Landlord building cover protects the physical structure of your property if it's damaged by an insured event like a natural disaster, fire or your tenant. The following is all considered "the building":
The building itself (e.g. bricks and mortar)
Electrical cables and plumbing system
Other permanent structures (e.g. built-in swimming pools and air conditioning)
If you have a furnished or partially furnished property, then you should also consider getting landlord contents insurance. This covers the items you own and keep at your rental.
This includes damage from fires (including bushfires) storms, rainwater, floods, escaped water and lightning. Building cover also commonly includes mortgage discharge costs.
This includes damage caused by visitors, pets and unknown persons. This can protect your property against accidental loss or damage, tenant damage and vandalism or theft.
If your building is damaged by an insured event and becomes uninhabitable, landlord building insurance can cover your loss of rent for a specific time – often up to a year. It can also cover rent default (if your tenant is unexpectedly unable to pay you rent).
Commonly referred to as legal liability, this covers you for death or bodily injury to other people as well as for damage to other people's property, usually up to $20 or $30 million.
Landlord contents insurance doesn't cover the following:
Insurers are unlikely to cover you for bushfires, storms, floods or tsunamis in the first 72 hours of your policy.
Clear and simple steps to find out if you need landlord insurance.
Landlord contents insurance: You might not think you need it, until you do.
Find out how to get short term rental and Airbnb insurance
Your guide to landlord insurance in Victoria.
Your guide to landlord insurance in Western Australia.
Your guide to getting landlord insurance in Queensland.
Your quick guide to Virgin Money Landlord Insurance.
Your guide to Budget Direct Landlord Insurance.
How does Kogan landlord insurance compare? See how it works, and some of the fine print to look out for.