INSURING YOUR HOME
What does GIO Home and Contents Insurance cover?
From floods and fire to accidental damage and burglary – there’s plenty that can go wrong to your house or property. Hopefully, nothing ever does! But it’s still important to know what is and isn’t covered for when you purchase a GIO Home and Contents policy.
Is accidental damage covered by my GIO Home and Contents Insurance policy?
No one is immune to the occasional act of clumsiness, which is why some cover from accidental damage is a plus with your Home and Contents policy.
Accidental damage at the home is an optional extra with GIO Classic Home and Contents Insurance. It’s automatically included in Classic Extras and Platinum cover.
Does my GIO Home and Contents policy cover flood?
Depending on where you live the threat of flood can be at the back of home owners’ minds.
Fortunately, all levels of GIO Home and Contents Insurance provide cover for loss or damage caused by a range of insured events, including flood#.
Get a Home and Contents Insurance quote
Is my mobile phone covered by GIO Home and Contents Insurance?
With Platinum cover, all contents are covered for insured events away from home. This includes things like your mobile phone.
Under a Classic Extras policy, unspecified portable valuables are covered up to $1,000 per item, and total up to your sum insured. So once the $100 excess is taken into consideration, you can reclaim a maximum of $900 if your phone is lost or damaged in an insured event. You also have the option to insure your smartphone for its full value on a Classic or Classic Extras policy by adding ‘Portable valuables - specified items’ to your cover.
Read more about making sure your smartphone is covered with portable valuables cover.
Does GIO Home and Contents Insurance cover theft?
Yes! No matter what level of cover you have with GIO, there are certain events that are covered. One of those is theft.
Also included is:
- Storm or Lightning
- Fire (including Bushfire)
- Earthquake or Tsunami
- Escape of Liquid
- Impact
- Damage by an animal that becomes accidentally trapped inside the home
- Explosion
- Riot and public disturbance
- Malicious acts of vandalism
Check out the GIO Home and Contents Insurance Comparison for a rundown of what is and isn’t covered depending on your level of cover.
Does GIO Home Insurance cover mould or rust?
GIO doesn’t cover loss or damage caused by wear, tear, rust, fading, rising damp, mould, mildew, corrosion, or rot.
The good news is we will cover loss or damage caused by liquid leaking, bursting, or overflowing from an array of different things, including refrigerators, swimming pools, fixed heating cooling systems, and more. For a full list of appliances that are covered for the escape of liquid, see page 26 of the GIO Home and Contents Insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
Video: 9 tips to help prevent mould around the house (plus signs of mould and how to kill it)
Did you know Home Insurance policies often don’t cover loss or damage caused by things like rust and mould?
Mould can also cause health issues for some people. So, it’s always good to try and prevent it.
This video will cover some causes of mould, how to identify it, tips for preventing it, and ways to kill it.
Mould can be caused by:
Areas with poor ventilation, that can include bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens
leaky plumbing, including taps and plumbing behind walls
leaks in the roof
low levels of natural light
condensation, and flooding in the home.
Look for: Discolouration with a fuzzy appearance
Blue, black, grey, or greenish colour, although mould can be other colours too
A musty scent
Persistent cold-like symptoms in residents
Peeling wallpaper
If you can spot mould in its early stages, or areas where it’s likely to grow, you can nip it in the bud.
With mould, prevention is usually easier than cure.
Cleaning your air conditioners and fans helps prevent mould from growing in them, and helps ensure they’re effectively ventilating your home.
Check manufacturer instructions on how to clean your air con.
You might even get your AC professionally cleaned or serviced if you live in a humid or dusty area.
If you have GIO Classic Extras or Platinum cover, you’ll be covered for motor burnout if the motor is equal to or less than 10 years old.
So, if your ducted air conditioning unit motor stops working and our assessor confirms the motor has burnt out, we would cover the cost to either replace or repair the motor (whichever is less).
To find out more about getting cover for motor burnout, head to our website and get a quick quote online
Dry benches in areas that are often wet, such as laundries, kitchens, and bathrooms, with a dry towel or cloth.
Mould can grow in as little as 24 hours, so it’s best not to let any water sit for too long.
Ventilate culprit areas by switching on ceiling fans and opening windows.
In the kitchen, use an exhaust fan when cooking.
Turn on the ceiling fan when showering or taking a bath and leave it on for a while after you’re finished where possible.
If you live somewhere humid a dehumidifier — which takes moisture out of the air could be a worthwhile purchase.
These can also help relieve asthma symptoms!
Leaks in your home’s roof or plumbing issues are common causes of mould, so it’s best to act quickly.
If you’re a renter, raise the issue with your landlord or real estate agent.
If you own your home, you might want to give a roofing repair company or plumber a call.
Your Home and Contents Insurance will usually cover water leaks if they’re sudden or accidental.
Water leaks differ from flooding because they most often occur from within the home, as a result of appliances or plumbing.
Insurers may refer to a water leak as an ‘escape of liquid’.
GIO covers loss or damage caused by liquid bursting, leaking or overflowing from appliances like your fridge or washing machine, as well as baths, sinks and toilets.
Get a quick quote online.
If damage occurs because of a gradual process of liquid leaking, it won’t be covered.
So, don’t ignore signs of water damage or slow drips, even if they seem minor at the time.
Cleaning dirty gutters is important.
Gutters full of debris can cause leaks, which can lead to mould.
It may also be a condition of your home insurance to clean junk or debris out of your gutters, so failing to do so could impact any potential claim you make.
What if you’ve done everything in your power to prevent mould, but it’s still set in?
Don’t fear, there are a few ways you can help get mould under control.
Anti-mould sprays can help kill mould, as can regular spot wiping with soapy water.
Alternatively, a solution of vinegar and water, a cloth, and some muscle should give the mould a good scare
To find out more about a GIO Home insurance policy, head to our website.
Will my GIO Contents Insurance include kitchen appliances?
The ‘Contents’ part of Home and Contents Insurance (or Contents Insurance alone if that’s the type of policy you have) includes items which are not permanently attached to your home or insured address. That includes unfixed electrical goods and appliances that are not kept in a cabinet. So, your toaster, kettle, microwave, and other kitchen appliances that sit on your kitchen bench (and that must still be able to be used for the purpose they were intended) are included in your Contents policy.
And everything else?
To get the best idea of what is and isn’t covered by GIO Home and Contents Insurance, compare our three levels of cover, and also read the PDS.
Read more:
- Mobile Phone Insurance: what’s covered if you lose or break your smartphone
- Tips to reduce your home insurance premium
- How do I compare home and contents insurance?
# Actions or movements of the sea and storm surge are not covered (unless the storm surge damage occurs at the same time as damage caused by storm). Other exclusions apply.
Insurance issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as GIO. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement before making a decision about this insurance. This advice has been prepared without taking into account your particular objectives, financial situations or needs, so you should consider whether it is appropriate for you before acting on it.
