This insurance protects your home and personal property from loss. There are three main types of policies which you can buy to protect your home:-

 

 

 

BASIC FIRE POLICY

This policy provides you with coverage for the building only and covers loss or damage by fire or lightning. A fire policy is currently a tariff class of business with premium rates, commissions and policy and endorsement wordings being regulated by PIAM.

 

Extended cover

Fire policy can be extended to cover the following perils with additional premium:-

• Aircraft damage
• Earthquake and volcanic eruption
• Storm tempest
• Flood damage
• Explosion
• Impact damage
• Bursting or overflowing of water tanks apparatus or pipes
• Riot strike and malicious damage
• Electrical installation Clause B (for businesses)
• Bush fire (for businesses)
• Subsidence and landslip
• Spontaneous combustion (for businesses)
• Damage by falling tree or branches and objects thereform
• Sprinkler damage (for businesses)
• Smoke damage (for businesses)

 

 

 

HOUSEOWNER POLICY

This policy provides additional coverage compared to the basic fire policy for residential properties i.e. private dwellings, condominiums, apartments or flats.

 

Insured Value

You must make sure that your property is adequately insured at all times, taking into account the renovations and enhancements made to your property. The sum insured should cover the cost of rebuilding your property in the event of loss/damage. If your property is under financing, you should make sure that your financier has taken adequate coverage. Usually, the coverage arranged by the financier will be for the amount of loan taken. You may, therefore, want to take up a separate insurance cover to extend the coverage taken by your financier.

 

Strata-titled properties

• Master policy and individual certificate of insurance

If you own a strata-titled property, e.g. an apartment, the company managing your apartment building [management corporation (MC)] is required to take up insurance under a master policy. You must ensure that you get a copy of your individual certificate of insurance for your property to check the coverage taken up under the master policy by your MC.

 

• Property under financing

If your apartment is under financing, the financier may require you to purchase another houseowner policy to cover the loan taken. This will result in double-insurance. However, if your property is financed by a bank under the supervision of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), it has been agreed that your financier will not require you to purchase another insurance policy but it will accept the insurance policy purchased by the MC as evidence of insurance for your unit. However, the MC needs to comply with the terms and conditions required by the lending institution e.g. the insurance covers the minimum risks such as fire, subsidence and landslip.

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLDER POLICY

This is a policy to cover your household contents and includes coverage for fatal injury to you as the insured.

 

Basis of compensation

You should decide on the basis of compensation of your householder policy, whether it is on reinstatement or replacement value. You will be compensated with the value of a brand new item under reinstatement basis but on the depreciated value of item lost under replacement basis.

 

Specific declaration of each item

You must specifically declare each item to be insured under the policy to ensure that you get the full compensation in the event of loss/damage. It is advisable to also keep receipts of items insured, if available.

 

Duty of disclosure

You should disclose fully all material facts in the proposal form. When in doubt as to whether a fact is relevant or not, it is best to ask your insurance company or agent. If you fail to disclose any material fact truthfully, your insurance company may refuse to pay your claim.

 

 

 

POLICY COVERAGE

The Houseowner and Householder policy provide cover for loss or damage to your building and/or contents caused by any of the following:-

• Fire, lightning, thunderbolt, subterranean fire
• Explosion
• Aircraft and other aerial devices and/or articles dropped therefrom
• Impact by any road vehicles or any animals not belonging to or under the control of the insured or any of his family
• Bursting or overflowing of water tanks apparatus or pipes
• Theft but only if accompanied by actual forcible and violent breaking into or out of a building or any attempt threat
• Hurricane, cyclone, typhoon, windstorm
• Earthquake, volcanic eruption
• Flood but excluding loss or damage caused by subsidence and landslip

 

 

 

EXCLUSIONS

Houseowner policy does not cover loss or damage due to subsidence, landslip, riot, strike and malicious damage. However, you can cover these exclusions with payment of additional premiums. Extensions are also available to cover loss of rent and liability to third parties for accidents in your house.

Householder policy does not cover theft claim if there is no evidence of forced and violent entry or exit.

 

 

 

ALL RISKS INSURANCE

The All Risks Insurance policy covers as wide as the market would allow. It is an insurance that covers each and every loss expect for those specifically excluded by the insurance company. This is the broadest type of coverage under property policy that can be purchased.

 

Two types of All Risks Insurance:-

• Named Peril Form

Basic property insurance forms specific coverage only for losses caused by the named perils.

• All Risks Form

Extensive property insurance forms all coverage except for excluded perils.