If you rent an Australian shop, do not assume either the landlord’s building insurance or your own business contents policy will pay for a broken shopfront. First identify the particular pane and your responsibilities under the lease. Then ask your insurer whether the accepted policy includes the relevant glass cover and what replacement work it would consider. A lease obligation and an insured benefit are different things.
This is general information for Australian readers, not personal financial advice. Cover depends on your policy wording, schedule, endorsements and any applicable PDS. Lease interpretation may require independent legal advice; this checklist does not determine who is legally liable.
Separate the shop window from the stock behind it
A damaged window and damaged merchandise can belong to different insurance questions, even when one incident causes both losses. On its small business insurance page, AAMI describes contents and stock cover for fixed premises and lists Glass separately under extra cover. Its Glass summary refers to internal or external glass and sanitary fittings at the premises, with examples including windows, signs and showcases.
That is a provider-specific summary, not evidence that every package includes every glazed item. It does demonstrate why asking only whether you have business insurance is too broad. Check the purchased section rather than inferring glass protection from a contents sum insured or a public liability certificate.
Build a pane-by-pane responsibility record
Walk through the premises safely before renewal or moving in. Photograph each substantial glazed area from a safe position and label its location. Keep existing damage separate from undamaged items. Do not touch cracked glass to measure it.
- Identify street-facing panes, entrance doors, internal partitions, display cabinets and glazed signage separately.
- Record whether the item belongs to you, the landlord or another party, where known.
- Find the lease clauses dealing with glass, maintenance, insurance and alterations.
- Ask the landlord or property manager to clarify uncertain responsibilities in writing.
- Give the insurer the actual item description and location, not just the phrase shop window.
If the lease and policy use different terms, ask each relevant party to explain its own document. An insurer’s acceptance of an item does not amend the lease; a landlord’s instruction does not expand insurance cover.
Ask about the full replacement job, not just the pane
Request an itemised estimate showing the glass, labour and any related work. Ask the insurer how it treats boarding-up, disposal, access equipment, signage, frames and any required replacement specification. These are questions to resolve, not benefits you should assume are included.
For example, imagine a florist renting a street-level shop with a large front pane and a separate illuminated sign. The glazier’s proposed job includes the pane, temporary protection and work on a damaged frame. Listing all three costs does not make all three payable under glass cover. Send the itemised scope and ask which lines are accepted, which require another section and which remain your responsibility. Do not order elective upgrades assuming the insurer will meet the difference.
Also request the applicable excess, limit and any conditions affecting the item. Compare the estimated contribution with your likely uninsured costs without treating an early estimate as a settlement promise.
Keep emergency safety work separate from repair approval
If glass breaks, protect people first. Keep customers away, contact emergency help where needed and arrange appropriate professional assistance. When practical, ask the insurer about urgent protective work and evidence requirements before authorising it. Do not leave an immediate hazard in place while waiting for administration.
Retain dated photographs, the incident account, quotes and invoices. Tell the insurer what has already been made safe and what permanent work is proposed. A claim reference or uploaded quote confirms an administrative step; it does not establish that replacement has been authorised or that every invoice line will be paid.
Questions to close before relying on cover
- Does the schedule identify the correct insured business and premises?
- Is the relevant glass section actually included and effective?
- Has the insurer accepted the particular window, sign or showcase description?
- What excess, limits, exclusions and approval requirements apply?
- Who approves permanent work, and what written confirmation should you retain?
Does the landlord having insurance settle the issue? No. Establish the landlord’s position, your lease responsibilities and your own policy response separately rather than assuming one document answers all three.
Is a certificate enough? It is not a substitute for checking the insured sections and wording. For the administrative checks before sharing one, see what to check on a business insurance certificate of currency. Keep the certificate alongside the fuller policy records and the insurer’s item-specific response.
