Landlord insurance in New Zealand covers a tenanted rental property: the building, the landlord's own contents such as carpets and appliances, loss of rent after an insured event, malicious damage by tenants and property owner's liability. It differs from an owner-occupied house policy, which is not written for a tenanted property. Quashed compares landlord insurance quotes from NZ insurers online in about 90 seconds.
Updated July 2026
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Landlord insurance covers a property you rent out. It protects the building itself, the contents you supply, and the income you rely on — plus the risks that only exist because someone else lives there.
The building itself
Fire, storm, flood, earthquake and other sudden damage to the structure, the same core cover an owner-occupied house policy provides.
Landlord’s contents
Carpets, curtains, blinds, light fittings and any appliances you supply. Your tenant’s own belongings are their business, not yours.
Loss of rent
If the property becomes uninhabitable after an insured event, most policies pay the rent you would have received while it is repaired.
Malicious damage by tenants
Deliberate damage beyond fair wear and tear. Cover, limits and excesses vary widely between insurers, so this is worth comparing closely.
Liability as the property owner
If someone is injured at the property and you are found liable, the policy covers the claim against you up to the stated limit.
Methamphetamine contamination
Usually a separate sub-limit rather than part of the main sum insured, and often optional. See the section below.
Cover levels differ sharply between insurers, particularly on loss of rent, malicious damage and methamphetamine limits. Comparing the policy wording matters as much as comparing the premium.
Landlord insurance vs house insurance
They are not the same policy. A standard house policy is written for a home you live in yourself.
How landlord insurance differs from a standard owner-occupied house insurance policy.
Insuring a tenanted property on an owner-occupier policy can leave you without cover when you need it. If you rent the property out — including to family, or part-time through short-stay letting — tell your insurer.
Renting out a room in the home you live in is a different situation again, and usually handled on your existing house policy rather than a landlord one. Either way, the insurer needs to know. Compare house insurance if the property is your own home.
What drives the price of landlord insurance
Where the property is
Natural hazard exposure drives a large part of the price. Wellington and Canterbury price earthquake risk differently from Auckland.
Your sum insured
The cost to rebuild, not the market value and not the rateable value. A rebuild estimate is the single biggest input into the premium.
How the property is built
Age, cladding, roof and foundation type all change the price. Older timber and unreinforced masonry usually cost more to insure.
Your excess
What you pay towards a claim. Raising it lowers the premium, but pick a figure you could actually pay on the day.
Tenancy type
A long-term residential tenancy, a boarding arrangement and short-stay letting are priced differently, and not every insurer writes all three.
Claims history
Recent claims on the property raise the premium with most insurers. A long claim-free run is worth mentioning to a new insurer.
Top 5 reasons to use Quashed for landlord insurance
1
The most comprehensive landlord insurance comparison in NZ
Compare and shop across the widest range of landlord insurance providers available on one platform.
2
Compare your current landlord insurance policy
The only platform that lets you upload or select your existing provider to see what you could save, and to compare policy benefits side by side.
3
Accurate pricing and up-to-date cover comparison
Market Scan pulls real-time pricing directly from providers, and our policy comparison data is checked and updated quarterly.
4
More than 100,000 consumers have used Quashed
Market Scan has been helping Kiwis compare and save on their insurance since April 2021.
5
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Address, construction, sum insured and how it is tenanted.
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Add your cover preferences
Excess, loss of rent, and any optional cover you want quoted.
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View price and policy comparison
In 90 seconds you get a range of options, compared on price and on what is actually covered.
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Buy online or keep your current policy
If nothing beats what you have, that is a useful answer too. There is no cost either way.
Do you need landlord insurance?
It is not required by law. If you have a mortgage on the property, your lender will almost certainly require it to be insured.
Beyond the lender, the question is what you could absorb yourself. A rental property is usually the single largest asset a landlord owns, and the income from it is often committed to the mortgage on it. A fire that makes the property uninhabitable stops the rent and leaves the repair bill at the same time.
Landlord insurance is what stands between that and your own savings. Whether it is worth the premium is your call — the point of comparing is to see what that premium actually is.
What landlord insurance does not cover
Fair wear and tear
Worn carpet, tired paint and ageing fittings are maintenance, not an insured event. No policy covers gradual deterioration.
Your tenant’s belongings
Their furniture and possessions need their own contents policy. Say so in writing at the start of a tenancy — many tenants assume otherwise.
Unpaid rent and rent arrears
Loss of rent covers rent lost because the property is uninhabitable after damage. It is not cover for a tenant who simply stops paying.
Gradual damage
A slow leak that rots a floor over months is usually excluded, while a burst pipe is usually covered. Some policies offer limited gradual damage cover as an add-on.
An unoccupied property beyond the stated period
Most policies restrict cover once a rental sits empty past a set number of days. See the section on empty rentals below.
Undeclared use
Short-stay letting, boarders or a property used commercially can fall outside a standard landlord policy unless you have declared it.
Exclusions vary between insurers and this is a general guide, not a policy summary. Always read the policy wording before you buy.
Compare cover, not just price
Market Scan shows what each policy includes alongside what it costs, so a cheap premium with a big exclusion is visible.
If an insured event makes the property uninhabitable, loss of rent cover pays the rent you would otherwise have received while it is repaired.
The important limit is time, not just money. Policies typically cap the payment at a set number of weeks or months, or at a percentage of the sum insured. After a major event, repairs can take longer than the cover lasts — which is worth knowing before you need it rather than after.
Loss of rent is not cover for a tenant who stops paying. Rent arrears are a tenancy matter, not an insurance one. The cover responds to damage, not to non-payment.
Damage caused by tenants
Most landlord policies cover deliberate or malicious damage by tenants, up to a stated limit and usually with its own excess.
Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a tenant is liable for damage they cause carelessly up to a capped amount — broadly the lesser of the landlord’s insurance excess or four weeks’ rent — while damage that is deliberate remains their full responsibility. In practice that cap is one of the reasons landlord cover exists: it sits behind the tenant’s liability rather than replacing it.
Fair wear and tear is never covered by any policy. Worn carpet and tired paintwork are maintenance, and insurers treat them that way.
Malicious damage limits differ substantially between insurers. A cheaper policy with a much lower limit may not be the better deal — compare the cover alongside the price.
Methamphetamine contamination
Meth cover is usually a separate sub-limit rather than part of the main sum insured, and with some insurers it is an optional add-on.
What varies between policies is the limit, the excess, and what testing the insurer requires before and after a tenancy. Some policies expect a baseline test; some restrict cover if contamination is found to have built up over multiple tenancies. These conditions are the difference between a claim that pays and one that does not.
This is one of the clearest cases on the whole policy where reading the wording beats comparing headline premiums.
What happens when a rental sits empty
Most landlord policies restrict cover once a property has been unoccupied for a set period — commonly around 60 days.
An empty property is a higher risk: damage goes unnoticed for longer, and it is more exposed to break-ins and vandalism. Insurers respond by limiting cover after the stated period, and many require you to tell them before it is reached rather than after.
The exact period and what it does to your cover differ by insurer. If your property is going to be empty between tenancies, during renovations, or while it is on the market, contact your insurer first — an extension is usually available and far cheaper than the gap.
Your excess is what you pay towards a claim before the insurer pays the rest. Raising it lowers your premium.
The saving is only real if you could pay the excess on the day without borrowing. Landlord policies often carry more than one: a standard excess for most claims, and separate — usually higher — excesses for malicious damage and for meth contamination. Check all of them, not just the headline figure.
A higher excess also interacts with tenant liability. Under the Residential Tenancies Act a careless tenant’s liability is capped at the lesser of your excess or four weeks’ rent, so a very high excess can leave more of a small claim with you.
See what you'd pay
Real-time landlord quotes from NZ insurers, in about 90 seconds. Free, and no phone calls.
Compare your current cover against the market on both price and policy terms before you decide anything.
2
Check the cover, not just the premium
Loss of rent, malicious damage and meth limits differ sharply between insurers. A cheaper policy with a lower malicious damage limit may not be the better deal.
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Buy the new policy before cancelling the old one
Make sure the new cover has started. A gap of even a day is a gap you are carrying yourself.
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Cancel and claim your refund
Call or email your old insurer. They refund the unused portion of your premium.
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No. Landlord insurance is not required by law. If you have a mortgage, however, your lender will almost always require the property to be insured as a condition of the loan.
What is the difference between landlord insurance and house insurance?
A standard house policy is written for an owner-occupied home. Landlord insurance covers the same building risks but adds cover built around tenancy — loss of rent, malicious damage by tenants, landlord’s contents such as carpets and appliances, and property owner’s liability. Insuring a tenanted property on an owner-occupier policy can leave you uncovered.
Does landlord insurance cover unpaid rent?
Generally no. Loss of rent cover pays the rent you lose while the property is uninhabitable after an insured event such as a fire or flood. It is not cover for a tenant who stops paying. Rent arrears are usually a Tenancy Tribunal matter, not an insurance one.
Does landlord insurance cover damage caused by tenants?
Most landlord policies cover deliberate or malicious damage by tenants, usually up to a stated limit and with its own excess. Fair wear and tear is never covered. Limits vary considerably between insurers, so it is worth comparing the cover as well as the price.
Is methamphetamine contamination covered?
Often, but usually as a separate sub-limit rather than as part of the main sum insured, and sometimes only as an optional add-on. The limit, the excess and the testing requirements differ between insurers, so check the wording rather than assuming.
What happens if my rental is empty between tenants?
Most policies restrict cover once a property has been unoccupied for a set period, commonly around 60 days, and some require you to tell the insurer before that point. The rules differ by insurer. If your property is going to sit empty, contact your insurer first.
Do I need landlord insurance if I rent out a room in my own home?
Taking in a boarder or flatmate can change what your existing policy covers, and some owner-occupier policies restrict it. Tell your insurer what the arrangement is — it is a short conversation that protects the whole policy.
Does my tenant need their own contents insurance?
Yes, if they want their belongings covered. Your landlord policy covers the building and the contents you supply, not theirs. It is worth stating this in writing at the start of a tenancy, as many tenants assume the landlord’s cover extends to them.
Reviewed July 2026 by James, Quashed. This page is a general guide to how landlord insurance works in New Zealand, not financial advice, and not a policy summary — always read the policy wording.
