16/04/2026
We’ve outlined each step of the claim process so you know what to expect if you need to make a claim after a storm or flood for damage to your home and land.
Storms and flooding can damage both your home and your land. It’s helpful to understand how these types of claims differ from other home claims:
- If your home is damaged during a storm or flood, this may be covered by your private home insurance policy.
- If your land is also affected by the same event, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC) may provide cover for the damage to your land, if it falls within the terms and limitations of Natural Hazards Cover (NHCover). NHC may also provide cover for imminent damage, which is damage that hasn’t happened yet, but is more likely than not to happen in the 12 months following the natural hazard event. Loss or damage to your home that has been determined by NHC as imminent damage under the new Act, will not be covered by your Home Insurance Policy.
If you need to make a claim after a natural hazard event (earthquake, natural landslide, volcanic activity, tsunami, and hydrothermal activity), you can find out more about how your claim might be managed on our blog.
How do I get covered by NHCover?
If you have private home insurance, you’ll automatically pay the Natural Hazards Insurance levy as part of your insurance premium and, therefore, gain NHCover for your land in the event of a storm or flood.
If, like AA Insurance, your insurance provider is part of the partnership with the Natural Hazards Insurance Commission (NHC), your land claim will be managed by your insurer on behalf of the NHC. They will assess, manage and settle your entire claim – including the NHCover portion of it – on behalf of the NHC and be your point of contact during the entire claims process.
What to do after an event
- Assess the situation: stay calm and make sure you and everyone else at the scene are out of danger. Only return home if it’s safe to do so. Take care of your safety first, then, if you can do it safely, check to see what damage has occurred.
- Lodge your claim:
- Online: visit aainsurance.co.nz/claims. We aim to be in touch within two working days (timeframes may be longer during major events).
- By phone: if your claim is urgent, call us on 0800 500 216.
- Keep records: take photos of all damage and repairs and keep all receipts for any repairs you’ve completed. This helps us assess your claim and confirm what costs we can reimburse under your policy.
The claims journey with AA Insurance
Home insurance claims can be complex. The claims journey detailed below is an indication of how your home claim will be handled if you’re a customer with us, but please bear in mind that each claim is unique.
- Once you lodge your claim, you’ll be given a claim number. If you made your claim online, we’ll get in touch with you and take you through the next steps in the claims process. If you made your claim over the phone, you’ll be taken through the next steps on the call. A Customer Manager will be appointed to your claim and keep you informed throughout the process.
- If your home becomes uninhabitable as a result of an event covered by your policy, we’ll cover the reasonable costs of temporary accommodation for you, your family and even your domestic pets while your home is being assessed, repaired or rebuilt, subject to the limits, terms and conditions of your policy. The meaning of ‘uninhabitable’ can vary depending on your policy and the circumstances. Your Customer Manager will confirm what applies. Find out more in the ‘Standard benefits – cover automatically included’ section of your policy document.
- If you have a contents policy with us and your items were also damaged or destroyed in the same event, you’ll generally only need to pay one excess per event under our ‘one event, one excess’ benefit. An excess is your contribution towards the cost of the claim(s) and your insurer pays the rest. Other excesses may apply for the NHCover portion of your claim – see below for further details.
- The assessment and settlement process will vary depending on the damage. Your Customer Manager may appoint an assessor or a builder or they may ask you to provide more information about the damage.
- If your property has suffered land damage during the storm or flood, cover for eligible land damage is provided by the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC). We'll help manage the claim process on NHC’s behalf. We’ll likely organise for an assessor to visit your property and put together an assessment report. Following this, an assessment from a registered valuer and geotechnical engineer may be required. They’ll help us to determine the cost of repairs and will provide us with a valuation report.
- Once we've completed all assessments, and reviewed any required reports or quotes, we’ll be in touch to explain the next steps. It’s important to note that any cover for land will be provided by the NHC; your insurance provider will be acting on their behalf.
How will my claim be settled?
For damage to your home: depending on the result of the assessments, your home will be repaired, rebuilt or settled in cash by your insurance provider, following the usual home claims process. If you’re a customer with AA Insurance, you may qualify for our replacement cover. Our replacement cover allows for full repair, rebuilding or replacement of the damaged portion of your home to the reinstatement condition, regardless of the sum insured, provided you’ve taken steps to set an accurate sum insured and size of your home before the loss. You can find out more about replacement cover on our blog.
For damage to your land: NHCover also provides limited cover for certain areas of land under and around your home, and for some bridges, culverts and retaining walls. It's important to note that there are certain limits and conditions which apply to this cover and that not all land is covered - find out more about the residential land that is covered on the NHC’s website.
Claims paid under NHCover are generally cash settled. Find out more on the NHC website.
What excesses apply in an NHCover claim?
An excess is the amount you pay when you make a claim on your insurance policy.
The NHCover excess applied for land claims is 10% of the land settlement amount with a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $5,000.
If the damages occur on or after July 1st 2024, the flat rate excess of $500 (per dwelling) will be applied.
When should I make a claim?
The sooner you get in touch, the sooner your insurer can help. Your insurance provider may need your policy number or personal details to locate your relevant policy. If you’re insured with us, start your claim online or give us a call on 0800 500 216 when you’re ready.
I’ve made a claim. What’s next?
In a large-scale event, all claims where immediate help is required, such as emergency repairs and accommodation, are prioritised. When you lodge your claim, we’ll ask you for any additional information we may need to progress your claim and take you through the next steps. Once you’ve lodged a claim, there’s nothing more you need to do.
In some large-scale events, claims for certain types of damage or replacements for certain items could take longer than expected.
What steps should I take to arrange emergency repairs and start clean up?
Strip-out and drying your home: if your home has been affected by water damage, only take steps that are safe and appropriate for your situation. Please follow advice from emergency services and Civil Defence in your area, and only enter or begin clean-up if authorities say it’s safe. Once it’s safe to do so, acting quickly helps prevent further damage. Here’s how to get started:
- Contact us: if it’s safe and practical, please get in touch before starting any emergency or temporary repairs. This helps ensure the work and costs are reasonable and determine what’s covered by your policy.
- Keep records: if urgent work is needed to prevent further damage, go ahead and take photos of any damage and repairs and keep all receipts. This helps us assess your claim and confirm what costs we can reimburse under your policy.
- Cleaning and drying services: we can help arrange restoration specialists and builders where available to assist with cleaning, drying, and stripping out damaged materials to help restore your home. Contact us for details.
Make-safe repairs: make-safe repairs are temporary actions to prevent further damage (for example, arranging for broken windows to be secured). Only do what is safe and consider using a qualified tradesperson. Please follow advice from emergency services and Civil Defence in your area.
We're here to help
If you have questions about the claims process or want to talk about your policy, we’re here to help. Visit aainsurance.co.nz/contact for ways to get in touch.
If you’re looking for further information about our claims process or would like to find out more on simplifying insurance, check out our other blogs.
We experience a wide variety of weather events and natural hazards in New Zealand. While we can’t prevent these events from happening, being prepared can make a big difference. We've shared more resources to help you know what to do before, during and after an event on our website.
Any questions?
Now’s a great time to review your insurance. We recommend checking your details are up to date and ensuring the policy and cover you’ve chosen is right for you and your insurance needs.
If you have any questions about your insurance, need to update your AA Insurance policies or would like a quote, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can find our opening hours and ways to get in touch with us on our contact page.
This blog provides general information only and is not intended to be a recommendation or personalised financial advice. Excesses, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply to AA Insurance Limited’s policies. Please check the policy wording and your policy schedule for details of cover. The provision of cover is subject to the underwriting criteria that apply at the time.
