Home insurance in Singapore is built around contents cover, with other protections either included or sold as extras. The parts most worth checking are accidental damage, renovation cover, personal liability and somewhere to stay if your home cannot be lived in. Whether each one is built in, added on for a fee or not offered differs between plans. This guide explains what each adds, which households it tends to suit and what it does not do. It also shows how to check a plan before you compare prices on the home insurance page.
How optional extras differ from core cover
Core cover is the part every policy is built on. It protects your belongings against events such as fire, flood and burglary. Extras are layers on top of that core. Some plans fold them into the base premium. Others charge for them separately. Some do not offer them at all.
The site lists plans from the lowest premium up. Price is the only ranking. A plan near the top may simply include fewer extras than one further down. Two plans at different premiums may not be like for like.
This helps explain the wide spread of prices for the same home. Today, 18 insurers price an owner-occupied HDB flat with S$60,000 contents, from about S$68 to about S$390. You can see that example on the HDB owner price page. These are today's examples, not what you will pay.
The four protections covered below are:
- Accidental damage to your belongings
- Renovation cover for fixtures and fittings you paid for
- Personal liability if someone is hurt or a neighbour's home is damaged
- Somewhere to stay if your home cannot be lived in
Accidental damage
What it adds. Accidental damage cover extends protection to sudden, unintended harm to your belongings. Think of the kind of mishap that happens in a busy household, rather than a fire or a break-in. The exact events covered are set out in each policy's wording.
Who it suits. It tends to matter more in homes with young children, frequent guests or many electronic items. A household with few valuable items may see less difference from it.
What it does not do. It does not cover wear and tear or gradual deterioration. Damage by pets or pests is also excluded. So a sofa scratched by a cat over time sits outside this cover.
How to tell. Look for accidental damage in the list of events covered under contents. Check whether it applies to all belongings or only some.
A plan with accidental damage built in is better for busy homes with many breakable items. A plan without it is better for households that want contents cover against the main events and little else.
Renovation cover
What it adds. Renovation cover pays for fixtures and fittings you added and paid for. That can include built-in carpentry, flooring and other work done after you got the keys.
Who it suits. It matters most to HDB and condo owners who spent on renovation. HDB fire insurance covers the building structure only. It does not cover your renovations or your contents.
What it does not do. It does not replace cover for the building structure itself. It also does not pay for fittings that wear out with age.
How to tell. Check whether the plan shows a separate renovation amount, or whether renovations share the contents sum. The amount differs between plans.
Renovation cover is better for owners who invested in their interiors. Contents-only cover is better for tenants who did not pay for the fixtures, as the landlord insures the building. Tenants who did pay for some work can check what the tenancy agreement says.
Personal liability
What it adds. Personal liability covers your legal liability if someone is hurt in your home. It also covers water from your flat damaging a neighbour's home. In stacked housing such as HDB blocks and condos, a leaking pipe can affect the unit below.
Who it suits. It is relevant to owners and tenants alike. Your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your liability to others.
What it does not do. It does not pay for your own belongings or your own repairs. It does not extend to business activity run from home.
How to tell. Look for a personal liability limit in the plan details. The limit differs between plans, so compare it on the comparison page.
Somewhere to stay
What it adds. This cover helps with the cost of somewhere to stay if your home cannot be lived in. It is generally tied to damage from an event the policy covers.
Who it suits. It tends to matter more to households with no relatives nearby, and to newcomers without a local support network. Families with a parent's flat a few MRT stops away may rely on it less.
What it does not do. It is not cover for a move you choose to make. Check what triggers it and how long it lasts.
How to tell. Look for alternative accommodation or temporary stay in the list of benefits. Note any daily or total limit, which differs between plans.
What the standard cover leaves out
Some gaps are part of the core policy, not something an extra fixes by default. Knowing them helps you read a plan properly.
- Wear and tear, and gradual deterioration
- Losses while the home is left empty for more than 60 days
- Damage by pets or pests
- Business equipment and stock
If you run a business from home, the equipment and stock sit outside standard home cover. Ask the insurer whether it offers separate cover. If you travel for long stretches, note the 60-day rule on empty homes.
How to tell whether a plan already includes an extra
The plan summary is a starting point. The policy wording is where the detail sits. When you compare, these checks help:
- List of covered events. See whether accidental damage appears under contents.
- Separate amounts. Look for distinct figures for contents, renovation and liability.
- Optional or included. Check whether each extra adds to the premium or is already in it.
- Limits. Note the maximum each benefit pays, as these differ between plans.
- Contents sum. Contents cover should be enough to replace everything new. If you insure for too little, every claim can be paid less.
When you pick a plan, you finish buying on the insurer's own site. Your answers are already filled in. That is a good point to read the full wording before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Does HDB fire insurance include any of these extras?
No. HDB fire insurance covers the building structure only. Your contents and renovations need home insurance.
I rent. Which parts of home insurance matter most?
Your landlord insures the building. Home insurance covers your own belongings and your liability to others. You can see typical premiums on the condo tenant price page.
Is a plan with more extras worth a higher premium?
That depends on your home and how you live in it. Compare plans that include the same extras so the prices are like for like. The home insurance page lists plans by premium so you can check each one.
How do I estimate how much contents cover I need?
Walk through each room and add up what it would cost to replace things new. Most HDB households fall under S$60,000.
Where do I go if I need to make a claim?
Claims are handled by the insurer that issued your policy. The claims page explains the general steps and what to prepare.