Racv: Your Home Insurance Companion

RACV provides home insurance for homeowners, renters, and landlords. Their home insurance policies cover a range of events, including fire, theft, and storm damage. They also offer optional cover for portable and valuable items, as well as accidental damage cover. RACV's home insurance includes a variety of basic excess options, flexible payment options, and access to membership benefits.

What does RACV house insurance cover?

RACV's home insurance provides cover for a range of unexpected events, from storms and flooding to fire and theft. Here is a detailed breakdown of what is included in the cover:

Buildings and Fixtures

RACV's home insurance covers the buildings and structures on your property, including garages, carports, fences, and in-ground pools. It also includes light fittings, cupboards, floors, and carpets.

Demolition and Debris Removal

The insurance covers the costs of making your home and the surrounding area safe after an insured event, such as temporary fencing.

Replacement of Stolen or Damaged Items

If an item is stolen or damaged, RACV will replace it with a new one as standard.

Costs to Meet In-Force Building Regulations

The insurance covers the costs of repairing or rebuilding parts of your home damaged by an insured event, including fees for architects, engineers, surveyors, and other trades to meet state and national codes.

Liability Cover

RACV provides up to $20 million in liability cover for claims made against you or your family for incidents that occur at your home or site, resulting in death, injury, or damage to someone else's property.

Temporary Accommodation

If your home is assessed as uninhabitable after an insured event, RACV may cover temporary accommodation for you, your household, and your pets for up to 12 months, as well as the removal and storage of your items and reasonable living expenses during this time.

Accidental Damage Cover

You can add accidental damage cover to your policy, which includes unintentional damage to your home and contents, such as knocking over your TV or putting your foot through the ceiling.

Portable Items Cover

You can add cover for portable items such as mobile phones, laptops, jewellery, and watches. These items are covered anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.

Valuable Items Cover

RACV's standard policy provides cover for up to $2,500 in each category of valuable items, including jewellery, watches, music, games, and movies. You can increase this cover by listing items separately.

Fusion Cover

Fusion cover is included for electrical motors in appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. This covers power surges or fluctuations in electricity supply that cause the motor to burn out. This cover is for appliances less than 15 years old and does not include items covered by a warranty or used for business purposes.

How do I get RACV house insurance?

RACV offers house insurance for homeowners, renters, and landlords. You can get a quote online or by calling 13 72 28. The line is open 7 am–11 pm, 365 days a year.

Before getting a quote, you will need to calculate the sum insured. This should be enough to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your home and/or contents after an insured event. You can use RACV's building calculator or contents calculator to help with this.

Once you have your quote, you will need to check your coverage and excess to make sure they are right for you. Then, you can buy your policy online or over the phone.

If you are already an RACV member, you can save time by buying your home insurance policy through your online account.

How much does RACV house insurance cost?

The cost of RACV house insurance depends on several factors. These include the type of property, its location, the value of the contents, whether you need accidental damage cover, and whether you need cover for items taken outside the home. The cost of your premium can also be influenced by the excess you choose for your policy, any discounts you are eligible for, and any compulsory government charges.

You can choose from a variety of basic excess options, with higher excess resulting in lower premiums. The basic excess can be $100, $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000 or $5,000. If you are aged 50 or older, you can opt for a $0 excess.

You can also save on your premium by taking out multiple policies with RACV, with a 10% discount available on each policy when you take out two or more. The longer you are a member, the more you can save, with discounts of # 5% after 5 years, 10% after 10 years, 15% after 25 years, and 20% after 51 years.

You can get a quote online or by calling RACV on 13 72 28.

What does RACV house insurance not cover?

RACV house insurance offers comprehensive protection for your home and its contents in the event of damage caused by insured events such as fire, theft, or storms. However, it's important to understand that there are certain exclusions and limitations to this coverage. Here are some key points about what is typically not covered by RACV house insurance:

• Pre-existing damage: Any pre-existing damage to your building or contents is not covered. The insurance only applies to damage caused by insured events that occur during the policy period.
• Deliberate damage by household members or guests: If a member of your household or a guest intentionally causes damage to your property, it will not be covered.
• Vermin or insect damage: Damage caused by vermin, insects, or termites is excluded from coverage. This includes damage to your property caused by these pests.
• Landslide or subsidence: Unless it is a direct result of an insured weather event, such as an earthquake, explosion, storm, flood, or storm surge, landslide or subsidence is not covered.
• Plants, trees, and shrubs: Growing plants, trees, and shrubs in the ground of your property are not covered. However, potted plants are included in the insurance.
• Vehicles on the property: Any vehicles kept on your property, such as trailers, caravans, motor vehicles, golf buggies, or carts, are not covered by RACV house insurance.
• Stock used in business: Stock that is used in any business, trade, or profession is excluded from coverage.
• Loose or unset gemstones: RACV house insurance does not provide cover for loose or unset gemstones.
• Accidental damage inside the home: While you can add accidental damage cover to your policy, it is important to note that there is a $300 excess for accidental damage claims.
• Portable items outside Australia and New Zealand: While portable items, such as phones and laptops, are covered up to $10,000, the coverage is limited to Australia and New Zealand. If you take these items outside of these countries, the maximum payable amount is $10,000 for all items combined.
• Fusion damage to electrical motors: This policy does not cover fusion damage to electrical motors caused by power surges or fluctuations in electricity supply. However, it does cover appliances less than 15 years old that are not covered by a warranty and are not used for business purposes.
• Valuable items inside the home: The standard policy provides limited cover for valuable items inside the home, such as jewellery and watches. To increase the coverage for these items, you need to contact RACV and specify the amount you want to insure them for.

How do I make a claim on my RACV house insurance?

If you need to make a claim on your RACV house insurance, the first thing to do is ensure your safety. If you are in an emergency or dangerous situation, relocate to a safe place and call emergency services if needed. If it is safe to do so, prevent further damage by turning off affected utilities like water, gas, or electricity, and secure the area.

Next, check your policy coverage by logging into your RACV account to view your policy coverage, excesses, and specific coverage limits. You can also refer to your RACV Home Insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). Document any damage to your property or belongings by taking photographs, as these may be necessary for your claim. If you have a buildings policy, document any damage to your building; if you have a contents policy, gather proof of ownership for your items, such as receipts, invoices, credit card or bank statements, or valuation certificates.

You can then submit your claim to RACV Home Insurance online or over the phone. You will be asked a series of questions, including your full name and address, your policy number, the time of the incident, a description of what happened, and any photographs you have taken of the damage. After submitting your claim, RACV may contact you to request additional information, such as proof of ownership, a damage report, or a police or fire brigade report.

Once your claim has been assessed, you may need to pay an excess on your claim before it is finalised. Finally, work with RACV Home Insurance to repair or replace what you have lost. For contents claims, your items may be repaired, restored, or replaced through their network of suppliers, or you may be given a store credit or cash payout. For building claims, RACV will allocate a builder who will contact you to review and approve the work before starting repairs.

Frequently asked questions