Home insurance in Dubai

Who insures what

Insurance in a Dubai home works in layers. In a jointly owned building, the owners association normally arranges insurance for the structure and common areas, paid through service charges. Your share of that premium sits inside the budget on Mollak; see our service charge budgets guide.

That policy rarely covers everything inside your unit. Owners typically need their own cover for fitted kitchens, flooring, upgrades and their liability to neighbours. Tenants need cover for their belongings. Villa owners in communities without shared structural cover may need to insure the whole building themselves. Ask the management company for a summary of the building policy so you know where it stops.

Duplication is as common as gaps. Some owners pay for structural cover that the owners association already provides, while leaving their own fit-out and liability uninsured. A short conversation with the building manager and your broker usually resolves this.

Owners who live in the property

A homeowner policy usually combines buildings cover for the parts you are responsible for, contents cover, and personal liability. Liability matters in apartments: a burst pipe or overflowing bath can damage the units below. Check whether the policy covers accidental damage, water damage from leaks and escape of water, and alternative accommodation if the home becomes uninhabitable.

Mortgaged property

Lenders typically require property insurance as a condition of the loan and may offer their own policy or ask you to assign an external policy to them. Life cover linked to the mortgage is also common. Ask your bank exactly what it requires, and compare the bank's policy with the market. Our mortgage guide for expats covers the wider process.

Landlords

Once you let a property, a standard homeowner policy may no longer apply. Landlord policies can include:

• buildings cover for the parts you are responsible for
• landlord's contents, for furnished lets
• liability to tenants and visitors
• loss of rent if the property cannot be occupied after an insured event

Tell your insurer the property is let, and whether it is a long-term let or a holiday home, because cover differs. Our guide to furnished vs unfurnished letting explains why the contents list matters, and landlord maintenance obligations covers what you must repair regardless of insurance.

Tenants

Tenants are rarely required to insure, but contents and personal liability cover is inexpensive relative to the value of most households' belongings. It protects your furniture, electronics and valuables, and covers you if you accidentally damage the landlord's property or a neighbour's. Read the tenant rights guide for what the landlord must fix.

Reading a policy

• Sum insured: is it based on rebuild or replacement cost, not market value?
• Excess: how much do you pay per claim?
• Exclusions: wear and tear, gradual leaks, unoccupied periods.
• Unoccupancy: many policies restrict cover if the home is empty for long periods, which matters for overseas owners.
• Claims process: who to call, and how quickly repairs are authorised.

Review cover annually, ideally at the same time as your annual maintenance calendar check.