Home and contents insurance: How to make a claim

Tips for a successful house insurance claim

• Ring or contact your insurer online ASAP after the event.

• Note down what happened, including the date and timeframe and whether any emergency services were involved.

• Take as many photos or videos as possible, especially before making any emergency repairs, moving items or throwing things out.

• If you arranged your insurance cover via a broker, get in touch with them and ask them to explain what your policy covers and what you can claim on.

• If you bought insurance directly from an insurer, find the policy. Given a paper copy may be hard to find after a natural disaster or fire, keep records of your insurance policy digitally. The main things to read is the list of benefits – usually in the first few pages – and the list of exclusions in the back.

• Make a note of every time you contact your insurer, what it was about and who you spoke to. This record will come in handy should you run into problems with your insurer.

• Also take photos of your mailbox (to confirm your address), the front, sides and back of your home, as well as any sheds or garages, and damaged land.

• If you have flood damage – mark how high the water reached and take a photo of it.

• If your property was damaged in an earlier event (like a flood), and it’s damaged again shortly after, record the new damage, and report it to your insurer.

• You’ll need to discuss any non-urgent repairs with your insurer first, before you make them.

• Once your claim is lodged, your insurer will discuss with you how best to evaluate the damage. Engineers or other experts may be brought in to do assessments and estimate repair costs. For a land claim, it’s likely a registered valuer will visit.

• Don’t feel rushed to accept the first offer your insurer presents to you. Make sure the offer will cover the cost of the repairs up to your policy entitlements. If you’re getting low offers, push back and get help (see “how to complain”) if you need it.

• When your claim is ready to be settled, your insurer will get in touch and explain the outcome and the settlement amount (minus any excess). Then you can get on with repairs.

Things you may not realise you can claim for

Temporary accommodation and storage following a loss is generally available in either home or contents policies. You can claim on it if you can no longer live in your home and need to rent elsewhere and/or store some of your gear. Some insurers are more generous than others with these entitlements. You can compare how much this entitlement is worth by looking at our policy comparison tool.

Accommodation for pets. If you have to find temporary accommodation after a loss or natural disaster, some comprehensive house insurance policies will cover boarding fees for your pets (up to the policy limits).

Food in the fridge or freezer may be covered in your contents insurance policy if there’s been a power cut. If this has happened, take pictures of the food, and make a list to make the claim process easier.

If you’re away from home but have items with you that you usually keep in your house, and you have a loss, it may be covered in your contents policy.

Where to get help with natural disaster insurance claims

A free resolution service is available to help homeowners with insurance claims after a natural disaster.

The New Zealand Claims Resolution Service (NZCRS) will provide support with insurance claims to avoid disputes, resolve issues and ensure claims are settled as quickly as possible.

It can help homeowners with access to legal, technical and wellbeing services tailored to individuals and whānau.

The resolution service can be contacted on 0508 624327, [email protected] or www.nzcrs.govt.nz.

How to complain if you think your insurer is treating you unfairly

If you think you’ve been treated unfairly by your insurer, here’s how to complain.

First, contact your insurer about your complaint.

Your insurer will have an internal complaints process. However, it can be difficult knowing how to word your complaint, so we’ve set up some templates for cases when the insurer rejects your claim. 

If the insurer sticks to their original decision, you can push back again, but it’s likely you’ll need to provide more evidence to support your claim. 

If you can’t come to an agreement, your insurer will send you a letter saying your complaint is ‘deadlocked’. The next step is going to an external disputes resolution scheme. 

You can choose to contact the insurer’s free dispute resolution scheme. All insurers must offer such a scheme. It will be either the Financial Services Complaints or the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme. Your policy document should list which dispute resolution scheme your insurer belongs to.

Or you can contact the NZCRS if the claim is for damage due to a natural disaster.

For small claims (up to $30,000), there is the option of going to the Disputes Tribunal.

If you are a Consumer NZ member, you can contact our consumer advice line.