At Clear Insurance, we understand the dedication commercial property owners bring to building and managing their investment portfolios. Whether you own office buildings, retail centres, industrial warehouses, medical suites, or mixed-use developments, your focus should be on maximising returns and tenant satisfaction—not navigating complex insurance decisions.
Clear Insurance specialises in insurance advice for commercial property owners across diverse asset classes including office buildings, retail properties, industrial facilities, medical centres, hospitality venues, and multi-tenanted commercial buildings. We understand the unique risks property investors face in today’s market.
We take the time to understand your property portfolio, tenant mix, investment strategy, and risk profile, guiding you towards appropriate insurance solutions that align with your budget, finance requirements, and asset protection needs.
Understanding Risks in Commercial Property Ownership
Commercial property owners face diverse exposures that require careful consideration and appropriate insurance protection.
Office Building & Commercial Strata Insurance
Office building and commercial strata property owners encounter specific risks:
Retail Property & Shopping Centre Insurance
Retail property owners face distinct commercial exposures:
Industrial & Warehouse Property Insurance
Industrial property owners encounter unique considerations:
Other Commercial Property Types
Each commercial property class presents unique considerations:
Property Types We Advise
Our experience spans diverse commercial property classes:
Common Insurance Types for Property Owners
Based on our experience advising commercial property owners, here are commonly discussed insurance types:
Core Property Protection
Commercial Property Insurance covers the building structure, landlord fixtures, common property, and tenant improvements against damage from fire, storm, flood, impact, and malicious damage. Getting the sum insured right is critical. Underinsurance at claim time means you bear a share of the loss yourself.
Loss of Rent Insurance protects your rental income when a property becomes untenantable following an insured event. The indemnity period (how long the cover lasts) should reflect realistic repair and re-leasing timeframes for your property type. Twelve months is often not enough for larger or more complex properties.
Business Interruption covers ongoing fixed expenses like mortgage payments, rates, and body corporate levies during the restoration period when rental income has stopped.
Comprehensive Liability Coverage
Landlord’s Public Liability protects against third-party injury and property damage claims arising from your property, such as slip and fall incidents, common area hazards, car park accidents, and maintenance-related claims.
Building Owners & Managers Liability covers liability arising from property management operations, including claims from contractors, service providers, and tenants.
Strata Body Corporate Insurance covers the owners’ corporation for common property, public liability, and office bearers’ liability under state strata legislation.
Building Works & Specialised Cover
Contract Works Insurance covers the building and materials during renovations, fitouts, or construction works. Your standard property policy typically excludes damage that occurs during building works — a separate contract works policy fills this gap.
Machinery Breakdown covers lifts, escalators, air conditioning, and other essential building services against sudden breakdown, including repair costs and any resulting loss of rent.
Glass & Fixed Plant Insurance covers replacement of external and internal glass, signs, and fixed building services.
Financial & Legal Protection
Landlord’s Protection covers rent default, deliberate tenant damage, and legal costs associated with recovering possession of your property.
Statutory Liability protects against fines and defence costs for unintentional breaches of building codes, fire safety regulations, or environmental obligations.
Legal Expenses Insurance covers costs of property-related disputes including lease disagreements, recovery of unpaid rent, and contractor disputes.
“Clear Insurance has been our trusted allied health insurance provider for many years. They offer comprehensive coverage and personalised recommendations. Their knowledgeable advisors and proactive approach have been invaluable, especially during industry changes. Their efficient claims handling process and commitment to customer service make them an outstanding choice.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the outstanding service provided by Lisa and her team from Clear Insurance in renewing our new insurance policies. Their dedication, attention to detail, and responsiveness made the entire process seamless and stress-free. They took the time to understand the needs of our business and found us the best available coverage at competitive rates. We highly recommend anyone looking for a knowledgeable and reliable insurance partner to get in touch with Lisa and the team from Clear Insurance!”
“We’ve been so impressed at the high-quality service provided by Clear Insurance. They were very thorough when assessing our insurance needs, ensuring that they completely understood our business before making any recommendations. Thank you, Lisa and the team!”
“Clear Insurance has become a key partner for WorkSafe Connect. Lisa and the team have ensured that we understand the risks associated with our business interests and have helped us decide on the cover we need. From taking over an existing set of policies to the full re-marketing of our portfolio, the quality of service, transparency of advice and responsiveness to any request is outstanding. In Clear Insurance, we feel that we are working with a partner who wants the best result for our business and is helping us achieve success.”
“I have had such a good experience with Clear insurance. They recommended to me many changes to my old policies and in less than 4 months the difference saved me $80,000 so I am over the moon. They absolutely know their area of expertise. Thank you to Clear insurance and yes, I can’t recommend them enough.”
“Clear Insurance completed an in-depth analysis of our insurance coverage, identifying our organisation was under-insured. They provided a comprehensive proposal specific to the context that we work in and our growth as a business. It is evident to me, Clear Insurance work diligently and tirelessly to truly understand the needs of their clients to protect them against potential risks.”
“All the work you guys do to help us, we are really grateful.”
“I note your disclosure of the Advisor Service Fee and think that this adds veracity to the insurance renewal process.”
“It’s refreshing to get great service!”
*These testimonials represent individual client experiences. Results vary based on circumstances, requirements, business operations, and market conditions.
Our Approach to Property Owners Insurance
Understanding Your portfolio
We start by learning about your property portfolio, asset types, tenant profiles, investment strategy, and any specialized properties or development plans. This helps us identify the specific risks relevant to your commercial property holdings.
Comprehensive Property Risk & Insurance Review
Our team conducts a thorough no-obligation assessment of your current property risks and insurance arrangements, identifying any gaps, underinsurance, or areas where cover may not align with your current portfolio. You’ll receive a detailed gap analysis report to help you make informed decisions.
Tailored Insurance Advice
We provide clear recommendations on appropriate insurance options for property investors, explaining complex policy terms in straightforward language to help you make informed decisions that align with your investment strategy and budget.
Specialised Property Market Access
Through our relationships with Australian insurers experienced in commercial property risks and our membership of the Steadfast Group, we help you access appropriate insurance solutions suited to your property portfolio and finance requirements.
Ongoing Support
As your property portfolio evolves through acquisitions, disposals, tenant changes, or development projects, we provide continued advice and assistance with policy adjustments, annual reviews, and claims support. When considering property purchases or major building works, we can provide insurance guidance before you commit.
Servicing Property Owners Across Australia
We advise commercial property owners in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, regional Queensland, and across Australia. Our team understands Australian property law, strata legislation, building codes, fire safety requirements, and state-based regulatory obligations affecting commercial property owners.
Whether you’re an individual investor with one or two commercial properties, a growing portfolio holder managing multiple assets, or an established property owner seeking clarity on strata insurance or loss of rent requirements, we’re here to provide expert guidance tailored to your property type and investment structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance does a commercial property owner need?
Commercial property owners typically require building insurance covering the property structure, landlord fixtures, and tenant improvements. You’ll also need landlord’s public liability insurance to protect against third-party injury and property damage claims. Depending on your property type and finance arrangements, you may also need loss of rent insurance (business interruption), glass insurance, contract works cover during renovations, and potentially statutory liability insurance. Strata properties have specific insurance obligations under strata legislation. We can help you assess what’s appropriate for your specific property portfolio.
How much does commercial property insurance cost?
Commercial property insurance costs vary based on factors including property location, building age and construction, total insured value, tenant types, claims history, and the scope of cover required. A small commercial property might cost $2,000 to $5,000 annually for comprehensive cover, while larger properties, shopping centres, or complex portfolios may require $20,000 or more. Loss of rent, liability limits, and specialized coverage also affect premiums. We work with you to find appropriate coverage that protects your investment and meets finance requirements.
What’s the difference between building insurance and landlord’s insurance?
Building insurance covers the physical structure, landlord fixtures, common property, and sometimes tenant improvements against damage from events like fire, storm, flood, or malicious damage. Landlord’s insurance (or landlord protection) typically covers loss of rental income, tenant default, tenant damage to the property, and legal costs recovering possession. Many property owners need both, building insurance for the physical asset and landlord protection for the income stream. We can explain how each protects different aspects of your property investment.
Do I need loss of rent insurance?
Loss of rent insurance (also called rent default or business interruption) is highly recommended for commercial property owners, particularly those with finance obligations or where rental income is essential. This cover pays your rental income and ongoing expenses like mortgage payments, rates, and body corporate fees when your property becomes untenantable following insured damage. Without this cover, you could face months without rental income while still meeting property expenses during repairs. We can discuss appropriate indemnity periods based on your property type.
What insurance obligations do commercial strata properties have?
Commercial strata properties (owners corporations/body corporates) have statutory obligations to insure common property buildings, public liability, and potentially office bearers liability under state strata legislation. The insurance must cover reinstatement value, not market value, and typically includes all common property, building services, and sometimes original fixtures in individual lots. Individual lot owners usually insure their own contents, tenant improvements beyond original specification, and additional public liability. We can help clarify obligations under your state’s strata legislation.
Do lenders require specific insurance for commercial properties?
Yes, commercial property finance providers typically require building insurance covering the full reinstatement value (noting their interest as mortgagee), landlord’s public liability (usually minimum $10-20 million), and often loss of rent insurance covering the loan repayment period. Some lenders also require glass insurance and statutory liability cover. Insurance must be maintained throughout the loan term, and lenders receive notice if policies lapse. We work with property owners to ensure insurance meets lender requirements whilst avoiding over-insurance.
Am I at risk of underinsurance on my commercial property?
Underinsurance is one of the most common and costly issues for commercial property owners. Building replacement costs have increased significantly in recent years due to construction cost inflation, and many properties insured several years ago are now undervalued. If your sum insured is less than the actual cost to rebuild, insurers can apply averaging — reducing your claim payout proportionally. A professional insurance replacement valuation is the most reliable way to confirm your sum insured is accurate. We recommend one every two to three years, or after any significant renovation.
Does my property insurance cover building works and renovations?
Standard commercial property policies typically exclude or restrict cover during building works. If you are undertaking renovations, fitouts, or significant repairs, you should notify us before works commence. Depending on the scope, a separate contract works policy may be required to cover the building and materials during construction. Failure to notify your insurer of works in progress can result in a claim being declined.
What happens to my insurance if the property is vacant?
Vacant properties attract higher risk in the eyes of insurers; increased exposure to vandalism, arson, water damage, and unauthorised entry. Most standard policies restrict or exclude cover after a property has been vacant for 60 to 90 days. If your property is between tenants, undergoing redevelopment, or vacant for any reason, notify us so we can confirm your cover remains in place and arrange appropriate vacant property cover if needed.
Who is responsible for insuring tenant fitouts and contents?
Generally, the property owner insures the building structure, landlord fixtures, and original fitout. Tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents, equipment, stock, and any improvements they make beyond the original specification. However, lease agreements vary; some impose obligations on landlords to insure tenant improvements, and some leases require tenants to reinstate the premises on departure. We recommend reviewing your lease insurance obligations and confirming the boundary between landlord and tenant cover.
Does my building insurance cover lifts and air conditioning systems?
Standard property policies cover physical damage to building services from insured events like fire or storm. However, sudden mechanical or electrical breakdown of lifts, escalators, air conditioning, and other plant is typically excluded from property policies and requires a separate machinery breakdown policy. For commercial properties where building services are critical to tenant operations, and where breakdown could trigger loss of rent, machinery breakdown cover with a consequential loss extension is worth considering.
Important Information: The information on this page is general advice only and doesn’t consider your specific property portfolio or investment strategy. Contact us for personalised advice appropriate to your property ownership activities. Coverage examples are illustrative only. Your requirements depend on property types, usage, location, and tenancy arrangements. Appropriate coverage limits should be determined through professional building valuation. For strata properties, we can clarify your individual responsibilities versus collective coverage. This doesn’t constitute legal advice regarding landlord obligations; consult legal advisers. Before entering into insurance, you have a duty to disclose anything that may affect an insurer’s decision to insure you. Learn more. View our Financial Services Guide for full details about our services and remuneration. Clear Insurance Pty Ltd | ABN 41 601 916 689 | AFSL No. 548953
Last updated: 14 May 2026
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