Landlord Insurance NZ
When you hand over the keys to a tenant, you're no longer just a homeowner — you're running a business. Standard home insurance policies aren't built for that, leaving you exposed to tenant damage, meth contamination, and loss of rent.
What you need to know
Get a landlord insurance quote today. We'll compare the market across 30+ insurers and tell you exactly what you're getting — not just premiums, but the actual terms, exclusions, and coverage that matters when things go wrong.
How this protects you
Building and contents cover against fire, flood, storm, and earthquake damage
Tenant damage protection — malicious or accidental damage beyond the bond
Methamphetamine contamination testing, decontamination, and remediation costs
Loss of rent compensation while your property is uninhabitable after damage
Public liability protection against injury claims and legal costs on your property
Expert broker support with policy comparison, claims advocacy, and annual reviews
Years of experience
Clients protected
5-star reviews
What's covered
A properly structured landlord insurance policy is built around the risks specific to rental property. The main components look like this:
Building and Contents Damage — This covers the physical structure (walls, roof, fixtures, fittings) against fire, flood, storm damage, and earthquake. If the property is furnished, your chattels (furniture, appliances, whiteware) should be included too. If it's unfurnished, the tenant's belongings are their responsibility to insure.
Tenant-Related Damage — Malicious or accidental damage by tenants or their guests is a distinct risk that standard policies don't account for. The Tenancy Tribunal handles a significant number of cases involving property damage that far exceeds the bond. A landlord insurance policy that includes deliberate damage cover is a different conversation to a basic house policy.
Methamphetamine Contamination — Meth contamination isn't just a clean-up job. According to REINZ, remediation costs can run into the tens of thousands. Testing, decontamination, disposal, and potential full reinstatement of contaminated surfaces adds up fast — and the property can't be re-tenanted until it's done. Not all landlord policies include meth cover as standard. It's worth checking.
Loss of Rent — If your property becomes uninhabitable — whether from fire, flood, or a major repair — you stop receiving rent. Loss of rent cover compensates you for that income while the property is being restored. Some policies extend this to cover deliberate damage that renders the property unliveable. Others don't. Know which category yours sits in.
Public Liability — If a tenant or visitor is injured on your property due to a maintenance issue (a broken step, a faulty railing), you could be liable. Public liability cover protects you against legal costs and compensation claims. For a landlord, this isn't optional.
Why you need this
Why Home Insurance Isn't Enough
Standard home insurance is written for owner-occupiers. You live there. You control what happens inside. If the roof leaks or a pipe bursts, you make a claim. Simple enough.
The moment you introduce a tenant, everything changes. You're no longer present. You're not controlling who visits, what gets cooked, what gets smoked, or what gets broken. The insurer knows this. Which is why most standard policies will decline or significantly reduce a claim the moment they find out the property was tenanted. Some insurers will void the policy entirely if the dwelling was rented and you hadn't told them. That's not them being unreasonable — that's them enforcing the terms you agreed to. And it's an expensive lesson to learn after the fact.
The Gaps Most Landlords Don't Know About
Even with a landlord-specific policy, there are exclusions worth understanding before you need them. Vacancy clauses — Most policies suspend or reduce cover if a property has been unoccupied for 60 to 90 days. Renovations, between-tenancy gaps, and problem tenancies can all trigger this. Gradual damage — Insurance is for sudden, unexpected events, not for a slow leak you didn't fix or deferred maintenance. Regular inspections — Many policies require landlords to conduct regular property inspections and keep records. Skip them, and you risk giving the insurer grounds to decline a damage claim. Rent arrears — Some policies include cover for rent default. Not all. If you're relying on rental income to service a mortgage, this matters.
Banks Expect You to Have This
If your rental property is mortgaged — and most are — your bank almost certainly requires you to hold adequate insurance. It's a standard condition of most lending agreements. But "adequate" according to your bank's mortgage documents may not be the same as adequate for your actual risk. A policy that technically satisfies the bank's requirement can still leave you with significant gaps when something goes wrong.
How to Get Landlord Insurance
We make it simple to get the right cover for your rental property
Contact Us
Call, email, or fill in the form. We're available 7 days a week, 8am to 7pm, and turn quotes around same day.
We Compare the Market
We review policies across 30+ insurers — not just premiums, but actual terms, exclusions, and what's covered in practice.
Choose Your Cover
We'll explain exactly what you're getting and help you select the policy that matches your specific rental property risks.
Annual Reviews
We review your policy annually as property values, rebuild costs, and legislation change to ensure you stay properly covered.
Pricing factors
Your landlord insurance premium will depend on several factors specific to your rental property:
- Property type — Whether it's residential or commercial property, and the age and construction of the building
- Furnishing status — Furnished properties require chattels cover; unfurnished properties don't
- Location and risk — Flood zones, earthquake risk, and regional factors affect pricing
- Sum insured — Property values and rebuild costs determine your base premium
- Tenant profile — The type of tenants and tenancy arrangements can influence risk assessment
- Coverage options — Whether you include meth cover, rent default, and higher excess levels
- Claims history — Previous claims on the property or your portfolio affect premiums
- Portfolio size — Multiple rental properties may qualify for multi-policy discounts
Every property is different. Your specific risks will depend on your circumstances. This is general information only — for advice tailored to your situation, get in touch with our team.
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