Protection for short-term accommodation

Covers accidental guest damage to fixed contents and building.

Accidental damage is the result of sudden, unexpected or unforeseen events (such as a child scribbling on the walls with a permanent marker).  

Excess: $350 per event. This means if a child scribbles on the wall in one room and a glass of wine stains the carpet in another, they are two seperate events and two excesses would apply (e.g. $700). 

Protection for lost rent after the death of a tenant at the property, including murder and suicide.

In an ideal world, no landlord would ever be confronted with the death of a tenant at a rental. Sadly, the reality is that many will have to deal with just that eventuality. Whether a lone tenant simply passes peacefully in their sleep, or the death is far more traumatic, it is best to be prepared. 

EBM RentCover offers protection for lost rent on confirmed bookings after the death of a tenant, including murder and suicide.

To find out more about what to do if a tenant passes away in a rental, read this.

Covers damage to contents (and optional building) by fire or explosion, including arson by the guest.

Fire damage is an important feature in most landlord insurance policies and can protect an investment if: an electrical appliance fails, a candle ignites the room, a bushfire consumes a neighborhood or a tenant sets fire to the property (arson).

If you need cover for building, you determine and tell us the sum insured at the time of application. It is the full cost to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. 

Protection when you are found legally liable for an incident, including tenant injury.

If a landlord fails to provide a safe environment for tenants, they can be sued for compensation by the person who is injured. And those costs and compensation payouts can stretch from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars once medical costs, loss of income and pain and suffering are factored in.

That is why EBM RentCover landlord insurance offers protection when you are found legally liable for an incident, including tenant injury.

DID YOU KNOW??... To date, the highest personal injury claim in Australia for one person was an eye-watering $19 million – and half of that was legal costs! That’s why the legal liability limits set out in landlord insurance policies are in the millions.

Read this for more information.

Loss of rent makes up around two-thirds of landlord insurance claims at EBM RentCover.

Under RentCover ShortTerm policies, we offer cover when a confirmed booking is unable to stay in the property following tenant damage or insured events. 

For example, say the property is unable to occupy guests due to a natural disaster, landlords can claim on the income they would have received (for the confirmed booking) had the property not been uninhabitable. Landlords can only claim on already confirmed bookings. 

Covers malicious guest damage to fixed contents and building.

Malicious means it was caused on purpose with intent to do harm, motivated by vindictiveness or spite with the aim of damaging the property (such as punching a hole through a door).

Excess: $350 per claim. This means if a guest punches a hole through the door in one room, and punches a hole through the wall in another, only one excess would apply (e.g. $350 per claim, for both damages). 

Protection when Mother Nature causes damage to contents.  

The right insurance policy means owners can protect their investment, at least financially, against a range of extreme weather events. RentCover ShortTerm offers cover for damage to contents (and optional building) caused by Mother Nature, including: bushfire, storm, flood, earthquake and cyclone.

When planning insurance, check if your policy includes the events that are most likely to happen at your property.

NOTE: Some environmental conditions are uninsurable, for example when the damage or loss does not result from a single ‘insured event’, such as in cases of coastal erosion where the problem develops over time.

If you need cover for building, you determine and tell us the sum insured at the time of application. It is the full cost to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. 

Excesses: Storm - $200 | Flood - $200 | Fire - $200 | Earthquake - $250 | Cyclone - $1,000 | All other insured events not mentioned incur a $200 excess.

Covers damage to contents and building caused by a guest’s domestic pet kept on the property.

Many landlords are hesitant about allowing pets in investment properties because of the potential damage. However, with the right cover in place, landlords can claim should something go wrong.

EBM RentCover offers cover for damage to fixed contents and building caused by a guest's domestic pet kept at the property.

Covers costs of an audit in connection to the ownership of the insured property.

EBM RentCover will cover costs of an audit in connection to the ownership of the insured property. This means, during any one period of insurance, if there is an investigation into a return lodged with the Commissioner of Taxation in relation to an investment property insured with us, we will cover up to $1,000 per audit (if more than one audit occurs, we will pay out a maximum of $2,000 combined). 

Covers damage to contents (and optional building) by water, including from overflowing basins and bursting pipes.

Sometimes water damage occurs out of nowhere and can cause significant damage and even more frustration. If you have the right insurance in place, you don’t need to drown your sorrows when a property is inundated with water. 

EBM RentCover can cover damage to contents by water including from bursting pipes, overflowing basins or baths (must be fixed in place), roofs leaking, sewerage discharging, and water suddenly escaping from a waterbed or aquarium.

NOTE: Most insurers do not cover water damage which has occurred gradually over time (e.g. mould, or corrosion). This is because it is something that could have been prevented and most landlord insurance policies state that all must be done to prevent future damage and loss.

If you need cover for building, you determine and tell us the sum insured at the time of application. It is the full cost to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. 

It is a policy for properties rented out for short periods of time and offers cover for risks that are unique to short-term rental properties. For example, let’s look at holiday homes – RentCover’s short-term landlord insurance policy (known as RentCover ShortTerm) offers cover for loss of rent when a confirmed booking is unable to stay in the property following tenant damage or insured events.

NOTE: EBM RentCover ShortTerm is designed for properties that are not on a fixed-term lease, and are rented out for less than six months at a time.

RentCover ShortTerm can provide cover for holiday homes, Airbnb accommodation and serviced apartments. Typically, it has the option to cover both contents and building.

When it comes to Airbnb accommodation, RentCover ShortTerm offers cover when a property owner uses Airbnb to let their holiday home or investment property for short stays. However, it does not offer cover when:

• a property owner uses Airbnb to rent a single room (or the entire home) of their main place of residence.  
• a tenant leases a home and then sub-leases a single room (or the entire home) through Airbnb. 

RentCover ShortTerm can provide cover for holiday homes, Airbnb accommodation and serviced apartments. Typically, it has the option to cover both contents and building.

When it comes to Airbnb accommodation, RentCover ShortTerm offers cover when a property owner uses Airbnb to let their holiday home or investment property for short stays. However, it does not offer cover when:

• a property owner uses Airbnb to rent a single room (or the entire home) of their main place of residence.  
• a tenant leases a home and then sub-leases a single room (or the entire home) through Airbnb. 

Premiums for RentCover ShortTerm policies are dependent on several factors. Get a quote online or call EBM RentCover for help. For the cost of the premium, policyholders receive cover for a range of risks including malicious and accidental guest damage, loss of rent, pet damage, legal liability and insured events (fire, storm and flood).

Standard landlord insurance may not work. Holiday homes are often left vacant for extended periods, and they face different risks. RentCover ShortTerm was designed for short-term accommodation like Airbnb homes.

It is important landlords have cover for legal liability. Landlords have an obligation to provide a safe and habitable property for their guests. If, for some reason, the landlord fails at this and a guest is injured at the property, the landlord could be held responsible and may be required to offer compensation. Legal liability (which is covered in RentCover ShortTerm) provides up to $20 million cover when a landlord is found legally liable for an incident, including tenant injury.