Homeowner’s insurance coverage from belairdirect
From duplexes to townhouses and everything in between, find homeowners insurance coverage that fits your needs and lifestyle.
Why do you need homeowner’s insurance?
If you’re applying for a mortgage, the bank may require you to apply for home insurance to allow you to qualify. While you are paying off your mortgage, the bank wants to ensure that the asset it loaned you money for is protected.
Homeowner’s insurance may be able to protect you from sums which you become legally liable for, as a result of an incident such as an injury on your property. Your policy’s liability coverage could protect you and your guests if ever they get hurt on your property.
Finally, home insurance not only protects the house itself, but your personal belongings within it too. If ever a covered loss were to destroy all that you’ve worked so long to accumulate, such as your furniture, appliances, or clothing, your home insurance policy could reimburse you for the cost of these personal items and help you get back on your feet faster.
Rest assured that with belairdirect, your homeowner’s insurance policy will give you excellent coverage that protects almost everything under your roof (up to the amount of the insurance stated in your policy).
What is covered by homeowner's insurance?
With homeowner’s insurance coverage from belairdirect, the following facets could be covered in the event of an incident:
Your dwelling and the attached structures
Your home insurance policy can help protect you from paying for costly property damage to your dwelling that occurs from covered incidents. Your dwelling includes the roof, the foundation and almost all structures inside the walls of your home. Other items that are attached to your house or home may be included as well, such as outdoor decks that are on your property.
Detached private structures
Additional buildings and detached structures such as garden sheds or tool sheds may be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy as long as they’re on your property.
Your personal property
Your personal property includes the things you and your family own, wear or use. These items can consist of furniture, clothing, shoes, electronics and appliances. Your personal belongings may be covered even if they are temporarily away from your home.
Additional living expenses
If your home becomes unfit to live in due to an insured peril, you may be eligible for financial help to cover any necessary increase in living expenses.
Personal liability coverage for homeowners
Rest easy knowing you’re covered in the event that somebody gets hurt or injured on your property or a covered loss causes damage to someone else’s property that you are legally liable for. This type of coverage includes things such as medical fees and expenses, lawsuits, property damage and any bodily damage caused by a covered incident. Your liability coverage will also protect you if ever you accidentally damage somebody else’s property or hurt someone anywhere in the world.
Voluntary medical payments
In the event where somebody gets hurt on your property where you are not deemed responsible, voluntary medical payment coverage can pay for related medical expenses the injured person may incur as a result.
Please refer to your policy for all terms, conditions, limits and possible exclusions.
Voluntary payments for damage to property
These payments can cover any unintentional damage you cause to property that you are not legally responsible or liable for.
Refer to your policy for all conditions, terms, limits and possible exclusions.
Optional Enhanced Water Damage Package:
Water damage protection for your home
Between your municipality’s aging infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather conditions, water damage has become a growing concern for homeowners everywhere. Protect yourself from cleanup expenses and repairs caused by sewer backup water damage with the optional Enhanced Water Damage Package from belairdirect.
belairdirect's optional Enhanced Water Damage Package could protect you from:
Sewer back-ups
If water should accidentally back-up from the sewer system and begin flowing into your home, the damages could be covered.
Water and sewer lines
This is coverage to repair or replace your water service line and/or sewer line due to a loss resulting from a leak, break, tear, rupture or collapse of the line.
If Sewer Back-Up and Water and Sewer Lines are the only two coverages appearing under the EWDP on your Coverage Summary page, you do not have coverage for loss or damage due to sewer back-up resulting from a flood or sewer back-up occurring at the same time as a flood, or coverage for water backing up from a storm drain. These losses are covered under the Overland Water coverage, which is included for customers who qualify.
Overland water
If you qualify, water damages caused by overflowing from a lake, river, heavy rain or rapid snowmelt that enters your home from above ground could be covered.
Ground water
Water damage caused by water suddenly entering your home accidentally through a basement wall, the foundation or floors could be covered.
See how belairdirect's enhanced water damage coverage could keep you safe and learn how you can prevent water damage to your home.
Frequently asked questions about homeowner’s insurance
Still have questions about homeowner’s insurance? We’re here to help.
1 - I have a homeowner's insurance policy under my name. Who does it cover?
Your homeowner's insurance policy covers your personal property and your liability. It also covers the same things for your spouse and your relatives who are living with you in the same household. It’s a good idea to keep your policy up to date with the value of the belongings of everyone on the policy.
2 - If I own a house, do I have to get home insurance?
Unlike car owners– who must by law have car insurance, house owners aren’t legally required to have home insurance. However, it may be a requirement in certain situations. For example:
Mortgaged homes
If you want to take out a mortgage to pay for your home, your financial institution may require you to have home insurance. This helps protect the value of the home and the security of their loan in case of something unexpected, like a fire.
Whatever your living situation may be, we strongly recommend that you do get insurance because it not only protects your home and your personal belongings, it also gives you liability coverage in case you accidentally injure someone or damage someone’s property anywhere in the world.
3 - Does homeowner’s insurance cover renovations?
Home renovations are a great way to increase the value of your home while adding new features that improve your quality of living. Many homeowners, however, feel hesitant to inform their insurance company about the new additions or the upcoming construction.
Letting your insurance company know about upcoming renovations is the best way to ensure that you have adequate coverage before construction begins. From coverage limits to ensuring that your personal liability is up-to-date, you’ll be able to ensure that your homeowner's coverage is sufficient, leaving contractors free to get the job done without any worries.
Although it can be tempting to just forget about your insurance and start on the work right away, it could leave a homeowner vulnerable if there are gaps in the coverage. In certain scenarios, disclosing this information could even reduce insurance costs. When homes are updated with newer building materials or retrofitted to conform to today’s building codes, they become safer and could be seen as less of a potential liability for insurance companies.
Be sure to speak with your insurer after completing major renovations to your home too. You may find that the work that was completed could help you save on your homeowner’s insurance coverage, or simply allow you to adjust your coverage once the work has been completed.
4 - How are homeowner's insurance premiums calculated?
When determining what a customer will need to pay for homeowners insurance, an insurance company may use the following criteria when determining what a customer needs to pay for coverage that protects their home:
- The cost of the house
- The cost to rebuild the house after a covered loss
- The deductible amount required to make a claim
- The neighbourhood where the house being insured is located
- The age of the house
- The condition of the house
- The value of the personal property and contents within the house
- Any possible discounts the homeowner is eligible for
- The homeowner’s credit history (only applicable for certain provinces)
An insurance company will take the following pertinent information and use it as criteria to determine the appropriate homeowners insurance price based on the required coverage needed to insure the house adequately.
5 - What information do you need about your home in order to insure it?
Before starting a homeowner’s insurance quote, you should have the following information with you to make the process easier and ensure you get the most accurate insurance quote possible:
- The address of the house you’re insuring
- The number of years you’ve been living in the house
- The year that the house was built
- The total living area of your house in square footage
- The type of house you’re insuring (single home, two-family home, etc.)
- The building structure of the house being insured (detached house, semi-detached house, etc.)
- The number of mortgages or home equity lines you currently have on the house
- The type of basement your house has (finished basement, unfinished basement, etc.)
- Ther type of garage located within your house or on your property
- The length of time you’ve had homeowner’s insurance coverage
- Your personal information and your consent to a possible soft credit check
Collecting this information ahead of time can make the process of getting a home insurance quote quicker and easier.