Home Buildings and Contents Insurance

Save up to 10% when you combine Building and Contents Insurance on the one Home Insurance policy 1,4

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Home Insurance

TIO Territory Home Insurance gives you the option to cover your buildings, contents or both under the one policy for the cost of repair or replacement when loss or damage is caused by events such as break-ins, fires (including bushfire and grassfire), storm surge2, cyclone2, flood2, impact damage such as a fallen tree, as well as accidental breakage of glass and more*.

Watch our short video to understand the differences between Buildings and Contents insurance.

Video about the differences between buildings and contents insurance.

What’s covered in your Home Insurance?

To find out what is covered under Buildings or Contents insurance click between the buttons. To make our coverage easier to understand, we have also included the events that are covered (or not) under your insurance.

Home Buildings insurance is designed to cover the physical structures that make up your home, like the house itself, garage, sheds, swimming pool and decks. See the full list of what’s covered under Buildings insurance.

For full details of the standard conditions, limits and exclusions on all our cover options please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and any applicable supplementary PDS before making a decision to purchase the insurance. The Home Buildings and Home Contents Key Fact Sheets (KFS) also sets out some information about the cover.

What's covered by buildings insurance

Your permanently installed swimming pool is covered under your Buildings policy, however the water and chemicals are not covered.

Appliances permanently connected to gas, electricity or water are covered under your Buildings policy. This may include your stove, dishwasher, air conditioner or plumbed-in refrigerator.

If you include optional Accidental Damage cover you’re covered for damage caused by sudden, unforeseen and unintended events. For example, your toddler draws on your walls or you spill red wine on your carpet.

Plants that are planted in the ground are covered under your Buildings policy up to $5,000. A $500 limit applies where damage to these plants is caused by storm, storm surge, cyclone, rainwater and run off or flood.

Solar panels are covered under your Buildings policy (as long as the value of the solar panels is calculated in the Buildings sum insured). Plus, where we agree, if your home is completely destroyed we will provide you with up to an additional $5,000 (after deduction of any government or council rebates) to make your home more environmentally friendly.

Your car is not covered under Buildings or Contents insurance. View the options available to insure your car.

What’s covered

    • Buildings Cover

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Buildings optional covers

Add any of these optional covers for an additional premium and greater cover.

    • Accidental damage cover

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    • Disaster cover 3

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What insured events you are covered for

No matter which cover you choose, TIO provides cover for a range of insured events.

    • Fire or smoke (including bushfires and grassfires)

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    • Storm, storm surge2, cyclone2, rainwater or run-off

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    • Water or other liquid damage

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    • Theft or burglary

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    • Explosion

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    • Accidental breakage of glass or ceramic items

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    • Impact damage

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    • Vandalism or malicious damage

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    • Lightning

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    • Earthquake or tsunami

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    • Riot or civil commotion

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    • Flood2

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    • Motor burnout

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Buildings cover – additional benefits

We want to make sure that your policy offers you great features. So, if we agree to pay a claim for loss or damage to your buildings, we may also cover you for the following additional benefits. In most cases additional benefits are paid in addition to your Buildings sum insured.

No excess applies for these benefits.

In order to be sure that you are covered under this policy you should always contact us for approval before you incur expenses you wish to claim. If you do not, we will pay for expenses incurred to the amount we would have authorised had you asked us first.

    • Alternative accommodation for you and your pets

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    • Making your buildings environmentally friendly

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    • Debris removal

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    • Building modifications

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    • Rebuilding and professional fees

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    • Building code compliance costs

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Home contents insurance is designed to cover belongings that you have at your home – from furniture, appliances and white goods to personal belongings like computers, clothing and shoes. It also covers your carpets and window furnishings.

For full details of the standard conditions, limits and exclusions on all our cover options please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and any applicable supplementary PDS before making a decision to purchase the insurance. The Home Buildings and Home Contents Key Fact Sheets (KFS)also sets out some information about the cover

What's covered by contents insurance

Your laptop is covered for insured events while it is at your home. Add Portable Contents cover to insure it as a Listed Portable content while you are out and about. Alternatively optional Accidental Damage provides cover up to $1,500.

Your washing machine, fridge and microwave are examples of appliances covered under contents insurance.

Pot plants are covered under contents insurance.

Some general items have a maximum limit on the amount they can be insured for. View the limits. If you need to cover items above these limits you may be able to list them separately on your policy as Specified Contents.

Computers and office equipment are covered for personal use. If they are being used for a business, a limit of $1,500 per item, up to $10,000 in total applies so you may need to take out separate business insurance.

Your car is not covered under Buildings or Contents insurance. You can view the options available to insure your car.

What’s covered

    • General Contents

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Contents optional covers

Add any of these optional covers for an additional premium and greater cover.

    • Accidental damage cover

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    • Portable Contents

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What insured events you are covered for

No matter which cover you choose, TIO provides cover for a range of insured events.

    • Fire or smoke (including bushfires and grassfires)

      View details
    • Storm, storm surge2, cyclone2, rainwater or run-off

      View details
    • Water or other liquid damage

      View details
    • Theft or burglary

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    • Explosion

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    • Accidental breakage of glass or ceramic items

      View details
    • Impact damage

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    • Vandalism or malicious damage

      View details
    • Lightning

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    • Earthquake or tsunami

      View details
    • Riot or civil commotion

      View details
    • Flood2

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    • Motor burnout

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Contents cover – additional benefits

We want to make sure that your policy offers you great features. Unless we have stated differently under one of the additional benefits listed below, the benefit will only apply where we have accepted a claim for loss or damage caused by an insured event.

Some of the following additional benefits are paid in addition to your Contents sum insured. Check each of the additional benefits for details.

In most cases, no excess applies for these benefits, unless stated otherwise.

In order to be sure that you are covered under this policy you should always contact us for approval before you incur expenses you wish to claim. If you do not, we will pay for expenses incurred to the amount we would have authorised had you asked us first.

    • Additional costs of alternative accommodation for you and your pets

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    • Moving house – Contents cover at your old and new address

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    • Debris removal

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    • Food or medicine spoilage

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    • Emergency contents storage

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    • Vet costs

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    • Guest, visitor and domestic helper property

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Did you know

You must tell us as soon as reasonably possible if, during the period of insurance, your building has not been lived in (or will not be lived in) for more than 60 consecutive days.
You must tell us as soon as reasonably possible if, during the period of insurance, you begin any alterations, additions, demolitions, repairs to or decorations of the buildings expected to cost more than $75,000.
You must tell us as soon as reasonably possible if, during the period of insurance, you start using any part of your home buildings for business, trade or professional purposes (except for a home office).
You must tell us as soon as reasonably possible if, during the period of insurance, you remove or stop using any security devices that were specifically required by us.
We will consider your home unable to be lived in when it is so damaged that normal domestic activities like cooking, sanitation and personal hygiene cannot take place, and you cannot live in the home.

Policy Documents and Key Fact Sheets

Any advice here is of a general nature only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply. Before making a decision please consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) /Policy Wording, Supplementary PDS (where applicable) & PDS update (privacy notice) and Home Buildings or Home Contents Key Fact Sheet is also available for reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of your insurance is called a ‘premium’. Your premium will depend on a number of factors, and can change each year when you renew your policy. Your premium for each period of insurance will be shown on your policy schedule.

There are a number of factors that determine how your TIO Territory Home and Contents Insurance premium is calculated, including:

  • Your risk profile. We work this out using a number of factors, such as but not limited to:
    • Where you live
    • The type of property you’re insuring
    • The amount and type of cover you need
    • Any other people also insured under the policy
    • The relevant claims history of the people being insured
    • The likelihood of a claim being made on your policy
  • Any discounts that may apply
  • Any compulsory government charges such as Stamp Duty and GST
  • Fire Services Levy if they apply to the State or Territory where your home is located
  • Any other charges we tell you of
  • The excess you choose5

To find out the cost of insuring your building and/or contents through TIO, get a quick quote today!

With TIO there are a number of ways you may save on your Home and/or Contents Insurance premium:

  • Combine your Building and Contents cover on the one Home Insurance policy and save up to 10%.1,4 (Compared to purchasing each cover as a standalone cover).
  • Pay your premium annually rather than monthly to save paying a monthly service fee.
  • Increase your excess: our policies come with flexible excess levels, giving you the option to increase your excess, within a given range, which could reduce your premium.5

You should tell us as soon as reasonably possible if, during the period of insurance, your building is in the course of construction or there are any alterations, additions, demolition, repairs to, or decorations of the building costing more than $75,000. If you don’t, we may refuse or reduce a claim under the policy to the extent we are prejudiced by the delay or the non-disclosure.

When we receive this information, we may:

  • Propose changes to the terms and conditions of your policy
  • Propose to charge you a higher premium
  • Cancel your policy (if there’s a change and we can’t reach an agreement with you on altered terms and conditions or premium; or we’re no longer prepared to insure you because there’s been a material change to the risk).
  • Decide not to offer to renew your policy

Note: It’s also important that you consider increasing your sum insured to take into account any extensions or renovations to make sure you’re adequately covered in the event of a Home Insurance claim.

Home insurance covers you against financial losses associated with the damage or loss of the property you own. Home insurance isn’t a legal requirement; however, if you have a mortgage on your property, most banks and mortgage lenders require you to purchase Home buildings insurance as security to safeguard themselves against financial risk caused by unexpected damage or loss to your property.

Lenders may require you to list them as an interested party when buying insurance and may also request proof of insurance (Certificate of Currency) before the loan is finalised or for each year your mortgage is held with them.

To request a Certificate of Currency for your existing TIO Territory Home Insurance policy, call us on 131 846.

This cover option allows you to insure items which you wear or carry with you outside your home (such as a handbag, wallet, sunglasses, jewellery, or a musical instrument). You can choose from two types of Portable Contents cover – unlisted or listed – or you can choose both.

Unlisted Portable Contents

This option allows you to select a per item limit and per claim limit, e.g. up to $2,000 per item and $7,500 per claim. This means you don’t have to specifically list your portable item. However, this option doesn’t cover items such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other wearable technology which need to be covered under Listed Portable Contents.

Listed Portable Contents

This option allows you to cover specifically listed portable items for their full replacement value (less any contributable excess at time of claim). Laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other wearable technology can be listed under your policy and covered as listed portable items.

This option covers you in the event of accidental unexpected mishaps that are caused unintentionally, for example if you’re moving furniture around the house and damage your wall (if you have Buildings cover) or if you’ve spilt a drink which causes damage to your carpet (if you have Contents cover).

Here are some examples of the sort of mishaps you'll be covered for if you take out optional Accidental Damage cover*:

If you have Building cover and:

  • You accidentally smash a hole in the wall when you move some furniture
  • Your kids draw all over your walls

If you have Contents cover and:

  • You spill red wine on the new white carpet or lounge

We’ll extend cover for your contents anywhere in Australia for up to 90 continuous days in one period of insurance.

This cover option does not provide cover for some instances such as loss or damage caused by, or arising from domestic animals or pets for which you are legally responsible, tree roots or the incorrect siting of buildings. For full details of the standard terms, conditions and exclusions, refer to the relevant section in the PDS and any supplementary PDS (where applicable).

If you take both Building and Contents insurance, here’s how these covers can work together if you suffer an insured loss:

  • Your house burns down. You could lose your building, and everything in it. With adequate sums insured under Building and Contents covers, you could rebuild and replace your insured belongings.
  • A fire damages your kitchen. You could repair or rebuild built-in damaged parts of your kitchen, such as benchtops, with Home Building insurance. Then you could replace damaged items like blinds and kitchenware under your Contents insurance policy.
  • A thief smashes your window, breaks the locks and steals your belongings. You can fix the window and locks through your Building insurance and replace the items that were stolen under your Contents insurance.

Plus, you’ll only have to pay one excess if your building and contents are damaged by the same insured event and you’ve combined them on one policy.

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Curtains and carpets are covered by Contents Insurance. Contents items aren’t permanently attached to the building. Curtains and carpets are classified as contents as they can be removed. If you have Buildings Insurance you need to also take out Contents cover to ensure these items are covered.

Our TIO Territory Home Insurance covers cyclones, flood, and storm surge, except during the 72-hour exclusion period that may apply for any loss of or damage to your property caused by these events, during the first 72 hours after you first take out or increase the cover under the policy. For full details of conditions and exclusions, refer to the relevant PDS.

We understand the unique conditions faced in the Territory

TIO is based in Darwin and our strength lies in our solid understanding of the conditions faced within the Territory year after year.

Find out more


Talk to a local
Our contact centre and claims teams live and work in the Territory, so we know Territory conditions.
We cover various weather events
With our Buildings and Contents cover, you may be covered for storms, cyclones2, hail, storm surge2 and flood2.
Trusted since 1979
TIO was established in 1979 to provide Territorians with a range of insurance options to choose from. We are as committed and passionate about the Northern Territory as you are.

*Conditions apply

1. Combined Discount

A discount of up to 10% is applied to your premium when you combine Buildings and Contents on one Home Insurance policy, including for the following optional covers if selected: Accidental damage and Disaster cover, but not for Portable contents cover. The combined discount doesn't apply to the premium for Flood cover or Landlord policies.

2. 72-hour exclusion period for loss or damage occurring from cyclones, storm surge or floods

We don’t provide cover for any loss of or damage to your property caused by cyclone, flood, or storm surge, during the first 72 hours after you first take out or increase the cover under an existing policy. For full details of conditions and exclusions, refer to the relevant PDS.

3. Disaster cover

Only available in conjunction with Buildings cover. Following a significant event that causes widespread property destruction, like cyclone, earthquake or flood, it is common for building costs to increase significantly in line with demand.

If you select Disaster Cover, we will pay up to an additional 30% of your Buildings sum insured if the cost of repairing or replacing your building exceeds your sum insured following loss or damage caused by a named cyclone (including storm surge), flood or earthquake (including tsunami).

4. Minimum premiums may apply

Any discounts may be subject to rounding and only apply to the extent that any minimum premium isn't reached. If you’re eligible for more than one discount, TIO applies them in a predetermined order. This means the effect of applying any subsequent discount will be reduced. For example, the aggregate effect of applying two discounts consecutively means that you won't see the full benefit of both these discounts.

Discounts don't apply to taxes or government charges.

5. Option to change your excess

Not available with respect to any additional compulsory excess, imposed excess applied to the policy or to the Portable contents excess. Any reduction in premium won’t be applied to government taxes and charges, Flood, or to optional covers (if available and selected) including Portable contents. Minimum premiums apply.