Huddle home and contents insurance

Huddle's home and contents insurance seeks to protect you against storms, floods, theft, malicious damage and all the other things that might go wrong. Founded in 2016, Huddle's taken a planet-minded approach to insurance, donating part of the revenue from its 17,000 subscribers to environmental causes. You can bundle up for both home and contents protection or purchase them separately.

What makes Huddle different?

Huddle sets itself apart from other insurers in a few ways:

• Environmentally minded policies. Huddle not only donates 1% of its yearly revenue to environmental causes, but its policies include features paying for the installation of solar panels and rainwater tanks in rebuilt properties.
• Bot-powered insurance. Huddle has created smart AI to quickly handle claims and streamline applications so that the humans at the company can deal with important things. They're also pretty cute.
• 24/7 claims. Using the Huddle app, you can lodge a claim anytime of the day or night. In some situations, you'll get a decision back in minutes.

Huddle home insurance cover options

• Home and contents insurance
• Home insurance
• Contents insurance

Huddle home insurance levels of cover

Here's what you're protected for under Huddle's policies:

• Fire. This only includes direct damage to your house or belongings caused by an open flame. Comprehensive cover includes heat damage without a flame, like a radiator scorch mark.
• Explosion. The object that explodes isn't covered by this feature, but your building and its other contents are.
• Lightning. If lightning strikes, this may cover the damage to your property.
• Malicious damage. This applies if someone spray paints your walls or purposely smashes your stuff. If a guest or someone you invited in goes on a rampage, though, you're out of luck.
• Theft. This covers loss or damage from attempted theft, but not if that theft was conducted by somebody living at the property. If the property has any common areas like a courtyard pool or gym, your possessions aren't covered in these shared spaces.
• Flood, storm and rainwater. When water or storms strike, they can carry things away or break them. These features protect against this damage but exclude a number of external fixtures like pools and driveways. You are not covered for the first 72 hours of your policy.
• Accidental glass breakage. This includes not only the glass itself but also the frame if it has to be repaired to fit the new glass in.
• Earthquake. Loss or damage from the violent motion of the earth as well as from tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, but you'll only have cover within the first 72 hours of the event.
• Riot. If your house or belongings are damaged or pillaged by a riot, this may cover you.
• Impact. The impact could be from a falling tree, a collapsed satellite dish or a car. You won't be covered for tree root damage.
• Water leakage. This benefit is for water leaking from a burst pipe, overflowing dishwasher, roof gutter or anything not due to a bad drainage system. It also covers the costs involved in searching for the source of the leak.
• Accidental damage. This only applies on comprehensive cover. It protects against general accidental loss or damage, so long as it isn't from regular wear and tear or the result of cleaning.
• Removal of debris. You'll be covered for reasonable debris removal costs when necessary, but never from a swimming pool.
• Emergency accommodation. When things go wrong, Huddle could pay for accommodation you need while your house is being repaired.
• Replacement locks. If your keys are stolen, you could have your locks replaced up to $750 ($1,500 on comprehensive).
• Environmental benefits. When your house gets written off as a total loss, Huddle may actually pay to install environmental measures like a rainwater tank or solar panels when your house is rebuilt.
• Visitors' possessions. This could pay for the repair or replacement of your guests' belongings after an incident or theft.
• Food spoilage. If your food spoils from power failure or an insured event, Huddle may pay to replace it.
• Credit card. Thieves may nab your credit card and start piling fraudulent charges on it. This benefit could refund those charges.
• Contents in the open at home. This is mostly for things like garden furniture and barbeques, and it excludes equipment you've left around as well as most expensive electronic devices.
• Contents in storage/transit. If you move to a new address within 60 days of buying your policy, your belongings will be protected against fire, collision or the overturning of the vehicle carrying them.
• Liability cover. You have up to $20 million in legal liability under Huddle home and/or contents insurance policies.

Huddle offers one optional cover:

• Portable valuables cover. This covers loss or damage to expensive portable items, such as jewellery, watches, cameras and more.

Huddle home insurance general exclusions

Huddle will not pay your claim in the following situations:

• It relates to wear and tear, corrosion, rising damp or structural faults.
• It is the result of poor workmanship or insects, birds and vermin.
• It is the result of any earth movement or erosion not caused by an earthquake, storm or flood.
• It's caused by tree roots, tree felling or tree lopping.
• It's caused by mechanical or electrical failure or a power surge.
• It's caused by building work, such as renovations.
• You or someone living at the site intentionally caused it.
• It involves corruption or recovery of electronic data or files.
• You act illegally or recklessly.
• You leave your property empty for 100 days, unless the claim is for lightning or earthquake damage.

How much does Huddle home insurance cost?

The price of your premiums depends largely on how at-risk Huddle judges your home or your belongings to be. Your policy's price depends on the following:

• Where you live. Some locations are more likely to be hit by a storm or are located in a suburb with lots of break-ins.
• What you live in. Construction materials and design matter. A house made of brick is probably sturdier than one composed largely of plasterboard. Having security measures like cameras or sturdy locks will help make your belongings more secure.
• Sum insured. The higher the payout you're expecting if you make a claim, the pricier the premiums.
• Claims you've made before. The more claims you've made in the past, the riskier you're deemed to be. Fewer claims usually mean lower premiums.

Huddle home insurance excess

An excess is the amount you're required to pay when you make a claim with Huddle. Depending on what you're claiming for, one or more excesses might apply. The excesses associated with your policy will be listed on your policy document.

How to save on your Huddle home insurance policy

• Change your excess. You can pick a standard excess between $250 and $1,000. The higher the excess you pick, the less you'll have to pay ongoing.
• Choose the cover you need. It's tempting to go for combined home and contents insurance, but you may want to think about it. If you don't have any particularly valuable possessions, for example, you may only want to opt for home insurance and skip contents altogether.
• Lower your extras. Decide whether you really need cover for your portable valuables. Each extra will bump up your premium.

Making a claim with Huddle

When it comes time to make a claim for your home or contents, you should always call the police first and report any theft, vehicle collision or other police matter. Take precautions to prevent further damage first, then gather together whatever documents and photos you might need to prove ownership and any damage that has been caused to your property or possessions.

Depending on the situation, Huddle may choose to rebuild your home, repair any damage, replace your contents or simply pay you the sum you're insured for.