How much does landlord insurance cost?

Investing in rental property is a great way to bring in some extra income, build equity or both, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t protect your investment. Landlord insurance can help by protecting you from natural disasters, problem tenants and more.

The cost of insurance can differ for every landlord based on the type of property, the sum you want to insure it for and where it is located. From our research, we found that landlord insurance costs $208 a month on average, but keep in mind that this is for a home that is worth $1,000,000, so your costs could be cheaper or more expensive, depending on how much your home is worth.

Want to protect your investment?

Brands still offering landlord insurance

As of 14 April 2021, the following brands are still offering new landlord insurance policies. All existing policies should be respected, but it's best to check directly with your insurer.

Provider	Are they still offering landlord insurance?	Are they offering tenant default options?	Apply
	Yes	No	Get quote
	Yes	No	Get quote
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	Get quote
	Yes	No	Get quote
	Yes	Yes	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	No	No	More info
	Yes	Yes	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	No	More info
	Yes	Yes	More info
	Yes	In some cases	More info
	Yes	No	More info

How much does landlord insurance cost?

The cost of landlord insurance can vary based on where the property is located, the type of property you are renting (such as a house or a unit) and how secure the building is. Even your choice of insurer can have a dramatic effect on how much you pay.

The following table shows just how dramatically your landlord insurance costs can differ from one insurer to the next.

These prices are based on the same 3-bedroom house in NSW, but that doesn’t mean the more expensive insurers in this example will be the most expensive one for your particular property. Each property is different and each insurer has a different way of calculating risk.

	Monthly	Yearly
Budget Direct	$155.39	$1,574.54
Virgin Money	$158.48	$1,609.78
Westpac	$190.65	$2,287.84
GIO	$253.70	$2,718.28
Woolworths	$194.85	$2,152.13
Suncorp	$269.88	$2,682.11

• Learn more about our methodology

  • We obtained these landlord insurance quotes in 2018 for the same 3-bedroom home in Baulkham Hills, NSW. The 3-bedroom, 1-story, freestanding house was built in 1980.
  • It sits on flat ground and has brick veneer walls, a terracotta tiled roof, no verandas and windows secured by deadlocks.
  • We chose $1 million worth of building cover and $50,000 worth of contents cover with an excess of $500.
  • It fetches $1,000 a week in rent.

How much is that as a percentage of your rental income?

Using the example from the table, you can get landlord insurance on a 3-bedroom house in Sydney, NSW for as little as $155.39 per month.

If you fetched $1,000 per week in rent, as per the example using the 3-bedroom home in Baulkham Hills, that would equal $4,345 per month in rental income.

So that means you would be paying 6.5% of your rental income on landlord insurance:

$155.39 ➗ $4,345 〓 3.6%

That’s a small price to pay considering how much you stand to lose if a fire destroys your entire home.

What can a landlord claim for?

As a landlord, you have many of the same risks as other homeowners, plus a few more related to your tenants and your income. Landlord insurance can protect you for all of it. Here are some of the most common reasons you might claim, according to speciality landlord insurer, Terri Scheer:

1. Loss of rental income. According to Terri Scheer, more than one third of all claims occur when tenants default on their rent. Landlord insurance could help you claim back some of that lost revenue. There are specific conditions that need to be met and you'll need to check with your insurer what circumstances you'll be able to use this option
2. Damage to your building or contents. This can include accidental damage like the tenant banging up your walls while moving a couch or malicious damage like a tenant that vandalises your property to get back at you for something. Not all policies cover accidents, but some will for an extra charge.
3. Water damage. This refers to water that escapes from burst or leaking pipes or from leaking appliances. If the tenant caused the leak due to an accident, you may not be covered unless you have additional accident cover.
4. A tenant’s death. A tenant’s passing could create a host of expenses for you, including finding a place for the tenant's property and losing out on rent while the person’s affairs are put in order. Landlord insurance can help you with all of it.

Picture: Unsplash