Home insurance investment remains an uncertain decision for many homeowners due to its underestimated importance. Unawareness about its benefits and myths associated with its premium are some reasons that homeowners consider it to be an unnecessary expense. While most Indians consider their home to be a significant asset, what most fail to understand is that protecting it with a home insurance policy is a very prudent thing to do. If you are planning to buy affordable coverage for their home, for its contents, or both, read on.
Bharat Griha Raksha Policy is one of the most affordable home insurance policies introduced by the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India). This standard home insurance policy was introduced on 4th January 2021, and the IRDAI made it mandatory for all general insurance companies to offer Bharat Griha Raksha to all their customers from 1st April 2021. Continue reading, to know all about Bharat Griha Raksha Policy coverage and how it helps protect your home.
A home insurance policy has certain limitations, and so, a few conditions remain out of coverage. These are known as the exclusions of the plan. Here are the exclusions of the Bharat Griha Raksha Policy:
1. Any intentional damage or loss to the home or due to wilful negligence
2. Damages or losses due to war
3. Damage to manuscripts, unlisted precious stones, etc.
4. The expense of the claim procedure
5. Damages are caused to electronic items due to short circuits or excessive pressure.
Bharat Griha Raksha policy coverage is not limited to any one type of plan. There are three types of Covers available. As per the need of your home and preferences, you can invest in the most suitable one:
In this type of Bharat Griha Raksha policy, only the structure of the home/building is covered for damages/losses. The insurer will pay you either the cost of repairing the house or compensate you for the losses incurred.
Under a contents-only home insurance policy, the insurance company will cover the expense of repairing the listed contents. It does not cover the structure of the building. This policy is highly recommended for the tenants of a home.
This is a comprehensive plan where the homeowner enjoys coverage for both the home and the valuable contents. All those looking for all-around coverage for the home must consider the structure plus contents coverage.
There are different types of buildings and homes that can be insured under the Bharat Griha Raksha policy. These are:
The flats in apartments can be insured. The owner of flats can ensure the protection of their home by insuring it.
Villas are usually lavish standalone buildings with several amenities around. One can insure villas and ensure their safety.
The individual houses can also be insured under Bharat Griha Raksha.
Bharat Griha Raksha policy is available for everyone, be it a rented house or your own home. Bharat Griha Raksha Policy premium is quite affordable as compared to various other home insurance plans. So, all those people looking to purchase low-premium home insurance can go for Bharat Griha Raksha. The plan also gives you the option to invest in a content-only insurance policy. So, as a renter, you can purchase the plan to secure the valuable contents of your home against calamities, theft, or fire.
The popularity of Bharat Griha Raksha is due to the affordable premium and great benefits it offers. Here are some of the striking features of Bharat Griha Raksha:
Every year thousands of houses are damaged and destroyed across India due to storms and torrential rains. With a policy like BGR, you get cover against such peril to help you reconstruct your home or cover the loss from the damages. Stay protected from the dangers much ahead of time.
Identified as a violent storm accompanied by wind, rain, hail and snow, tempests cause much damage to property and homes in the most destructive way. With BGR you are covered for such damages which will help you recover the damages incurred to your property to a great extent.
Every year India witnesses 2 to 4 topical cyclones or hurricanes impacting the east coast of the country affecting various states along the coastline causing considerable damage to life and property. BGR policy extends its coverage to help overcome the damages from such disasters.
According to the Disaster Management Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, around 365,770 houses were damaged in 2022 due to heavy rainfall and devastating floods. The losses to a common man can be huge. BGR covers damages due to floods to lessen your worries in the aftermath of a flood.
The 2004 tsunami rocked the world with its dance of destruction. Houses across the southern coastlines were washed out leading to an estimated loss of 2000 crores for the nation. BGR extends its coverage to safeguard your home and property from a natural disaster like a tsunami too.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 India was the seventh worst-hit country in 2019 due to extreme weather-related events like floods, earthquakes, etc.? Securing your home with a policy like BGR can lessen your worries if one strikes in your region.
From the year 2019 to 2023 around 10 deadly cyclones have hit various parts of India causing loss of life and property. With a home insurance policy like BGR you can be assured of protection to your home and property due to such a devastating peril.
FForest or bushfires also known as wildfires are uncontrolled fires that spread rapidly through urban or rural areas located near the affected sites causing much damage to life and property. BGR covers the damages caused due to the same to the insured property.
Any damage to your home or property due to man-made hazards like terrorist attacks, strikes, or vandalism is also covered under the BGR policy.
Damage to the insured home due to external activity like falling off a tree, hoarding or a lamp-post is covered under the BGR policy to help one cover the cost of resurrecting the property.
Loss or damage to the property due to water incidents like overflowing/bursting of water tanks and pipes are also covered under the BGR policy to help one deal with the losses due to such unfortunate events.
According to the National Crime Record Bureau, registered cases for offences against property in 2021 for theft were 5,86,649 followed by 97,792 burglaries. BGR policy extends its cover to help one overcome these losses due to theft & burglary as mentioned in the policy.
Bharat Griha Raksha is a long-term plan. Bharat Griha Raksha policy coverage can be continued for as long as 10 years.
Bharat Griha Raksha is not limited to homeowners only. Tenants can also invest in the policy to cover the valuable contents of their rented homes.
The Bharat Griha Raksha policy coverage includes a 20% sum insured (up to INR 10 lakhs) for the contents of the home. In case the listed contents get damaged, the repair cost is borne by the insurer, and if there is a theft, the policyholder receives the agreed compensation amount.
The value of homes keeps increasing due to rising construction costs every year. Hence, the sum insured by the Bharat Griha Raksha policy also increases by 10% every year without you having to increase the Bharat Griha Raksha policy premium.
Sometimes, it may happen that the agreed sum insured (calculated based on information provided by the homeowner) is less than the actual value of the contents or the home structure. In such a case, you need not worry. Your insurer will cover the differences in the amount.
The listed perils can sometimes also affect the lives of the policyholder and people living in the home. In such a case of peril, if the policyholder or his/her spouse dies, compensation of INR 5 lakhs is given to the nominee/family.
You can enjoy additional coverage for various portable and expensive contents of your home, like jewellery, electronics, paintings, etc
There are three types of coverages offered under the Bharat Griha Raksha Policy:
• Building structure
• Valuable contents of the house
• Optional covers for portable contents
One can purchase Bharat Griha Raksha for up to 10 years of the policy period.
No, as holiday homes and lodging do not come under the category of a residence/ home, they cannot be covered under home-building insurance.
No. The Bharat Griha Raksha policy does not have the feature of automatic renewal of the policy. So, to continue services, you must renew the policy before its expiry.
Due to several reasons, the renewal of the Bharat Griha Raksha policy may be rejected:
• Wrong information about the insured building and contents of the home
• Not disclosing the material used in construction.
• Fraudulent activities
• Not cooperating with the insurer.
Anyone who wants to purchase a standard home insurance policy can invest in Bharat Griha Raksha. Tenants can purchase the cover to secure the contents of the house, and homeowners can purchase it to cover either the building structure, contents, or both.
The policy provides a cover of up to Rs. 25 Lakhs for theft/damage to your home contents and a cover of up to Rs. 50 Lakhs for third party liabilities on account of accidents.
The policy cover starts 1 day after purchasing the policy online.
The following events are covered under the policy:
Read this blog on Home Insurance Coverage for detailed information.
The policy does not cover the following:
Yes, you can insure your house even if it is let out for rent. In the case of a house without any contents, you can opt for only building or structure damage cover. On the other hand, if you let out a fully furnished house, you should opt for a comprehensive policy that covers both the structure and the contents of your home in the case of a loss.
Infact even your tenant can opt for a home insurance policy wherein he/she would opt only for contents insurance that covers their belongings. Your home structure and its contents would not be insured under such a plan. In the case of damage or theft, your home might suffer damages for which the tenant would not be liable. A home insurance policy in that case would prove beneficial.
Yes, while this was not the case earlier, but now, insurance companies consider the compound wall to be a part of the building. As per Honourable Supreme Court of India, the term building needs to be read where it includes structures outside of the main structure. These external structures can be garage, stable, shed, hut or another enclosure. So, compound walls are now considered to be covered by home insurance.
The insurance cover starts from the date and time mentioned in the policy under the section of Date of Commencement. You can find the date of commencement in the policy schedule. Keep in mind that your policy will not cover anything before the date of commencement even if you have made full payment of the policy premium. Also, the date of policy expiry will be calculated on its basis.
Yes, you can opt for the coverage of an entire building or society under a home insurance policy. However, policy issued to a housing society/ non-individual dwelling is an annual policy and not a long term policy.
Yes. Deductibles and excess are applicable on the policy as mentioned in the policy document.
Yes. The policy offers discounts of up to 45%, including security discount, salaried discount, intercom discount, long-term discount and more.
An occupied homeowners policy applies to a home in which the owner resides within the house he or she owns. The cover in this case is applicable to both the house and its contents. A non-owner occupied policy applies to a case where the owner has bought the property for the purpose of rental income. In this case the cover applies only to the contents of the house.
The company is not bound by any assignment of this insurance without prior consent.
Yes. The policy offers several add-ons such as portable electronics cover, jewellery and valuables cover, terrorism cover, pedal bicycle cover, etc. Read this blog on Add-on Covers under Home Insurance.
Once the property that has been insured is sold by the policyholder, the said policyholder ceases to hold any more insurable interest in the policy. As a result, the policy also ceases to be able to provide any protection to the policyholder. The new homeowner is required to get a new home insurance policy from an insurer. The original policyholder should inform the insurer about the sale for policy cancellation. Read this blog to know more on the importance of Home Insurance while selling the house.
Yes, you can take home insurance from two companies. However, you should disclose the existing policy in the proposal form when you buy the second plan. Moreover, in the case of a claim, if you make a claim in both the plans, you would have to inform each insurance company about making the claim in another policy.
You would need to submit a duly signed claim form, along with relevant documents attesting theft of or damage to your insured property. In case of theft, a copy of the FIR would be required.
There are two methods of assessment used:
1. New for Old Basis: The item damaged beyond repair is replaced with a new one or the insurer pays the cost in full of the item irrespective of its age, subject to the maximum sum assured.
2. Indemnity Basis: Sum insured will be equal to the cost of replacement of the property with one of the same kind and same capacity minus the cost of depreciation.
You can make a claim either of these three modes:
Please check out this blog , for more information.
To check your policy claim status follow these simple steps:
Your policy details will be displayed to you.
The claim amount is either transferred through NEFT/RTGS directly to your bank account linked with the policy or via a cheque.
A FIR might be necessary for home insurance claims, particularly in case of impact damage like a vehicle ramming into the building, cases of damage caused in riots, strikes, malicious events, theft, burglary or the house being broken into. Generally, the home contents that are damaged or lost in such cases, as well as the damage caused to the home building, will be covered within the limits of repair costs.
Yes, you can make a claim on your partially damaged home. The procedure for making a claim would be as follows –
• Call HDFC ERGO’s helpline number 022–62346234 or send an email to the customer service department at care@hdfcergo.com. This would get your claim registered with the insurance company
• Once the claim is registered, the claiming team of HDFC ERGO would guide you with the steps to get your claim settled.
• You would have to submit the following documents for claim settlement –
1. Photographs
2. Policy or underwriting documents
3. Claim form
4. Repair or replacement invoices with their receipts
5. Logbook or asset register the capitalized item list wherever applicable
6. All the valid certificates as applicable
7. Police FIR ,if applicable
After the documents are submitted, HDFC ERGO would verify the claim and settle it at the earliest.
Yes the policy can be renewed on expiration. Follow these simple steps:
1. Log on to https://www.hdfcergo.com/renew-hdfc-ergo-policy 2. Enter your policy number/mobile number/email ID. 3. Check your policy details. 4. Make a quick online payment through your preferred mode of payment.
And that’s it. You’re done!
Renewing an existing HDFC ERGO policy is simple and hassle free. Simply provide your policy number along with the documents of your residential property and you are done.
You can renew the policy for any duration between 1 year to 5 years.
In case you have made renovations or added contents to the house that have significantly increased the value of your property, you might want an increased coverage to secure the same. In such a case the amount of premium would go up. However if you do not want to increase the coverage, you can renew the policy with the old premium.
To arrive at a property valuation, the built up area of the property is multiplied by the cost of construction.