While making your claim, our smart claims process will guide you through the information needed to make your claim go faster. The more information you can upload while submitting your claim the more likely your claim will be sorted quickly.
If it’s water damage from a leaking pipe for example (which is our most common claim) we will want to know where the leak is coming from and what the cause of the leak is. Even better if you have had your tradie look at the damage and provide an estimate for repair then we will want this also – if not we will assist you with finding a tradie.
The information required to accept and pay your claim does depend on what sort of loss it is. For example the information required for a broken window is minimal whereas for a meth contamination claim we will require tenancy agreements, copies of property inspections, photos, and test results.
Only if the loss is major or determining the cause of loss is not straight forward.
We will work with you to determine whether an assessor needs to come to your property, but generally repairers can be used to scope damage and undertake the repair work. We just want to keep it straight forward.
If your house suffers a loss and cannot be lived in you will be able to claim for loss of rental income. This means the tenants have had to move out and have stopped paying rent, or in the case of a short term rental (like an Airbnb rental) you won’t be able to rent the property until it's repaired.
There is Loss of rent cover, for rental properties, holiday homes that are rented out, and own-homes that are rented, you have an automatic $20,000 of cover for loss of rents (this cover can be increased up to $80,000).
When you lodge your claim for the damage to the property we will work out the loss of rents cover in consultation with you, and we will make progress payments of the loss of rents while the property is being repaired.
You can also claim for loss of rental income you suffer because of a tenant leaving without notice, or when you have to evict a tenant. Loss of rents claims can easily be made through your initio dashboard.
An event is defined as an event (yes the policy defines a word with the same word!) or series of events arising from one source or original cause. Where a single claim is made up by multiple events, multiple excesses would apply.
Still confused? Let's say a dog defecated in multiple rooms of your house. You could look at this two ways; you could say that it is multiple events because the dog relieved himself multiple times (multiple excesses would apply). Or you could say that is is a series of events arising from one source or original cause (being the dog).
In this claims scenario we would consider the period of time that the damage took place. If the series of events had been happening over the period of the tenancy then multiple excesses would apply (likely an excess per room). However, if the damage took place in a very short period of time, say the dog was locked inside for a day, only one excess would apply.
An excess is the contribution that you are required to make towards your claim. This is deducted from the loss, and it is a form of self insurance. For house insurance at initio you have the choice between a $400, $650, $1,150 and $2,000 excess. If you can afford to contribute more towards claims, and want cheaper premiums, you can take a higher excess.
Rather than pay the excess to the insurer, the insurer will usually deduct your excess from the cash settlement or from the first repairer payment it makes. You are then responsible for settling this account directly with the repairer.
Why do I have to pay an excess?
One reason for an excess is to eliminate the administration costs associated with minor or small claims. By making the client responsible for the first portion of a claim, small claims can be avoided. Another reason why insurers charge an excess is to try and prevent fraudulent claims. People are less likely to lodge a false claim when they are responsible for payment of an excess
No, not all losses have the same excess. Some policy sub-limits have different excesses, these will be identified on your policy schedule.
For example, while your nominated excess might be $650, the excess specifically applying to meth contamination is $2,500, while the excess for broken glass in your own home is $250.
Login to your initio dash and follow the meth steps. We’ve paid heaps of meth claims and while they are somewhat complex, if you have all the information handy the claim process and cleanup should run efficiently.
We’ve compiled a quick guide so that you know what to expect.
Insurance fraud is a deceptive practice aimed at an insurance provider and can range from small infractions to large, orchestrated plans. Although it might seem like a quick way to financial gain, the consequences are severe and far-reaching, negatively affecting both the insurance provider and the policyholders.