Q. Who pays for contents insurance on a rented property?

A. That depends on who owns the contents. If you're a tenant and you want to insure your important possessions, you'll need to consider renter's insurance. However, landlords who lease out fully furnished properties can also benefit from contents insurance. In addition, landlord contents insurance can also provide cover for other contents that are the landlord's responsibility, including carpets, curtains and some electrical appliances.

Q. Does contents insurance provide tenant's liability cover?

A. Yes, renter's contents-only insurance policies can provide legal liability cover if you are legally liable when someone else suffers an injury or damage to their property.

Q. Can I have a contents insurance policy with no excess?

A. Most policies require you to pay an excess when you make a claim. However, many insurers allow you to adjust your excess to vary your premium amount, so contact your insurer to find out the minimum excess available.

Q. Will contents insurance still provide cover if I haven't kept my receipts?

A. Yes, it's still possible to have your claim paid even if you haven't kept receipts. The insurer will ask you to show proof of ownership, which you may be able to do by providing photographs of the items in your house, warranty cards, instruction manuals, valuation certificates, original packaging, credit card statements and, in some cases, serial numbers. Contact your insurer for details of what they will accept as proof of ownership if you are unable to provide receipts.

Q. Do I get contents insurance if I live in a granny flat?

A. If you live in a granny flat , and don't own it, then contents insurance could be the right way to go. You won't need cover for the building since the owner or landlord should have that part covered.

Q. How do I buy contents insurance?

A. You can buy contents insurance online or by contacting an insurer over the phone.

Q. Does contents insurance cover my pet?

A. Contents insurance cover for pets varies widely between insurers. Generally speaking, pets aren't covered as standard, but many insurers offer pet cover as an optional extra. This benefit can help cover your vet bills if your dog or cat suffers an accidental injury. However, keep in mind that most insurers will not provide any cover for damage to your contents caused by a domestic pet.

Q. Will contents insurance cover my aquarium?

A. Contents insurance can cover your aquarium whether you're a renter or a homeowner, though it does have the following caveats: The value needs to be within a certain limit You won't be covered for general wear and tear or poor maintenance You won't be covered for the fish

Q. What does new for old mean?

A. If your insurer offers "new for old" replacement, that means your damaged item will be replaced with a new version, regardless of its age. Without this, you might end up with a minimal cash payout that wouldn't be enough to buy a replacement item.

Q. Will contents insurance cover my engagement ring?

A. Yes, to a certain value. Insurers put a cap on the amount you can claim per piece of jewellery. If your ring is worth more than that, don't worry. You can list the item on your insurance policy, with its value, and have peace of mind that it's properly covered.

Q. Will contents insurance cover my stuff if I take it outside my home?

A. Sometimes. You can usually add "personal effects" cover or "portable contents" cover to your policy. This will cover some items if you take them away from your home. Bicycles, jewellery and cameras are usually covered, but phones, laptops and drones typically aren't.

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Product	Finder Score	Flood	Accidental damage
Budget Direct Contents Insurance Best Rated BrandBonus	Finder score	Optional add-on	Optional	Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you 15% off your first year's premium if you purchase online. You need to pay extra for flood cover and accidental damage.	Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Huddle Comprehensive Contents Insurance	Finder score			Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Real Top Contents Insurance	Finder score			Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Huddle Black Contents Insurance	Finder score			Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Honey Contents Insurance	Finder score		Optional	Our verdict: Honey gives you $250 smart sensors to reduce accidents and estimates the value of your contents. It was also a finalist for the comprehensive category in the Finder Awards.	Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Huddle Basic Contents Insurance	Finder score			Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
QBE Contents Insurance Green Company	Finder score		Optional	Our verdict: It covers essentials such as fire and theft plus comes with some good perks such as security upgrades after a burglary and up to 10% off your first year.	Get a quote View details Compare	loading Fetching your data...

Finder Score - Home and Contents Insurance

Each month, we get crunching on most every home insurance product in Australia to see how they stack up. We rank over 50 products on 16 different features, including price. We end up with a single score out of 10 that helps you compare home insurance a bit faster.

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What is contents insurance?

Contents insurance is a type of home insurance. It covers the items inside your home, such as your TV, furniture or art, without providing any cover for the actual building.

You can buy contents insurance as a standalone policy or bundle it with building insurance. Standalone policies are ideal for renters and are generally pretty affordable.

Usually, contents insurance is highly customisable. You may be able to add cover for items you take outside of the home as well as for high-value items.

What does contents insurance cover?

Most items within your home will be covered by your contents insurance. Although they vary slightly between insurance brands, the following are some common inclusions:

Carpets and rugs
Furnishings
Household electrical appliances
Above-ground swimming pools
Wheelchairs and mobility aids
Tools and gardening equipment
Paintings and works of art

Furniture
Fixtures and fittings
Blinds and curtains
Spas
Potted plants
Tools of your trade

Many personal effects are also covered by home insurance, including the following:

Bicycles
Binoculars and telescopes
Clothing and accessories
Jewellery and medals
Musical instruments
Music systems and radios
Sporting equipment
Writing instruments

Baby capsules and prams
Children's toys
Cosmetics
Medical aids
Cameras, video equipment and accessories
Glasses, sunglasses and contact
Watches and clocks
Non-fabric camping equipment

When am I covered?

Contents insurance kicks in when your belongings are damaged in a specific way. These are called insured events. Take a look at the events below so you know when you'll be covered.

Insured event	Example	Watch out for
Fire	A bushfire or kitchen fire	⚠️ Policies might not pay out for damage caused where there was heat but no flame. For example, smoke damage, scorching or melting.
Theft and attempted theft	Your home is burgled	⚠️ Your policy won't pay out if the theft was by someone who entered your home with your permission.
Storms and rainwater	Surface run-off water enters your home	⚠️ Unless you have flood cover, you won't be covered for water damage that's due to a body of water breaking its banks.
Escape of liquid	A pipe bursts	⚠️ Contents insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of the item that caused the leak.
Lightning	Lightning strikes your home	⚠️ The damage must be caused by a direct lightning strike or thunderbolt
Malicious damage	Someone breaks into your home and vandalises it	⚠️ Your policy won't pay out if the damage was by someone who entered your home with your permission.
Impact	A tree falls on your home or a car loses control and drives into it	⚠️ You won't be covered if you authorised a tree to be cut down and then it falls on your home.
Earthquake or tsunami	A tsunami hits your waterfront home	⚠️ The tsunami must be caused by an earthquake rather than by "actions of the sea".
Breakage of glass, ceramic and sanitary features	A mirror breaks or the glass in a display cabinet breaks	⚠️ Glass in TVs, tablets and mobile phones are generally not covered.
Explosion	Your water boiler explodes, destroying the furniture and belongings in the adjacent room.	⚠️ Contents insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of the item that exploded.
The following insured events are usually optional extras:
Flood	A nearby river breaks its banks, flooding your home	⚠️ This is usually an optional extra. You may have to pay more money for this cover.
Accidental damage	You spill red wine on the carpet or your dog knocks over your TV.	⚠️ You won't be covered for general wear and tear, including chips, scratches and dents.

What isn't covered by contents insurance?

Contents insurance helps in heaps of different situations, but it won't cover everything. Here are some common exclusions to be aware of:

Actions of the sea, except tsunamis
Asbestos
Illegal activity
Defects and structural faults
Earth movement

Wear and tear
Neglect
Repossession
Vermin

Contents insurance for renters

Contents insurance covers most of your belongings kept inside the home. You don't need to insure the building since that's the landlord's responsibility.

It'll also cover some semi-permanent features – like air-con units, ovens and carpets – as long as you paid for them.

Check out our guide to renter's insurance for more information.

Contents insurance for landlords

Landlord insurance covers both the fixtures and fittings inside your property, including built-in wardrobes, shelving units, ceiling fans and kitchen countertops.

You can also add cover for malicious damage and tenant default.

Check out our guide to landlord's insurance for more information.

Compare contents insurance deals for April 2025

You could save up to 15% on the price of your policy just by taking advantage of a sign-up offer.

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15% online discount on contents insurance

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Get 10% off your first years’ premium with QBE Contents only Insurance

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Other questions you might have about contents insurance

A. That depends on who owns the contents. If you're a tenant and you want to insure your important possessions, you'll need to consider renter's insurance. However, landlords who lease out fully furnished properties can also benefit from contents insurance. In addition, landlord contents insurance can also provide cover for other contents that are the landlord's responsibility, including carpets, curtains and some electrical appliances.
A. Yes, it's still possible to have your claim paid even if you haven't kept receipts. The insurer will ask you to show proof of ownership, which you may be able to do by providing photographs of the items in your house, warranty cards, instruction manuals, valuation certificates, original packaging, credit card statements and, in some cases, serial numbers. Contact your insurer for details of what they will accept as proof of ownership if you are unable to provide receipts.
A. Contents insurance cover for pets varies widely between insurers. Generally speaking, pets aren't covered as standard, but many insurers offer pet cover as an optional extra. This benefit can help cover your vet bills if your dog or cat suffers an accidental injury. However, keep in mind that most insurers will not provide any cover for damage to your contents caused by a domestic pet.
A. Contents insurance can cover your aquarium whether you're a renter or a homeowner, though it does have the following caveats:
- The value needs to be within a certain limit
- You won't be covered for general wear and tear or poor maintenance
- You won't be covered for the fish

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Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

Nicola's expertise

Nicola has written 245 Finder guides across topics including:

Personal finance
Personal insurance, including car, health, home, life, pet and travel insurance
Commercial business insurance

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