What does Tower landlord insurance cover in New Zealand?
General information, not advice on your situation. Buying through Tower's online quote is direct, without advice. QuoteHub is a Tower partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission from Tower.
Tower's landlord policy is Landlord's Plus. It rebuilds a rented house up to the sum insured on your certificate, and adds landlord benefits: up to $30,000 for meth contamination, up to eight months' rent when covered damage makes the house uninhabitable, up to $20,000 for deliberate tenant damage and up to $20,000 for whiteware and window coverings (Tower, wording). The catch is that the wording makes your own conduct as a landlord part of the deal: references, a bond, quarterly inspections and fast action on arrears. QuoteHub's landlord versus house insurance guide explains why an owner-occupier house policy is the wrong tool for a tenanted property.
What the landlord benefits pay
Tower's wording (code 09-24) sets out the landlord benefits. The loss-of-rent and meth benefits only apply if the house is rented to a tenant at the time of the loss or contamination (Tower's wording).
| Benefit | Maximum | Additional excess or deduction |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of rent after covered damage | Up to 8 months' rent (wording) | None listed in the wording (wording) |
| Loss of rent for other reasons | Up to 8 weeks' rent (wording) | Rent in advance and the bond are deducted, plus one week's rent (wording) |
| Methamphetamine decontamination | Up to $30,000 for contamination damage (wording) | Additional $2,000 (wording) |
| Deliberate damage by tenants or guests | Up to $20,000 per event (wording) | Additional $500 per event (wording) |
| Landlord's whiteware and window coverings | Up to $20,000, at second-hand value (wording) | None listed in the wording (wording) |
| Liability protection as owner | Up to $20,000,000 in total, with bodily injury up to $100,000 per event (wording) | None listed in the wording (wording) |
The 8-month rent benefit also responds when the house is uninhabitable because of a claim accepted under NHC cover, but it does not apply where contamination is the reason (Tower's wording). "Uninhabitable" has a defined meaning: no functional bathroom or kitchen, or unsafe or impractical to live in, as decided by Tower or by government or local authorities (Tower's wording).
The "other reasons" rent benefit covers a tenant who was lawfully evicted for not paying rent, left without the required notice, or legally stopped paying because they were kept out of the house or utilities failed. It also covers a house made uninhabitable by covered deliberate damage (Tower's wording).
The obligations that can sink a claim
The wording lists landlord obligations that you, and anyone managing the house for you, must meet or Tower may decline a claim and recover payments already made (Tower's wording). If you use a property manager, check they follow the same steps.
| When | What the wording asks for |
|---|---|
| Choosing tenants | Satisfactory references from previous landlords for every adult, or character references if none exist, kept on file (wording) |
| Before move-in | A signed tenancy agreement and a written pre-tenancy inspection, with photos where possible (wording) |
| Money up front | Four weeks' rent in total: at least one week in advance and at least three weeks as a bond registered with Tenancy Services, or any mix adding to four weeks (wording) |
| Every three months | An internal and external inspection, with written notes and photos of any new damage (wording) |
| Rent 14 days behind | Written notice to the tenant, and a visit to see whether they still live there (wording) |
| Rent 28 days behind | An application to the Tenancy Tribunal for vacant possession (wording) |
You must also comply with your legal obligations as a landlord at all times. Tower's landlord guide points to a written tenancy agreement, lodging the bond, healthy homes standards and prompt repairs as things that can affect a claim (Tower). Keep dated records of references, inspections and rent follow-up, because Tower can ask to see them.
How common rental situations play out
The table shows what the wording says in situations landlords actually meet. It is a reading of Tower's wording, not a promise about any particular claim.
| Situation | What the wording says |
|---|---|
| Tenant stops paying and is evicted | Up to 8 weeks' rent, after rent in advance, the bond and one week's rent are deducted (wording) |
| Tenant's dog scratches the doors and chews the carpet | Not covered: pet damage is excluded (Tower) |
| Tenant accidentally damages a wall | Normally a tenancy matter first: the tenant is liable up to 4 weeks' rent or your insurance excess, whichever is lower (Tenancy Services) |
| Tenant or a guest smashes doors in anger | Deliberate damage benefit, up to $20,000 per event less a $500 additional excess (wording) |
| Kitchen fire makes the house unliveable | Rebuild to the sum insured, up to 20% more if the house is destroyed by fire, plus up to 8 months' rent (Tower) |
| A fridge you supplied wears out with age | Wear and tear is not covered (Tower) |
To see how the rent deductions work, take a tenant who is evicted after eight weeks of lost rent. If you held the minimum four weeks between advance rent and bond, those four weeks come off first, then the one-week additional excess, so at most about three weeks would remain to claim (Tower's wording). That is arithmetic from the wording, not a quote, and the real amount depends on your lease and the rent you actually lost.
Meth cover and its conditions
Tower covers contamination damage from the manufacture, storage, use or distribution of methamphetamine, where contamination means levels above the acceptable level in New Zealand Standard NZS 8510 (Tower's wording). The conditions are tight:
- The contamination must have first occurred while Tower insured the house, and not under a policy that lacked meth cover.
- You must make a formal complaint to the Police before the benefit applies.
- Once a claim is paid, the benefit ceases until an approved contractor certifies the house has been remediated to NZS 8510 levels.
- Damage from a meth explosion or fire is paid up to the sum insured instead, and the same landlord obligations must have been met.
Anyone can run a valid screening test. Tenancy Services says that if a landlord learns of a valid screening result showing contamination, they must arrange more detailed testing, and that contamination caused by a tenant or guests can count as intentional damage (Tenancy Services). QuoteHub's meth contamination guide goes through testing and claims in more depth. Tenant damage and rent loss are covered together in the loss of rent and tenant damage guide.
Natural hazards, empty houses and other limits
If a natural hazard damages the house, you claim from the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC, formerly EQC) first. Tower then pays the difference between NHC's cover and your sum insured, less any excess, with a further $5,000 excess for damage to a driveway, path, fence, swimming pool or spa pool (Tower's wording). QuoteHub's natural disaster insurance guide explains the NHC layer.
The other limits to know about are:
- Contents: tenants' belongings are not covered, so they need their own policy, and the landlord policy covers only whiteware and window coverings you supply (Tower). See QuoteHub's renters insurance guide.
- Empty houses: after 90 consecutive days with nobody staying overnight, cover narrows from day 91 and an additional $1,000 excess applies, unless the certificate shows a holiday home (Tower's wording). A gap between tenants is where this bites.
- Change of use: tell Tower straight away if the house leaves the rental market, becomes a holiday home or is used for business (Tower's wording). For nightly stays, see the short-term rental insurance guide.
- Other insurance: Tower does not cover loss that another insurer's policy also covers (Tower's wording).
What sets the sum insured and the price
Tower says the sum insured should cover the whole rebuild, including demolition, debris removal, professional fees and council fees (Tower). QuoteHub's sum insured guide walks through the method. Tower builds house and landlord premiums from a base premium, a risk-based premium for natural hazards at the address, the NHC levy, the Fire and Emergency levy and GST (Tower). This page gives no premiums, because Tower prices each address individually.
QuoteHub's Tower Insurance overview covers Tower's financial strength rating. Other insurers also sell landlord cover, and the benefits and conditions differ, so compare the wordings, not just the headline limits.
Getting a quote from Tower online
Have the rental's address, the rebuild cost you are insuring it for and the build details ready. QuoteHub's link opens Tower's own online quote, where you choose your excess and see Tower's terms and price: Tower's online quote. The Tower quote guide covers what else to have to hand, and the Tower house insurance guide covers the owner-occupier policy.
Questions people ask
Does Tower landlord insurance cover unpaid rent?
Only in set cases. Tower pays up to eight weeks' rent if a tenant is lawfully evicted for not paying, leaves without notice or legally withholds rent, after deducting the bond, rent in advance and one week's rent as an excess (Tower's wording).
Do I need contents insurance as a landlord with Tower?
Not for whiteware or curtains you supply, which are covered up to $20,000 (Tower). Anything else you leave in the rental, such as furniture, would need a contents policy.
Does Tower cover damage by tenants' pets?
No. Tower says damage caused by a tenant's pets is not covered, and the wording excludes pecking, biting, clawing, scratching, tearing or chewing of the house by domestic pets (Tower and Tower's wording).
Is landlord insurance tax deductible?
Tower says premiums may be tax deductible and suggests asking your accountant (Tower).
Does Tower landlord insurance cover earthquakes and floods?
Yes, through the NHC layer and Tower's top-up to your sum insured, as described above (Tower). The wording also applies a 72-hour stand-down for storms, floods and landslides after a policy starts or is changed, with exceptions such as a policy that follows another one without a gap or is bought with the house, so check it (Tower's wording).
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's read: Landlord's Plus pays out only if you have kept to the landlord obligations in the wording, such as references, a bond and quarterly inspections, so those duties matter as much as the benefit limits.
Get a Tower quote online
Tower’s own quote opens in a new tab. House, contents, landlord, car and boat cover can be quoted together in one go.
Tower Easy Save: save $400*
- $200 off house or landlord
- $100 off comprehensive car
- $100 off contents
*$400 is made up of individual policy discounts, each available separately. New, eligible policies only with promo code EASYSAVE. Excl. contract works. Ends 30 Jan 2027. Ts&Cs apply. Tower’s Easy Save terms, checked 6 October 2026.
QuoteHub is a Tower partner. If you buy through this link, Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission from Tower. Buying online is not financial advice.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Tower Landlord Insurance NZ: Landlord's Plus. www.quotehub.co.nz/tower-insurance/tower-landlord-insurance. Updated 2026-10-07.
References
- Tower, landlord insurance
- Tower, Landlord's Plus policy wording (09-24)
- Tower, understanding your house and landlord premium
- Tower, your landlord responsibilities
- Tenancy Services, damage and repairs
Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Free Will.