Holiday home insurance

Finding holiday home insurance is easy. If you want to keep your holiday home to yourself, a home and contents insurance policy is the way to go. Just make sure to check your PDS for how long the home can be left unoccupied – this varies by insurer and is commonly 60–90 consecutive days – and tell your provider if it will be empty for longer.

If you plan on renting out your place for longer than 90 days, you'll need to look for a policy like landlord insurance. For short stays like Airbnb, your best option is probably to go with a holiday let insurer like ShareCover.

Option 1: Holiday home insurance for your place

If you have a holiday home that you use for vacations and weekend getaways, you want to make sure it's properly looked after for when you're there and when you're not around. To do that, you'll need home insurance.

There's often one big difference between getting insurance for the house you're in most of the time and a holiday home — if you don't visit it for an extended period of time, it'll be considered unoccupied by the insurer. The unoccupancy limit varies by insurer and is commonly 60–90 consecutive days. If your holiday home is unoccupied for longer than the limit, your cover may be affected or you may need to meet additional conditions when making a claim. Check your policy's PDS for the specific unoccupancy limit and conditions.

What are the benefits of getting holiday home insurance in Australia?

Holiday home insurance provides peace of mind. It can ensure that you're financially covered for the following:

Here's your holiday home insurance comparison

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10 of 205 results

Finder Score	Fire, Storm & Theft Damage	Flood	Escape of Liquid	Accidental damage
Promoted 8.7 Great Youi Building and Contents Insurance	8.7 Great				Optional	Our verdict: With a a range of options available, Youi Building and Contents Insurance is a great pick for homeowners who are after a policy that allows them to find cover to suit their needs.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted 9.4 Excellent QBE Home & Contents Insurance	9.4 Excellent				Optional	Discount: Get 20% off your first year with a combined policy. T&Cs apply.	Our verdict: Finder's Top Pick for Floods plus cover for other common claims such as fire and theft.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted 9 Excellent Budget Direct Contents Insurance	9 Excellent		Optional		Optional	Get 15% off your first year's premium if you purchase online. T&Cs apply.	Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover. You need to pay extra for flood cover and accidental damage.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.4 Excellent Coles Combined Home & Contents Insurance	9.4 Excellent		Optional		Optional	Discount: Save up to 30% (15% Online + Up to 15% Combined) off your first year's premium when you take out a new Combined Home & Contents Insurance policy online. T&Cs apply.	Our verdict: This covers what you'd expect in a home and contents policy; fire, storm and theft. There are plenty of optional extras available for those who'd like more thorough coverage.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.3 Excellent Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance	9.3 Excellent		Optional		Optional	Discount: Up to 30% (15% Online + Up to 15% Combined) off your first year's premium for a new combined Home and Contents policy purchased online. T&Cs apply.	Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.2 Excellent Qantas Home and Contents Insurance	9.2 Excellent		Optional		Optional	Bonus points offer: Earn up to 35,000 Qantas Points for joining by 25 November 2026. Plus save up to 30% on your 1st year’s premium - 15% when you take out a new policy online, and up to 15% when you combine home and contents. T&Cs apply.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
8.5 Great Kogan Home & Contents Insurance	8.5 Great				Optional	Discount: Get up to 10% off your first year's premium when you apply online and $10 monthly Kogan credit (valid on $100+ purchases) for active policyholders. T&Cs apply.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
7.8 Great Huddle Black Home and Contents Insurance	7.8 Great					Discount: Get 10% off your premium when you purchase Home and Contents Insurance. T&Cs apply.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
7.3 Great Seniors Top Home & Contents Insurance	7.3 Great					Discount: Get up to 20% off when you buy a combined home and contents policy. This includes a 10% discount for purchasing a combined policy and an additional 10% discount for valid Seniors Card holders. Terms, conditions, underwriting criteria and minimum premiums apply, which may reduce discount.	Our verdict: Make sure your rebuild costs are accurate though – Australian Seniors don’t do underinsurance cover.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.5 Excellent Qantas Contents Insurance	9.5 Excellent		Optional		Optional	Bonus points offer: Earn up to 35,000 Qantas Points for joining by 25 November 2026. Plus save 15% on your 1st year’s premium when you purchase online. T&Cs apply.	Get a quote View details Compare product selection Compare	loading

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Looking for other options? Check out these similar products.

How we picked these

How we calculate Home insurance Finder Scores

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What different scores mean

9+

Excellent

These products offer a balance between low pricing and more features.

7+

Great

Competitive products within their group.

5+

Standard

Usually these products would either have fewer benefits or higher pricing.

0+

Basic

Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.

What's not included?

It's important to know what's not included when you buy home insurance for your holiday home.

• Renting out your holiday home. If you want to rent out your holiday home, a home and contents insurance policy won't cover you. You would need landlord insurance, and even then, most policies will only cover you if you're renting out for longer than 90 days.
• Failing to keep your home in a lived-in state. This might seem like a strange one, but it's for security purposes. If your house appears unkempt, for example the grass isn't mowed and the mailbox is full, it lets burglars know that nobody is home. Keep it tidy and any claims you make during this period won't be refused.
• Upsizing. If you renovate your holiday home, or add value to the property by making changes, make sure you adjust your cover accordingly. Otherwise those new additions might not be covered.
• Not looking after things. It might not be your main home, but you need to keep on top of your simple repairs. Insurers will expect you to fix leaks, holes and anything that might come under general wear and tear.

Option 2: Looking for something like Airbnb insurance?

If you want to rent out your holiday home, you generally have two options:

• Landlord insurance. Suitable for people who want to rent out their holiday home for longer than 90 days at a time.
• Holiday let insurance. Suitable for short stays like Airbnb or Stayz.

What's covered under these policies?

These types of insurance are a little like extensions for your standard home and contents cover. With it, you can be covered against:

• Malicious and accidental damage caused by tenants and their guests
• Theft by tenants and their guests
• Loss of rental income if a tenant defaults on payment
• Loss of rental income if your property is left uninhabitable following damage
• Loss of rental income if something happens to the tenant so that they are unable to pay
• Changing keys and locks if a tenant doesn't return the keys
• Loss of rental income if your property is left inaccessible and unrentable for reasons beyond your control
• Legal expenses incurred while taking certain actions against tenants
• Legal liability, such as if guests slip and fall, die, or otherwise hold you legally liable for their injury, death or property damage
• Damage to property contents that have been provided for guest use

What's not included?

These are some of the situations and events that a landlord or Airbnb insurance policy will not cover:

• For landlord insurance, you generally won't be covered for Airbnb or Stayz unless they are staying for longer than 90 days
• Some insurers will not cover you if you are only renting out a room (like on Airbnb) but are still living at the property
• Water entering the building through an opening made to renovate or extend the property
• Poor housekeeping by your tenants (e.g unhygienic or untidy living habits)
• General wear and tear, rust, mould or mildew
• Loss or damage caused by insects or vermin
• Repairs carried out by the tenant that you consented to

For a full list of exclusions, be sure to give the product disclosure statement (PDS) a proper read.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need holiday home insurance?

  If your holiday home is mortgaged, then you may be required to take out home insurance on your holiday home. But even if it's not a mortgage requirement, holiday home insurance is a smart way to protect your investment and provide peace of mind. Because you're not always at your holiday home, they could be more likely to be broken into, so it's also a good way to protect yourself from burglary.

  In lots of cases too, holiday homes are in rural areas where bushfires, storms and other dangerous weather events are more common. If something major was to occur, holiday home insurance can ensure you're looked after financially if you have to repair or rebuild.

• Do I need contents insurance for a holiday home?

  If you leave furniture, TVs, appliances, jewellery, artwork or any other valuables at your holiday home, then you need to consider contents insurance.

  Consider how hard you've worked to pay for these items and how much it would put a dent in your finances if you were forced to pay to replace them all. You leave yourself open to burglary every time you leave the house, so contents insurance is a smart way to cover yourself should someone break in. Contents insurance can also help out if you haven't visited for a while and a storm or weather event does damage to your property, causing damage to some of your belongings.

• What add-ons should I consider?

  While you are usually covered for things like weather damage, burglaries and legal liability, accidental damage isn't always automatically included and could be worth it, especially if you have any expensive items.

  Also, remember that the unoccupancy limit varies by insurer and is commonly 60–90 consecutive days. Check your policy's PDS for the specific unoccupancy limit and conditions. If you need cover beyond the standard limit, let your insurer know as they may be able to extend the cover for an additional cost.

• What insurance do I need if I rent out my holiday home?

  As already stated, if you rent out your place, the insurance you need depends on how long your guests stay for.

  • Longer than 90 days. For this, you'll need a type of landlord insurance.
  • For short stays like Airbnb. You'll need a type of holiday let insurance like ShareCover.

• How can I save money on a holiday home insurance policy?

  There are a few useful ways to help reduce your holiday home insurance premiums.

  • Pay annually. Paying annually is a common but sure way to pay less for your insurance.
  • Combine your home and contents. Some insurers give you combined cover at a reduced rate than if you bought them separately.
  • Home security. A big reason that holiday home insurance can cost a lot is that the home isn't permanently occupied, leaving you more open to theft. To make your home safer, and potentially lower your premiums, add alarm systems, locks and security lighting.
  • Maintenance and repairs. Just like your home, keeping your holiday home in good condition reduces the chances of you having to make a claim.

• Will I be covered if someone steals or vandalises my holiday home?

  Usually yes, provided the home has not been unoccupied longer than the period stated in your PDS (commonly 60–90 consecutive days) and you have met any security conditions. See the unoccupied home insurance guide for more information.

• What's the difference between a normal home insurance policy and holiday home insurance?

  A normal home insurance policy won't cover you if you're making an income from the property, and your policy may also be voided if it's unoccupied for an extended period of time. This is why you need to choose the right policy for your holiday home.

• Can I sublet my home if I go on holidays?

  It's a pretty common thing to sublet your place (especially if you're renting) if you go on holidays for a few weeks. While subletting could help you pay the rent on your place, it's often not permitted by your landlord since subletting tenants aren't usually covered by their insurance.

  Your landlord can't physically stop you from subletting, but it will probably go against your lease agreement.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

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Gary Ross has written 519 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
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