- Home
- Home insurance
Home insurance in Trinidad and Tobago
You watched the water come up Diego Martin Main Road on the news and thought at least that's not us. Let's make sure it stays that way — on paper, not just in hope.
A home policy has two halves. Most people only think about one.
The building
The structure itself — walls, roof, foundation, fixtures, and usually outbuildings, fencing and permanent fittings.
Insure it for what it would cost to rebuild, not what you paid for it or what it would sell for. Building costs in T&T have moved a lot; a sum insured set in 2015 is probably no longer enough.
The contents
Everything that would fall out if you turned the house upside down — furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, tools.
Walk each room and add it up. Almost everybody underestimates this. Replacing a fridge, stove, washer, three TVs and a bedroom set at today's prices adds up faster than you'd guess.
Watch out for average. If you insure for less than the full value, many policies reduce a partial claim in the same proportion. Insure your house for half its rebuild cost and a $100,000 claim can settle at $50,000 — even though the loss was well under the sum insured. Getting the number right matters more than shaving the premium.
What a T&T homeowner policy typically covers
Cover is written as a list of named perils. If it isn't named, it isn't covered — which is exactly why reading the list is worth ten minutes of your evening.
Flood & storm
Rising water, storm surge and wind damage. The clause every Trinbagonian homeowner should read twice — terms and excess vary by location and risk.
Fire & explosion
Fire, lightning, and explosion. Usually includes damage caused by the fire service getting the fire out.
Earthquake
We sit in a seismically active region. Earthquake cover is standard on most local policies — check the excess, which is often a percentage of the sum insured.
Burglary & theft
Forcible entry and theft of contents. Some policies require visible signs of forced entry, and high-value items often need to be specified individually.
Burst pipes & water damage
Escape of water from tanks, pipes and appliances. Note this is different from flood — it's water coming from inside the house, not outside it.
Public liability
If a visitor is injured on your property and holds you responsible. Quietly one of the most valuable parts of the policy and the part nobody reads.
Commonly excluded: gradual wear and tear, poor maintenance, subsidence in some cases, damage while the house is unoccupied beyond a stated number of days, and losses arising from illegal or unapproved construction. If you've built an extension without approval, tell us — it's far better handled up front.
“But will they actually pay for flood?”
It's the question we get more than any other, and it deserves a real answer rather than a brochure line.
Flood is a named peril on most Trinidad and Tobago homeowner policies — so yes, it is generally covered. What varies is the detail: the excess you carry on a flood claim, whether your specific location is rated or restricted, and whether contents are covered to the same extent as the building.
Homes in known flood-prone areas can attract a higher excess or specific conditions. That isn't a reason to skip cover — it's a reason to know exactly where you stand before the water comes, rather than reading your policy by torchlight at two in the morning.
- We'll read your existing policy's flood clause with you, free, whether or not you buy from us.
- Photograph and list your contents now — it makes a claim dramatically easier later.
- Keep receipts for major appliances somewhere that isn't the ground floor.
Which one are you?
You own and live in it
The standard case — building and contents together on one policy. If you have a mortgage, your lender almost certainly requires the building portion, and will want to be noted on it.
You rent it out
A landlord policy covers the building and your own fixtures, plus liability. Your tenant's belongings are their responsibility — worth putting in the lease so nobody is surprised.
You're the tenant
The landlord insures the building, not your things. A contents-only policy covers your appliances, electronics and furniture for a fraction of what most people expect.
It's the cost to rebuild the structure from scratch at today's material and labour prices — not the market value, which includes the land. For most homes a reasonable estimate is square footage multiplied by a current per-square-foot construction rate. For larger or unusual properties a professional valuation is worth the cost. We can point you to a valuator.
Usually yes — permanent external structures like walls, gates, fences, water tanks and driveways typically fall under the building section, provided your sum insured accounts for them. Free-standing items and detached outbuildings sometimes need to be specified. Worth confirming rather than assuming.
Your landlord's policy covers the building, not your possessions. If a fire or flood destroyed everything in the apartment, replacing it would be entirely on you. Contents-only cover is inexpensive and is one of the most under-bought products in the country.
Cover arranged through a lender usually protects the building to the extent of their interest — the outstanding loan. It typically does not cover your contents, and it may not cover the full rebuild cost if your loan balance is lower than that. Send us the schedule and we'll tell you what the gap is.
It can, particularly if you make several claims in a short period, or if the loss reveals an ongoing risk. For a one-off event the effect is usually modest. Don't let the fear of a small increase stop you claiming a genuine loss — that's what you've been paying for.
Know exactly what your home policy says.
Send us your current schedule and we'll read it properly — free, and with no expectation that you move your business.