulting in the unit becoming uninhabitable.

Include carpets within hallways and lobbies, pot plants, mirrors and other decoration within common areas. Also included are washing machines and dryers owned by the body corporate or owners corporation and used by all unit owners and housed in common laundries. Any barbeque equipment, gardening equipment and garden or indoor furniture owned by the body corporate or owners corporation should be insured as common area contents.

Damage to the building is covered – replace as was. However, be wary of upgraded security measures included doors/locks etc as the policy covers the replacement to an extent not better than which existed originally – it does not cover ‘upgrading’ of security measures.

Awnings and pergolas are covered under the building policy. While accidental damage can occur to these, most commonly damage results from wear and tear through age. If wear and tear is the cause of damage, it is the responsibility of the body corporate/owners to repair damage. Note: these must be legal installations, comply with local council codes and have body corporate approval.

One who investigates the cause and the circumstances of a loss and ascertains the amount of the loss, usually appointed by CHU or an insurer.

Depending on how an air conditioner is installed, it is either part of the building or an owner’s fixture and should therefore be insured accordingly. If the air conditioning unit is placed through a window opening and plugged into a power point, it is considered as a ‘fitting’ and must therefore be included in the individual proprietor’s contents policy. If the power source is from the power board and the air ducts, then it is considered to be a fixture and part of the building. In essence, if the installation cannot be removed without causing damage to the building, it would be considered to form part of the building for insurance purpos

CHU’s After Hours Emergency Hotline – 1800 022 444 – puts clients in touch with specialist repairers who can provide on-the-spot advice and or attend a property after hours.

Accidental damage includes (but is not limited to) fire, lightning, explosion, storm, tempest, rainwater, earthquake, aircraft, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, impact by vehicles, burglary, glass breakage, fusion, bursting/leaking/overflowing of water tanks and pipes.

In the event of a claim, it is important to ensure the repairer or contractor that the body corporate or strata manager engages has an ABN (Australian Business Number) and that this ABN is clearly noted on invoices. Without an ABN, legislation prevents the insurer from being able to pay the repairer/contractor’s invoice in full and may prevent full reimbursement of the body corporate for their expenditure – the insurer must withhold 48.5% of the invoice amount where no ABN is provided.

Australian Business Number. This is a number that all registered entities must hold to allow the charging of GST (Goods and Services Tax) on supplies and the ability to claim an input tax credit on GST paid as applicable. ABN is the identifier for dealings with the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) and for dealings with other government departments and agencies.

Generally, you will need to provide details of the incident that led to the claim, as well as any supporting documentation, such as photos or receipts. You may also need to provide evidence of your ownership or occupancy of the property.