AMI Insurance Quotes, Claims and Cover Review: NZ 2026

Who is AMI Insurance?

AMI Insurance is a long-standing New Zealand insurer that has been protecting Kiwis for 100 years, since 1926. With more than 700,000 customers nationwide, AMI is one of the country's largest personal insurance providers and is widely recognised for its strong customer focus and trusted brand reputation. AMI is backed by IAG New Zealand, the country's largest general insurance group and the parent company of State and NZI, providing the financial strength and stability of an AA (very strong) rating from Standard & Poor's (Australia) Pty Ltd.

AMI offers a broad range of personal insurance products, including car, home, contents and landlord insurance, sold directly through phone, email, AMI's website and the AMI app. Following the closure of AMI's retail branch network in 2020-2021, all customer service and quoting now takes place online or over the phone, with no in-person branches still operating.

What Types of Insurance Does AMI Offer?

AMI Insurance offers a comprehensive range of personal insurance products in New Zealand, covering essential areas such as car, home, contents, and landlord insurance. AMI also provides additional vehicle and lifestyle-related policies, as well as business insurance solutions for small to medium-sized operators. Customers can buy and manage their cover online, through the AMI app, or over the phone.

AMI's full range of insurance products includes:

What personal insurance does AMI offer?

AMI's personal insurance range covers car, home, contents, landlord, motorcycle, caravan, trailer, boat, motorhome, lifestyle block / rural, and travel insurance.

What business insurance does AMI offer?

AMI's business insurance range covers business assets, business interruption, business vehicles, liability, and commercial property insurance.

What does AMI car insurance cover?

AMI car insurance covers vehicle damage, theft, fire and third-party liability across three policy levels: Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft, and Third Party Only. All three include strong liability cover and access to AMI's approved repairer network, with a lifetime guarantee on repairs arranged through them.

Comprehensive Car Insurance:

Comprehensive is AMI's highest level of cover and offers the most protection. It insures your vehicle for accidental loss or damage, theft, attempted theft, vandalism, storms, floods and fire. If your car becomes undrivable after an incident, AMI will arrange for towing to a repairer or a safe location and assist you and your passengers with transportation home. Comprehensive also includes new car replacement for eligible vehicles, excess-free key and lock replacement up to $500, replacement of damaged or stolen children's car seats and free AMI Roadside Rescue, giving drivers peace of mind if their vehicle breaks down.

Third Party, Fire & Theft Car Insurance:

Third Party, Fire & Theft provides a mid-range option for drivers who want more than basic liability cover. AMI will repair or replace your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged by fire and will cover accidental damage you cause to someone else's vehicle or property. The policy also includes transport home after a theft and protection if your car is damaged by an uninsured driver, up to $5,000 when the criteria are met.

Third Party Only Car Insurance:

Third Party Only is AMI's most affordable option, offering essential protection for drivers who want liability cover without insuring their own vehicle. It covers accidental damage you cause to someone else's vehicle or property and includes liability for injuries you may cause while driving. Although your own car is not covered for accidental damage, fire or theft, you're still protected for up to $5,000 if your vehicle is damaged by an uninsured driver and the required conditions are met.

Key Features Across All AMI Car Insurance Policies

• Liability for damage you cause to someone else's vehicle or property (up to $20 million)

• Liability for injuries you cause while using your car (up to $1 million)

• Cover for uninsured driver damage (up to $5,000 when criteria are met)

• Lifetime repair guarantee through AMI's approved repairer network

How Much Does AMI Car Insurance Cost in 2026?

AMI Comprehensive car insurance for a 2017 Toyota Corolla ($15,000 sum insured) ranges from $58.23 to $87.07 per month, based on May 2026 quotes for a 35-year-old male driver across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The quotes below were generated based on:

• 35 year old male

• Current Warrant of Fitness

• NZ Full Driver Licence

• No history of driver licence suspensions, cancellations, disqualifications or restrictions due to driving offences in the last 3 years

Here's how much AMI Comprehensive car insurance costs based on quotes for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in May 2026.

Want to see how AMI's car insurance pricing compares against other NZ insurers? Run a free Quashed Market Scan to compare in minutes. According to Quashed Index data, consumers who shopped their comprehensive car insurance with the Quashed Market Scan in Q1 2026 found a cheaper policy 81% of the time, with average savings of $377 per year.

What does AMI home and contents insurance cover?

AMI home and contents insurance covers your home, your belongings, temporary accommodation, legal liability, and hidden gradual damage in a single combined policy. The combined cover bundles AMI's Home Plus and Contents Plus benefits, with a key practical advantage: when the same insured event affects both your home and contents at the same address, AMI generally charges only one excess rather than separate excesses for each policy.

Key Features of AMI Home and Contents Insurance Include:

• Temporary accommodation up to $30,000: AMI covers temporary accommodation for you, your family and your pets if your home becomes uninhabitable. This cover is higher than what some other insurers offer, such as AA Insurance and Initio, which both provide a maximum of $20,000.

• Hidden gradual damage up to $3,000 per year: AMI provides up to $3,000 per year for hidden gradual damage caused by internal plumbing leaks. This is a higher limit compared with some insurers, such as AA Insurance, which offers $2,000.

• Retaining walls covered up to $50,000: AMI includes up to $50,000 for retaining wall repairs, with higher limits available if needed. In comparison, Initio offers a lower allowance of up to $25,000.

• New structure build cover up to $10,000 per year: AMI includes cover for materials and structures being built on your property up to $10,000 a year, which can help protect unfinished work before it is fully insured under your main home policy.

• Excess-free replacement of keys and locks: If you are only claiming for locks or keys that are lost or stolen, AMI will replace them without charging an excess.

• Water or sewage pipe blockage up to $500 per year: Covers the cost of clearing blockages in water or sewage pipes located on your property.

• Legal liability cover up to $2,000,000: Provides strong protection if you accidentally cause damage to someone else's property.

• Stress payment of $2,000 after a total loss: AMI offers a $2,000 stress payment to help with immediate needs following a major loss event.

• Repair or replacement cover for your contents: AMI covers most household belongings if they are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged, whether you own or rent your home.

• Overseas travel cover up to $5,000 per trip: Your contents are covered in Australia or the South Pacific Islands for up to $5,000 per trip (maximum three weeks). Many insurers, such as AA Insurance and Tower, only cover contents within New Zealand under their standard contents insurance policies.

• Cover while moving to a new home: AMI protects your belongings at both your current and new address for up to two weeks while you are in the process of moving.

• Home office equipment covered up to $10,000: Home office equipment used for business or remote work is covered up to $10,000 per event while it's at your home, which sits at the higher end of the market.

• One excess for combined claims: If a single insured event damages both your home and contents at the same address, you generally only pay one excess rather than two.

Optional Benefits for AMI Home and Contents Insurance:

• Excess free glass and bathroom fixtures

• Replacement of matching floor coverings

• Additional costs for heritage homes

• Lifestyle block fencing

• Excess-free cover for spectacles, dentures and hearing aids

• Lifestyle block contents and tools of trade

How Much Does AMI Home and Contents Insurance Cost in 2026?

AMI Home and Contents Insurance for a $700,000 home (rebuild value) and $60,000 contents ranges from $177.67 to $270.91 per month, based on May 2026 quotes across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The sample quotes below were generated using consistent criteria, including:

• $700,000 home sum insured (rebuild cost)

• $60,000 contents sum insured

• Houses that are watertight, structurally sound and secure with no unrepaired damage or urgent maintenance to complete

• No alarm selected under security features

• Quotes do not include optional benefits

• Contents excess set at $500 across all quotes

The table below shows AMI Home and Contents premiums across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with a $500 contents excess and varying home excess levels.

Wondering whether you could pay less for your home and contents cover? In Q1 2026, Quashed users who shopped their house insurance with the Quashed Market Scan found a cheaper policy 67% of the time with average savings of $908 per year, while contents insurance shoppers found cheaper cover 76% of the time with average savings of $275 per year. Compare AMI against other NZ insurers using Quashed for free.

What does AMI landlord insurance cover?

AMI landlord insurance covers your rental property's structure, contents, lost rent, abandoned tenant possessions, and legal liability across three options: a combined House and Contents package, House-only cover, and Contents-only cover.

A major strength of AMI's landlord offering is its strong financial protection during significant disruptions. All policies include lost rent cover of up to $30,000 if the property becomes unlivable due to an insured event, as well as abandoned possessions cover of up to $10,000 to help remove items tenants leave behind. These benefits reduce delays and unexpected costs between tenancies.

For furnished rentals, AMI provides cover for landlord chattels and essential furnishings, including the repair or replacement of newer appliances, furniture, and key household items. Landlords with unfurnished homes benefit from robust legal liability cover of up to $5 million, offering protection if someone is injured or if damage occurs at the property.

AMI also offers Rent Default as an optional add-on, covering up to 15 weeks of lost rent if a tenant leaves without notice or is evicted for unpaid rent. Additionally, AMI includes hidden gradual damage cover of up to $3,000 per year for internal water leak damage.

Overall, AMI's landlord insurance offers strong rent protection, practical benefits, and comprehensive cover options for a wide range of rental properties in New Zealand.

How does AMI Insurance handle claims?

AMI Insurance claims can be lodged online through the My AMI account, via the AMI app, or by phone, with repairs typically managed through AMI's approved repairer network, which carries a lifetime repair guarantee on work arranged through it.

Following the closure of AMI's retail branch network in 2020-2021, the claims experience is now fully digital and phone-based. Most straightforward claims, such as windscreen damage or theft, can be started entirely online without speaking to a representative.

How to lodge a claim with AMI:

• Lodge online through your My AMI account on AMI's website

• Submit through the AMI app on iOS or Android

• Phone AMI directly to speak to a claims representative

To speed up the process, have these details ready before you start:

• Your AMI policy number

• A description of when, where, and how the incident happened

• Photos or supporting documents where relevant

• Contact details for any other parties involved

What does AMI's approved repairer network offer?

AMI's approved repairer network covers car, home and contents claims, and offers a lifetime repair guarantee on work arranged through it. This means AMI stands behind the quality of the repair for as long as you own the insured property or vehicle. You may be able to choose your own repairer in some cases, though this can affect the guarantee, so it's worth confirming with AMI before going ahead.

Who handles AMI Canterbury earthquake claims?

Southern Response Earthquake Services, a Crown-owned entity, handles AMI Canterbury earthquake claims relating to damage from the 2010 and 2011 events. When IAG acquired AMI in December 2011, the New Zealand government created Southern Response to settle claims for damage that occurred before 5 April 2012. If your claim relates to pre-5 April 2012 Canterbury earthquake damage, you'll need to contact Southern Response directly rather than AMI.

Wondering how AMI's claims experience compares to other NZ insurers? Compare cover, pricing and claims features side by side using the Quashed Market Scan. For more on what to consider when choosing an insurer, see our guide on the average cost of car, house, and contents insurance in New Zealand.

What are the pros and cons of AMI Insurance?

AMI Insurance's main strengths are its strong AA financial backing, generous home cover limits, and a one-excess approach for combined claims. Its main drawbacks are pricing that can run higher than challenger insurers, fewer cover tiers, and the absence of physical branches. The full breakdown is below.

What are the pros of AMI Insurance?

AMI's main pros include its AA financial strength rating, generous temporary accommodation cover, single-excess approach for combined claims, free Roadside Rescue with Comprehensive car policies, and a streamlined digital claims process.

• Strong financial strength rating: AMI is backed by IAG New Zealand, which holds an AA (very strong) financial strength rating from Standard & Poor's. This provides reassurance that AMI can pay claims even during major events.

• Digital claims process: Claims can be made and managed online through My AMI, your online account, or the AMI app, making the process quicker and more convenient for customers who prefer digital support.

• One excess for multi-policy claims: If a single insured event damages multiple AMI policies at the same address, such as home and contents, customers generally only need to pay one excess, reducing costs during stressful events.

• Generous temporary accommodation cover: AMI offers up to $30,000 for temporary accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable after a covered event. This is higher than many major insurers in New Zealand.

• Free AMI Roadside Rescue with Comprehensive: AMI Roadside Rescue is now included for free with any new AMI Comprehensive car policy, giving drivers added peace of mind if their vehicle breaks down.

What are the cons of AMI Insurance?

AMI's main cons include premiums that can be less competitive than challenger insurers, fewer cover tiers for home and contents, no physical branches, and customer service ratings that have run below average in some independent reviews.

• Pricing can be less competitive compared to some insurers: AMI Insurance premiums may be higher than those of some competitors, particularly challenger insurers such as AMP Insurance. Pricing can also vary depending on your location, claims history, and risk profile.

• Only one level of cover for Home Insurance and Contents Insurance: AMI offers a single main home insurance policy and one contents policy. Insurers like Tower (three levels of cover) and AMP (two levels of cover) offer more options, giving customers greater flexibility to match different budgets and desired features.

• No physical branches: Following the closure of AMI's retail branch network, customers can no longer access in-person service at an AMI branch. All quoting, policy management and claims now run through phone, email, the AMI website and the AMI app, which may not suit customers who prefer face-to-face service.

• Lower customer service ratings compared with some competitors: Independent reviews have noted that AMI tends to score below average for customer service and communication. Those who prioritise high-touch customer service may prefer insurers with stronger service ratings.

Further reading

Here are some great reads we've selected for you:

• AMP Insurance NZ Review (2025): What You Need to Know: Get an in-depth review of AMP's car insurance offering in NZ, including features, pricing and value.

• Cove Insurance NZ Review (2025): Is It Worth It?: An honest evaluation of Cove's car insurance cover in New Zealand: strengths, weaknesses and whether it's worth your premium.

• The Average Cost of Car, House, and Contents Insurance in New Zealand: Discover what Kiwis typically pay for car, house, and contents insurance across New Zealand.

• Why Are House Insurance Premiums Increasing?: Understand the key factors behind rising house insurance costs in NZ and how to keep your premiums manageable.

• Your Top House Insurance Questions Answered: Get clear, practical answers to the most common questions about home cover, excess, and claims.

• Ultimate NZ Guide to House Insurance: Compare & Find the Best and Cheapest Cover: A simple, practical guide to house insurance types, how much to insure for and how to choose the right policy in New Zealand.

AMI Insurance FAQs

Is AMI Insurance any good?

AMI Insurance is a solid, well-established New Zealand insurer with strong cover across its home, contents and car policies. It holds an AA (very strong) financial strength rating from Standard & Poor's and is backed by IAG New Zealand. AMI is particularly competitive on home and contents cover, with higher temporary accommodation limits and a single-excess approach for combined claims at the same address. Customers chasing the lowest premium or strongest customer service ratings may find better-suited insurers, so it's worth comparing quotes through the Quashed Market Scan before committing.

Who owns AMI Insurance?

AMI Insurance is owned by IAG New Zealand, the country's largest general insurance group. IAG acquired AMI in December 2011 following the Canterbury earthquakes, and AMI now sits alongside State and NZI as part of the IAG NZ portfolio of brands. Behind IAG New Zealand is Australia-based Insurance Australia Group.

Does AMI Insurance still have branches in NZ?

No, AMI Insurance no longer operates retail branches in New Zealand. AMI closed all 53 of its physical stores in phases during 2020 and 2021, with IAG citing a decline in retail visits as customers shifted to phone and digital channels. All quoting, policy management and claims are now handled online, by phone, through email, or through the AMI app.

How much is AMI car insurance?

AMI Comprehensive car insurance for a 2017 Toyota Corolla with a $15,000 sum insured costs between $58.23 and $87.07 per month, based on May 2026 quotes for a 35-year-old male driver across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch (with excess set at either $500 or $1,100). Your actual premium will depend on your location, excess level, vehicle, age and driving history. To see what AMI would charge for your specific situation, request a quote on AMI's website or use the Quashed Market Scan to compare AMI against other NZ insurers in one go.

Is AMI Insurance cheaper than State Insurance?

Sometimes, but not always. While AMI and State are both IAG-owned brands, their pricing models can differ for any given profile, and the cheaper option depends on factors like your location, vehicle, sum insured and claims history. Running both quotes side by side through the Quashed Market Scan is the fastest way to find out which is cheaper for your specific situation, alongside the rest of the NZ market.

Does AMI car insurance include roadside assistance?

Yes, AMI Roadside Rescue is now included free with any new AMI Comprehensive car insurance policy. It's not included with Third Party, Fire & Theft or Third Party Only policies. The service covers common breakdown scenarios like flat batteries, lockouts and tows to a repairer, giving Comprehensive customers added peace of mind on the road.

How do I make a claim with AMI Insurance?

You can lodge a claim with AMI online through your My AMI account, in the AMI app, or by phoning AMI directly. The digital claims process is generally faster for straightforward claims, and AMI's approved repairer network offers a lifetime repair guarantee on work arranged through them. Make sure to have your policy number, incident details and any supporting photos ready when you lodge.

Does AMI Insurance cover earthquake damage?

Yes, AMI home insurance includes earthquake cover. Toka Tū Ake EQC provides the first layer of natural hazards cover for residential homes in New Zealand, and AMI's home policy sits on top of EQC's cover for damage above the EQC cap. Note that claims relating to the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes are managed by Southern Response Earthquake Services, not AMI.