Granny flat insurance 

How to find the right granny flat insurance, whether you're renting yours out or you're living in one.

Home & Contents Insurance

Key takeaways

  • You should consider granny flat insurance, whether you live in the flat or rent it out.
  • Home insurance will cover the building, while contents insurance will cover items inside.
  • If you're not renting out a granny flat, it can be covered on a home insurance policy on your main home.
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Name Product AUFHO Finder score
Youi Building and Contents Insurance
4.5/5★★★★★
Best Rated Brand
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
4.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: Finder’s 2022 Insurer of the Year for Customer Satisfaction and our Top Pick for Fire Damage cover. It’s good if you want a tailored quote over the phone.
Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance
4.5/5★★★★★
Best Rated BrandBonusFinder Award Finalist
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
4.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you up to 30% off your first year's premium for new combined Home & Contents policies purchased online.
Bendigo Bank Gold Home & Contents Insurance
2.5/5★★★★★
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
2.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: A good option if you want a well regarded brand. All come with automatic flood cover and let you pay monthly or fortnightly at no extra cost.
QBE Home & Contents Insurance
3.5/5★★★★★
Green CompanyBonus
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
3.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: Finder's Top Pick for Floods plus cover for other common claims such as fire and theft). Its discount is better than most – 20% off your first year with a combined policy.
Qantas Home and Contents Insurance
4.5/5★★★★★
BonusFinder Award Finalist
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
4.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: Earn up to 40K Qantas Points for joining by 29 January. Plus save 30% on your 1st year’s premium for purchasing a combined home and contents policy online. T&Cs apply.
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
N/A
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
N/A
Our verdict: Save up to 10% on your policy in the first year.
Honey Home & Contents Insurance
4.5/5★★★★★
Bonus
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
Storm
Fire
Theft
Flood
Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls)
Impact to home (e.g falling trees)
Escaped water (e.g burst pipe)
Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home)
+ more insured events and other features
4.5/5★★★★★
Our verdict: Honey gives you $250 smart sensors to reduce accidents and estimates your rebuild costs for you. Honey was a finalist for the comprehensive category in this year’s Finder Awards.
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I live in a granny flat which someone else owns

If you live in someone else's granny flat, you don't need building insurance. The owners will be responsible for any damages to the building, including the roof and walls.

However, you may benefit from contents insurance. This protects all your belongings inside the granny flat, such as furniture, electronics and even clothing. Some policies will even cover items outside your home, such as garden furniture.

Things that contents insurance will cover

Contents insurance will kick in following a whole range of different events, including:

EventExample
TheftSomeone breaks into your granny flat and steals your TV.
StormA severe storm destroys your outdoor furniture.
Escape of liquidA pipe bursts, ruining rugs and furniture.
FireA fire destroys all of your belongings.
VandalismSomeone breaks into your home and damages items.
LightningDamage to your belongings by a direct lightning strike.
Glass breakageAn antique mirror smashes.
ExplosionA gas explosion damages your home and your belongings are impacted.
ImpactA tree falls on your home, damaging the contents inside.
FloodYour home is flooded and the water damages furniture. This may be an optional extra.

Things that contents insurance won't cover

Contents insurance provides support in lots of different situations. But it won't cover everything. Typical exclusions are:

ExclusionExample
Criminal actsYour belongings are damaged due to your own illegal behaviour.
Intentional actsYou intentionally damage an item in your home.
"Open air" contentsThese include gift cards, mobile phones and laptops – unless you specifically add them to your policy.
Wear and tearYour belongings fall apart or are damaged due to general wear and tear.
RepossessionYour belongings are legally repossessed or confiscated.
VerminMice chew threw your camping equipment.

This list isn't exhaustive, so it's important to read your insurance documents carefully.

Granny flat insurance for owners renting their property out

Do you have a granny flat that you're renting out to someone else? That extra income can go a long way, but renting out your property does have its risks.

While home insurance will cover your permanent residence, it probably won't cover your granny flat if you're making an income from it. Instead, you'll need landlord insurance.

Things that landlord insurance will cover

Landlord insurance offers wide protection to people renting out their granny flat, for events including:

EventExample
TheftYour tenant steals items from inside your granny flat.
StormA severe storm destroys the roof of your granny flat.
Rent defaultSome policies will cover you for lost rent if your tenant disappears or can't pay. However, this is usually an optional extra and isn't always available.
Escape of liquidA pipe bursts, damaging the ceilings in your home.
FireA fire destroys your granny flat and it must be rebuilt.
VandalismSomeone breaks the windows of your granny flat or graffitis the outside.
LightningA lightning strike damages the property.
Breakage of glass, ceramics and sanitary featuresThe solar panels on your granny flat are damaged in a storm.
ExplosionA gas explosion damages your granny flat and repairs are needed.
ImpactA tree falls on your granny flat, damaging the roof.
FloodYour granny flat is flooded and it requires repair. This may be an optional extra.

Things that landlord insurance won't cover

While landlord insurance can end up being a huge money-saver, it won't cover everything. Some common exclusions are:

ExclusionExample
No leaseIf you don't have a written lease agreement with your tennant, certain benefits may not be included, such as rent default.
Wear and tearGeneral wear and tear won't be covered by your policy.
Criminal actsYour granny flat is damaged due to your own illegal behaviour.
Intentional actsYou intentionally damage your granny flat.
VerminMice chew threw the electrics in your granny flat.
AsbestosAny claims associated with asbestos will likely be denied.
Unoccupied buildingsIf your granny flat is unoccupied for a certain period of time, it may not be covered by your landlord policy.

Frequently asked questions

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Senior writer

Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds. See full bio

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Nicola has written 239 Finder guides across topics including:
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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    GabrielleMay 30, 2024

    Do the policies for Granny flat insurance cover short term lets e.g. Airbnb/Stayz?

      AvatarFinder
      AngusSeptember 23, 2024Finder

      Hi Gabrielle, If you’re using a granny flat for short-term lets, you’ll want landlord insurance. Make sure the policy you pick allows for short-term lets – not all do.

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