Storm surge means a rush of water onshore associated with a low pressure system and caused by strong winds pushing on the ocean’s surface. It does not include actions or movement of the sea. The Loss or damage caused by storm surge must happen at the same time as the other insured damage caused by storm.
Contents Insurance
It's your personal belongings that make the house your home - protect them with contents insurance.
OVERVIEW
What does Contents Insurance cover?
Contents Insurance covers valuables like appliances, important documents (e.g. birth certificates), furniture, jewellery and more when lost or damaged by events such as storms, theft, fire (including bushfire) or flood. While you'll need Building Insurance to protect the building itself, Home Contents Insurance can cover your important personal belongings if one of these unfortunate insured events happen to you.
What's covered?
Lifetime guarantee on authorised repairs
Events such as fire (including bushfire), storm, flood, theft or burglary
Temporary accommodation for tenants or strata title owners (up to 10% of general contents sum insured)
Contents in commercial storage or in transit
FOR A COMPLETE LIST SEE SECTION 3 ‘THINGS WE DON’T COVER’ IN THE PDS
10% MULTI-POLICY DISCOUNT*^
Be rewarded with a 10% multi-policy discount if you hold three or more eligible policies with us. These include Home Building, Contents, Landlord, Car, Motorcycle, Caravan or Boat Insurance. A GIO NSW CTP Insurance policy or GIO ACT MAI Insurance policy will count as an eligible policy, but the premium for these policies cannot be discounted. View T&Cs
LEVELS OF COVER
Compare Contents Insurance options
FOR RENTERS
Contents Insurance for renters
Renters can take out Contents Insurance too. If you don’t own the home you live in, GIO Contents Insurance can benefit you by protecting your valuables against theft or damage due to events like storms, floods or fire (including bushfire). You’ll also be covered for temporary accommodation costs if the building is damaged and cannot be lived in.
CALCULATOR
Contents Insurance Calculator
Before you get a Contents Insurance quote, you need to know the current value of your belongings, i.e. how much they’d be worth if you bought them today. Our Contents Insurance Calculator can help you estimate how much to insure your items for.
WHY GIO
Reasons to choose GIO
24/7 Claims
Claim at any time online or over the phone. You can also track the progress of your claim online.
Lifetime repair guarantee
We offer a dedicated 24/7 claims service and a lifetime guarantee on authorised building repairs.
Est. in 1927
We’ve been a trusted insurer for over 95 years
WAYS TO SAVE
Discounts we offer and things to check
10% multi-policy discount*^
You'll be eligible for a 10% multi-policy discount if you hold three or more eligible policies with us. These include Home Building, Contents, Landlord, Car, Motorcycle, Caravan or Boat Insurance. A GIO NSW CTP Insurance policy or GIO ACT MAI Insurance policy will count as an eligible policy, but the premium for these policies cannot be discounted. View T&Cs.
10% online discount*
Get 10% Off Your First Year When You Buy Online!*
Your excess
You can choose to lower your premium by increasing your excess within a range we set. This means your premium will be cheaper, but you’ll face higher out-of-pocket costs in the event of a claim. It’s up to you to decide on a balance that suits your needs.
Payment frequency
If you pay your premiums annually, you’ll pay less than if you were to pay in monthly instalments for the same period.
Review your optional covers
Check the optional covers you have selected still meet your needs. Adding or removing an optional cover can impact the premium you pay.
FAQs
People also ask
Contents are household items that you own or are responsible for and use primarily for domestic purposes. That doesn’t include items permanently attached to your home or insured address.
We provide cover for carpets under GIO Contents Insurance, but not GIO Home Building Insurance.
To help you calculate the replacement value of your home and contents, use our Building Calculator and our Contents Calculator.
Safety net home protection – included in GIO Classic Extras and GIO Platinum home covers – provides a further percentage of the home sum insured toward the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if the costs exceed your sum insured.
If your insured belongings are damaged or lost during transit within Australia, while they’re in commercial storage, or if they’ve been temporarily removed from your property for up 180 days, you’ll be covered.
Important information
*If you’re eligible for more than one discount, we apply them in a pre-set order to the discounted premium, before government taxes and charges.
^Discount not applicable to GIO Roadside Assist, GIO Home Assist, Excess-free Glass or Domestic Workers Compensation optional covers.
Storm surge
Flood
Flood means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of things like a lake, river or other natural watercourse. It doesn't include high tides, waves and other movements of the sea like storm surges and we don't cover retaining walls, sea walls, garden borders and free standing outdoor walls.
Storm
We do not cover loss or damage caused by actions or movements of the sea even if they occur during a storm, flood or storm surge.
Lightning
Lightning, including associated power surges, will be covered providing a qualified repairer gives written confirmation to show lightning as the cause of loss or damage and the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology has a record of lightning in the area.
Fire (including bushfire)
Fire is considered burning with flames and also includes damage from heat, ash, soot and smoke that is the direct result of a fire within 100 metres of the insured address. Arcing, scorching and cigarette burns are not fire damage unless a fire spreads from the initial burn spot.
If there is a bushfire in your area, we will also cover the extra costs of replacing water in any tank, container, pool, spa or other water storage vessel that has been used to limit the spread of bushfires at your address, and the cost of cleaning any fire retardant off your home. The most we will pay under this extra costs cover is $1000 for any one incident.
Earthquake and Tsunami
We cover damage caused in the first 72 hours after an earthquake or tsunami. A tsunami is not considered an action or movement of the sea.
Theft or burglary
Theft or burglary occurs when someone enters the insured address without your consent and steals or intends to steal items. We don't cover loss or damage caused by anyone living at the address.
Escape of liquid
This covers damage caused by liquid leaking, overflowing or bursting from things like your fridge, washing machine, bath (but not shower), toilet, fixed pipes (except agricultural pipes), swimming pool, water main, fixed cooling system or aquarium.
We do not cover the cost of fixing the item from which the liquid escaped, wear, tear and gradual deterioration or loss or damage as a result of a gradual process of liquid leaking, splashing, dripping or overflowing. See the PDS for more details on what we don't cover'.
Impact
We cover damage which occurs at the insured address when hit by an object such as a tree, car and even space debris. It doesn't cover trees being cut back, cut down or moved by you or for you.
Temporary accommodation costs - tenants and strata owners
If you can't live in your home after an incident covered by your policy, we'll pay for your reasonable temporary accommodation costs – up to 10% of your home sum insured (15% with Platinum cover) - until the home is rebuilt or repaired to a liveable condition.
Contents in commercial storage (Contents cover only)
If you have contents in a secure commercial storage facility we'll cover them for a maximum of 365 consecutive days for loss or damage by an insured event as long as the facility is lockable, only accessible by you or someone authorised by you, and is fully enclosed by walls (including doors), floor and roof.
Contents in transit (Contents cover only)
If you're permanently moving to a new address in Australia, we'll cover your contents while they're being moved, for loss or damage caused by: fire; flood; collision, overturning, accident or theft of the vehicle carrying them.