Guide to a smoother home insurance claim process

Before you start your home insurance claim, see these top tips.

If it’s safe to do so, take reasonable steps to prevent further damage to your property. For example, if a window is broken, cover it to prevent rain from entering. You may be reimbursed for any temporary repairs, so make sure you keep the receipts.

Have you checked that your claim is covered by your policy? It’s a good idea to read through your policy or Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you claim. Check what’s covered and the conditions and exclusions.

Take action: Check your policy or PDS

If you’re making a contents claim, create a list of your damaged or lost contents items. Make sure you include their approximate value and purchase date.

Take photos of any home building or contents damage as soon as it happens. Also, keep receipts for repairs and upgrades. Photos and receipts can support your claim and may help speed up our decision about repairing or replacing your contents items.

If an insured event damages your home, tell us as soon as reasonably possible. The sooner you tell us, the sooner we can help.

If you need to make a claim, make sure you give us accurate details. If we receive any inaccurate or misleading information, it could affect the outcome of your claim.

Taking care of your property is part of owning a home and fixing damage in your home may reduce any potential insurance cover or claim issues.

Take action: For expert home maintenance advice and handy tips, visit our home maintenance hub: Allianz Prevention.

Wear and tear, mould, and plant-related rot damage are a few examples of things that aren’t usually covered by home insurance. Your Allianz Home Insurance covers certain insured events, as detailed in your PDS.

Take action: Check your PDS to understand what’s covered and any exclusions.

Life changes, and so should your insurance. If you renovate or buy valuable items, make sure you check your insurance cover and, if needed, update your sum insured. If you need to claim but don’t have enough cover, your payout may be less than you’re expecting.

Take action: Review your sum insured. For help, see the home insurance calculators.

Contact us about any changes to your home, such as if you decide to move or rent it out. Planning renovation work on your home? Check your PDS to see if you need to let us know before any work begins. If you have any questions about your Allianz Home Insurance cover, talk to our friendly team. This may help avoid any potential confusion if you need to make a claim. 

We know claims situations can be stressful. To help keep you in the know before you make a claim, let’s look at some common issues.

• Lack of cover: For example, while playing in the lounge room, the kids have accidentally knocked the TV off the TV unit. If you don’t have optional accidental damage cover, the damage won’t be covered.
• Poor home maintenance: Damage caused by not looking after your home, wear and tear or gradual deterioration isn’t covered. That’s why it’s important to keep your home in good condition. For expert advice you can count on, visit Allianz Prevention.
• Misrepresentation: Always give us honest, accurate details. If you give false or misleading details when making a claim , setting up or updating your policy, your claim could be declined. 
• Out of date policy: If the date the incident occurred was outside your policy period, your claim will likely be declined.
• Claim isn’t due to an insured event: Claims for damages that haven’t been caused by one of the insured events noted in your PDS are likely to be declined. 
• Insufficient documents or delayed reporting: If we can’t prove the loss, your claim may be denied. Make sure you have photos, receipts, or repair estimates to support your claim.
• Exclusions: Those specific situations where cover doesn’t apply can take homeowners by surprise. Make sure you check the exclusions in your policy schedule, PDS and SPDS (where applicable). If you have any questions about your Allianz policy, give our friendly claims team a call.

Here are some examples of home maintenance tasks to help keep your home in good condition.

Sam and Ali spotted a couple of cracked tiles on their roof. They knew rainwater could seep in and cause damage. Despite being busy, Sam found time to arrange for a professional roofer to check and fix the tiles.

By being proactive, Sam and Ali are making sure their home stays in good condition.

For help with scheduling home maintenance tasks, see Your Essential Home Maintenance Guide.

When heavy winter rains came, Alex noticed water spilling over the gutters at home. Moving gutter clearing higher on the to-do list, Alex called in a gutter specialist. As home insurance doesn’t cover poor maintenance issues, like mould, getting the issue fixed quickly was a smart move.

Alex has likely avoided costly building repairs later.

Worried about your gutters or flexi hoses? Check out our Home maintenance guide.

Home insurance may seem like a set and forget option, until there’s a claim situation. To help with the home insurance claim process, there are a few things you can do. Take some time to understand your policy, know what’s covered and what’s excluded, and stay on top of regular home maintenance. By taking these steps, you can make sure your insurance works for you when you need it most.