Storm surge means a rush of water onshore associated with a low pressure system and caused by strong winds pushing on the ocean’s surface. It does not include actions or movement of the sea. The Loss or damage caused by storm surge must happen at the same time as the other insured damage caused by storm.
Contents Insurance
It's your personal belongings that make the house your home - protect them with contents insurance.
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The content on this page applies to policies started or renewed on or after 24 May 2025.
Contents Insurance
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GIO provides
Additional covers
We do not insure you for bushfire, storm, storm surge, flood or tsunami in the first 72 hours of your policy. Very limited exceptions apply. See the PDS for full details
(Flex) flexible limits - you can choose to increase the limits shown for an additional cost
Optional covers
Reasons to choose GIO
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Discounts we offer and things to check
10% multi-policy discount*^
You'll be eligible for a 10% multi-policy discount if you hold three or more eligible policies with us. These include Home Building, Contents, Landlord, Car, Motorcycle, Caravan or Boat Insurance. A GIO NSW CTP Insurance policy or GIO ACT MAI Insurance policy will count as an eligible policy, but the premium for these policies cannot be discounted. View T&Cs.
10% online discount*
Get 10% Off Your First Year When You Buy Online!*
Your excess
You can choose to lower your premium by increasing your excess within a range we set. This means your premium will be cheaper, but you’ll face higher out-of-pocket costs in the event of a claim. It’s up to you to decide on a balance that suits your needs.
Payment frequency
If you pay your premiums annually, you’ll pay less than if you were to pay in monthly instalments for the same period.
Review your optional covers
Check the optional covers you have selected still meet your needs. Adding or removing an optional cover can impact the premium you pay.
FAQs
People also ask
Contents are household items that you own or are responsible for and use primarily for domestic purposes. That doesn’t include items permanently attached to your home or insured address.
We provide cover for carpets under GIO Contents Insurance, but not GIO Home Building Insurance.
To help you calculate the replacement value of your home and contents, use our Building Calculator and our Contents Calculator.
Safety net home protection – included in GIO Classic Extras and GIO Platinum home covers – provides a further percentage of the home sum insured toward the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if the costs exceed your sum insured.
If your claim is covered we will pay up to a further percentage of the home sum insured towards either:
- repair or rebuild of the home by our builder, when our builder is repairing or rebuilding
- the amount of our builder’s assessed quote to repair or rebuild the home, when your claim is being settled on this basis
- the amount of your builder’s assessed quote, when your claim is being settled on this basis.
See PDS for full details.
There are a few reasons your belongings may be damaged or lost while they’re away from home for which we will cover you:
- while they’re in transit within Australia, for example, during a relocation to your new permanent address
- while they’re in commercial storage
- or while they’ve been temporarily removed from your home to another residence in Australia in which you are temporarily residing or a bank deposit box in Australia, for up 180 days (or for the period of insurance if stored in a bank deposit box).
If you’re referring to items that you normally carry with you when you’re away from home – such as your mobile phone, jewellery, camera, bike, or laptop – then these are referred to as ‘Portable Valuables’. Portable Valuables aren’t always automatically covered, but you can add optional cover to your policy for an extra premium.
Important information
*If you’re eligible for more than one discount, we apply them in a pre-set order to the discounted premium, before government taxes and charges.
^Discount not applicable to GIO Roadside Assist, GIO Home Assist or Excess-free Glass cover optional covers.
Storm surge
Flood
Flood means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of things like a lake, river or other natural watercourse. It doesn't include high tides, waves and other movements of the sea, or storm surges, and we don't cover loss or damage to retaining walls, sea walls, garden borders and free-standing outdoor walls.
Storm
We do not cover loss or damage caused by actions or movements of the sea even if they occur during a storm, flood or storm surge.
Lightning
Lightning, including associated power surges, will be covered providing a qualified repairer gives written confirmation to show lightning as the cause of loss or damage and the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology has a record of lightning in the area.
Fire (including bushfire)
Fire is considered burning with flames and also includes damage from heat, ash, soot and smoke that is the direct result of a fire within 100 metres of the insured address. Arcing, scorching and cigarette burns are not fire damage unless a fire spreads from the initial burn spot.
If there is a bushfire in your area, we will also cover the extra costs of replacing water in any tank, container, pool, spa or other storage vessel that has been used to limit the spread of bushfires in your area, and the cost of cleaning any fire retardant off your home. The most we will pay under this extra costs cover is $1,000 for any one incident.
Earthquake and Tsunami
We cover damage caused in the first 72 hours after an earthquake or tsunami. A tsunami is not considered an action or movement of the sea.
Theft or burglary
Theft or burglary occurs when someone enters the insured address without your consent and steals or intends to steal items. We don't cover loss or damage caused by anyone living at the address.
Escape of liquid
This covers loss or damage caused by sudden and unexpected liquid escaping from certain appliances, fixed pipes, drains and more.
We also cover loss or damage caused by liquid escaping from these items that has occurred gradually when the loss or damage that was occurring wasn’t easily visible to a reasonable person in the circumstances.
We do not cover the cost of fixing the item from which the liquid escaped, or loss or damage caused by liquid from a portable container. Other exclusions apply. See the PDS for more details on what we do and don't cover.
Impact
We cover damage which occurs at the insured address when hit by an object such as a tree, car and even space debris. It doesn't cover trees being cut back, cut down or moved by you or for you.
Temporary accommodation for tenants and strata title owners
If you can't live in your home or unit while it's being repaired or rebuilt as a result of it being damaged by an insured event, we’ll pay your reasonable temporary accommodation costs for you and your pets that you normally keep at the insured address. If you're a tenant who needs to temporarily move out, then we’ll pay for any reasonable extra rent costs for temporary accommodation. The most we'll pay for any one incident under this cover is 10% of your general contents sum insured. Conditions and exclusions apply, see the PDS for details.
Contents in commercial storage (Contents cover only)
If you have contents in a secure commercial storage facility we'll cover them during the period of insurance for loss or damage by an insured event as long as the facility is lockable, only accessible by you or someone authorised by you, and is fully enclosed by walls (including doors), floor and roof. Please read the PDS for limits and exclusions.
Cover for contents while moving to a new address (Contents cover only)
If you have contents cover and you’re permanently moving to a new address in Australia, we’ll cover your contents while they are being moved, for loss or damage during the period of insurance caused by:
- fire
- flood
- collision, overturning, accident, or theft of the vehicle carrying them.