ChatGPT · New Zealand
We've been out of our house for months while it's being repaired. Will the insurer keep paying for our temporary accommodation?
In New Zealand, your insurer may continue paying for temporary accommodation for several months, but it usually depends on your policy wording, the cause of the damage, and whether you have reached your policy’s accommodation limit. Being out of your home for months does not automatically mean the insurer can stop paying, nor does it guarantee that payments will continue until repairs are finished.
The key question is whether your policy covers the additional time you need to stay elsewhere while your home is being repaired.
What determines whether payments continue?
According to the Insurance Council of New Zealand, most home insurance policies and many contents policies provide some temporary accommodation cover, but the amount and duration vary by policy. ICNZ Consumer Guide 2025 – Temporary Accommodation benefits in House and Contents policies
- Your policy limit: There may be a fixed dollar cap or a limit calculated as a percentage of your home’s insured value.
- Whether your home is still uninhabitable: The insurer may assess whether it is safe and practical for you to move back in.
- How the claim is being settled: Some policies cover accommodation until the claim is settled; others may specify a reasonable estimated repair period or different conditions.
- Why the repairs are taking so long: Delays in obtaining materials, contractor availability, engineering work or further damage assessments are worth raising with your insurer, although they do not automatically extend cover.
The Insurance Council's 2025 consumer guide to temporary accommodation explains these differences. ICNZ Consumer Guide 2025 – Temporary Accommodation benefits in House and Contents policies
What I recommend doing now
Contact your claims manager in writing and ask them to confirm:
- How much of your temporary accommodation allowance has been used, and how much remains.
- Whether payments will continue until your house is ready to live in.
- If they intend to stop payments, the exact policy clause and the date payments will end.
- Whether they will consider an extension if the repair delays are outside your control.
If the insurer refuses to extend cover and you believe the decision is inconsistent with your policy, you can make a formal complaint. If that does not resolve the issue, you can approach the insurer's free, independent dispute resolution scheme. Complain about your financial services providerMaking a complaint about your financial service provider
Let’s narrow this down for your situation
I can give you a more specific answer if you tell me one thing first:
Which insurance company are you with?
If you know the type of damage that forced you out (for example, flooding, a leak, earthquake damage or fire), please mention that too. I can then help you understand what the relevant policy says about how long temporary accommodation may be covered.
ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.
Captured 11 October 2026