COVID-19 updates

Q: Is my house and contents insurance impacted in any way?

A: Your house and contents policy cover is not impacted.

If you insure a rental property with us, please read our section below on Landlord's obligations.

Q: I'll not be able to perform the usual property inspections because of the physical distancing protocols implemented by the NZ Government to limit the spread of COVID-19. Am I still covered?

A: As a landlord, you'll know that you have some obligations under your house policy. One of these requires the following during a tenancy:

• Complete an internal and external inspection of your house at least once every three months.
• Document in writing and include photographs, if possible, of any new damage or concerns.

If you or your property manager are not able to inspect your property because of the lockdown, please defer that inspection until the earliest possible time when it's safe to do so based on the latest guidance from the NZ Government. Ideally you should make this inspection within three months of the missed inspection date.

In this situation:

• Keep a copy of the communication and your records.
• Note the date of the last property inspection with the findings of that inspection.
• Note the due date of the next property inspection you’ve agreed with them.

In the event of a claim during or soon after this period, you'll need to send us the information above, along with the date agreed with the tenant for resuming the inspection.

Q: Can I still make a claim on my motor insurance?

A: Yes, you can. However, during lockdown, only essential repair work can be carried out. Non-essential vehicle repairs are on hold during level 4 and at this stage will be re-booked once lockdown has lifted.

Q: Is my boat insurance policy impacted in any way?

A: Your boat policy cover is not impacted. However, during level 4 lockdown all recreational water-based activities involving sailing boats, motorised craft or motorised equipment is not permitted. See the Government COVID-19 website for more information.

Q: How do I make a contents claim?

A: If you need to make a new contents claim, it's easiest to submit this online. Our claims team will be in touch to arrange next steps.

Retailers that offer contactless buying and delivery of essential items should be able to deliver these items to you.

It may take longer than usual for items to arrive due to the lockdown. We really appreciate your patience as you wait for your items to arrive.

If you would like to discuss your contents claim, please contact your claims manager on the contact details provided. If you are unable to contact them please email claims@tower.co.nz or call us on 0800 379 372.

Q: How do I make a house claim?

A: If you need to make a new house claim, it's easiest to submit this online. Our claims team will be in touch to arrange next steps.

Non-essential house repair work is on hold during level 4 and at this stage will be re-booked once lockdown has lifted.

Only repairs that are needed to keep your property safe and secure, or that may impact your health and safety will proceed under level 4. Please contact us if you believe this applies to you.

Q: Will there be any delays with house claims?

A: Non-essential house repair work is on hold during level 4 and at this stage will be re-booked once lockdown has lifted.

Only repairs that are needed to keep your property safe and secure, or that may impact your health and safety, will proceed under level 4 and it may take longer than usual to get this work completed. We thank you for your patience.

Q: How do I make a car claim?

A: It's easiest to submit your claim online. Our claims team will be in touch to arrange next steps.

Non-essential vehicle repair work is on hold and at this stage will be re-booked once lockdown has lifted.

During level 4, only repairs of vehicles where a customer's health and safety is impacted or the vehicle is required for an essential service will proceed. Where possible, we will offer a digital assessment of the vehicle.

Q: Will there be any delays with motor vehicle claims?

A: It may take longer than usual to get the work completed due to a backlog of repairs and delays for parts to arrive, especially from overseas. Our suppliers are required to follow the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and this will also impact the time the work will take. For example, there is a limit to the number of people that can be on site at any given time. We thank you for your patience. We know it's not an easy time.

Q: How can I get in touch about a claim I have already submitted?

A: If you need an update on your claim, please contact your claims manager on the contact details provided. If you are unable to contact them, please email claims@tower.co.nz or call us on 0800 379 372.

Q: If my Warrant of Fitness (WoF) expires during lockdown and I need to make a car claim, will it be accepted?

A: If your insured vehicle doesn't have any existing safety issues at the time of the accident, you may still be covered under your policy if your WoF expires during lockdown. You can make a claim online here.

Q: If my car registration expires during lockdown and I need to make a car claim, will it be accepted?

A: If your car registration will expire during lockdown, you can renew your registration online on the NZTA website. If you are unable to renew your registration online, and you drove your unregistered vehicle for an essential service and had an accident, you may still be covered under your policy.

Q: I'm unable to renew my driver licence during lockdown and I need to drive my car, will I be covered?

A: If you need to drive during lockdown for an essential service and your driver licence is expired, you may be still covered under your policy if you comply with all road rules and any relevant restrictions of your licence.

Q: I have a policy restriction in place that excludes cover for damage to my property. It requires that I fix or amend my house/vehicle/contents in order for the restriction to be removed. I had arranged for work to be undertaken but have been advised that it has been put off as a result of COVID-19. Am I still covered?

A: Where you have a policy restriction in place as remedial work is required, this restriction will remain in place until the work is completed. We understand that there will be a delay in getting the works completed due to COVID-19 so we ask that you keep in contact with your repairer to have the work completed as soon as practicable once restriction are lifted.

Where your property suffers a loss or damage, we ask that you:

• Explain the circumstances of the loss or damage to us.
• Share communications between yourself and service providers to show you have tried to arrange for the work to be complete.

Q: I’m working from home during the lockdown. Am I still covered under my house and contents insurance if I’m now using my place for business use temporarily?

A: If you're an office worker, shifting to working from home temporarily won't affect your house and contents cover. Make sure your company has cover for any of their equipment you might take home to use.

If you have moved stock to your house or are operating your own business from home, you'll need to speak to us about covering this separately as this is not covered under your domestic house and contents policies. Call us on 0800 808 808 and choose the business insurance option to talk to us about your situation.

Q: Does Business Interruption insurance cover COVID-19 related losses?

A: No, Business interruption cover does not cover COVID-19 related losses.

Why not?

This insurance cover is designed to look after your business assets; things like buildings, contents, stock and tools. There must be a loss to one of these things for you to be able to claim on Business Interruption cover.

Although COVID-19 may interrupt your business operations, this interruption will generally not be caused by physical loss or damage to your assets. This is because COVID-19 affects people, not assets. Accordingly, if there hasn't been any loss to your assets, there would be no claim under your Business Interruption cover.

Q: What if NZ Post stop delivering mail? How will I get communications from you?

A: NZ Post has been classified as an essential service, so you should still receive key mail items. When dealing with our teams they will be able to send you information by email as they do not have access to printers while working from home. If you need to update your contact details, open a live chat or fill out a Contact Us form with your preferred details.

Q: How is Tower ensuring customer health and safety?

A: The safety of our employees and customers is our top priority. We have introduced new ways of working, with our team now working from home. You can contact us during usual business hours.