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Accidental damage home insurance

Looking for accidental damage home insurance? The table below displays home and contents insurance policies that include accidental damage cover on Canstar’s database.

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

What is accidental damage cover?

A home or contents insurance policy protects you against loss or damage from certain events such as storm, fire and theft. But it doesn’t normally cover you for the items you lose or items you accidentally break yourself. This is where accidental damage insurance comes in.

Accidental damage insurance is generally an optional extra on a home or contents insurance policy. You will pay a premium for the extra cover and some insurers suggest it might be worth considering if you have expensive items at home, especially if you have children.

Not everything in your home may be covered by such a policy. For example, cover doesn’t usually extend to any items used as part of a business or trade. Accidental damage insurance also doesn’t usually cover damage to items by general wear and tear.

It’s a good idea to check your policy’s product disclosure statement (PDS) to see what is and isn’t covered, and whether accidental damage cover is available as an optional extra.

Frequently Asked Questions about accidental damage home insurance

Accidental damage cover is designed to provide some protection against accidental loss or damage to your building or contents. Depending on the insurer, this may include your contents while you are away from the premises.

Some examples for buildings may include:

  • a wall that is damaged while moving furniture
  • someone from the household slips while on the roof cleaning gutters, damaging the tiles and gutter.

Some examples for contents may include:

  • the controller slipped and cracked the TV screen while playing video games
  • a child draws in permanent marker all over the couch
  • a laptop dropped on the floor and needs replacing.

If you have a home or contents policy that includes accidental damage cover, be sure to check with your insurer to determine exactly what they cover and any terms, conditions and excesses that apply.

Exclusions with accidental damage insurance may vary depending on your policy and insurer. Some common exclusions include:

  • any acts that are done deliberately by you
  • damage caused by tenants in a property owned by you (this cover is often available as tenant damage, under landlord insurance instead)
  • damage while renovating
  • cigarette burns
  • general wear and tear.

Belongings that are covered vary between insurers and cover for certain items may be available separately from your building and contents.

Normally, most items that are included in the definition of building or contents are covered, but there may be specific items, such as high-value jewellery and electronics, that have limits applied.

For example, a maximum of $1,000 may be paid out for a claim on any one item, such as jewellery, unless you list them individually.

The belongings that are not covered with accidental damage insurance may vary from one insurer to the next. Some examples of potential exclusions include swimming pools and their covers, cash, mobile phones, items used for business, and sporting equipment that is damaged while in use.

As with any insurance policy, it is a good idea to read the PDS carefully before deciding if it is right for you.

You may also consider weighing up the differences between opting for a higher level of cover in your home and contents policy, and adding additional accidental damage to a lower-level cover. Speak to your insurer if you have any questions, or are unsure what is and isn’t covered under your policy.

Insuring yourself against accidental damage can be reassuring if you don’t have enough savings to cover mishaps. Take a look at our table to find out if one suits your budget and your needs.

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About our finance experts

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Home Insurance Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right home insurance policy for them. In his time at Canstar, he has analysed close to half a million home insurance quotes.

Having recently purchased a home in a riverside Brisbane suburb, Josh says he understands first-hand the importance of finding an insurer that offers appropriate cover for potential risks, such as flooding, at an affordable price. As one of Canstar’s spokespeople, Josh has been interviewed on a wide range of personal finance topics by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


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For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

The Home Insurance Star Ratings were awarded in August 2023 and data in the table is current as at that date, updated from time to time to reflect product changes notified to us by product issuers. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Home Insurance Star Rating Methodology. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. You may need financial advice from a qualified adviser. Canstar is not providing a recommendation for your individual circumstances. If you decide to apply for an insurance policy, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar.   It’s important you check product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the PDS and TMD. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.

If you are seeking to replace an insurance policy, you should consider your personal circumstances, including continuing the existing cover until the replacement policy is issued and cover confirmed. Your current policy may have different features to products currently on the market. Please consider what features are right for you when comparing insurance products and refer to the provider for further details on a policy.

Companies listed in the table, or in ads, may use or be used by another company to arrange, issue, distribute or sell its insurance policies to customers. For more information on the issuer of the policy, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.