Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for
Home Care Plus Insurance Plan

Updated: 24 June 2022

  1. Are all property types accepted for application?
    In general, all buildings aged 60 years or below can be insured. For buildings over 60 years old, due to structural problems in the building (including known or suspected nature), detached houses or "village houses" or similar houses, please call QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited (QBE Hong Kong) Customer Service Hotline during office hours +852 2828 3138 to enquire whether insurance will be accepted. If the unit gross area exceeds 5,000 square feet (with a saleable area exceeding 3,900 square feet), the premium shall be considered individually by QBE (Hong Kong).
  2. If the building property is damaged due to water leakage in the water meter room, is the legal liability covered by the policy?
    Generally speaking, the water meter room belongs to the public area of the building, and most buildings have property insurance to protect public property and facilities. If the individual water pipes in the water meter room belong to the insured property, the legal liability claims issue is generally handled under Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit, in the event that the water leakage causes damage to the property of the building.
    Policyholders should submit a QBE claim declaration online through QBE "eClaims", and our claims department will handle it according to the policy terms. Policyholders are reminded not to admit any liability or make any offer to third parties.
  3. If the property of the building or other units is damaged due to the bursting of the water pipe in the house. Is the legal liability covered by the policy?
    The legal liability arising from the property damage of buildings or other units caused by an accidental bursting of pipes in the house can generally be handled under the Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit. (Please refer to Q2 for claim details)
  4. If the property of the building or other units suffer damages as a result of the bursting of pipes outside the house? Is the legal liability covered by the policy?
    Generally speaking, if the water pipes outside the house belong to the insured property, and the policyholder is held liable to the relevant incident, it can generally be handled under the global personal liability coverage. (Please refer to Q2 for claim details)
  5. Is there any protection for the insured residence for accidental damages to windows caused by water pipe bursting on exterior wall or typhoon? If the above said windows have been replaced in the past, will there be a difference in coverage?
    If exterior wall water pipes bursting or typhoon / windstorms cause accidental damages to the windows of the insured residence, resulting in gaps in windows that allow water or rainwater to enter the property and cause damage to the home contents, the damage will be covered by the household contents benefits. The maximum claim amount per occurrence is HK$500,000 of Plan A or HK$1,000,000 of Plan B.
    If a window is damaged by a typhoon/windstorm, resulting in injury to passers-by, the global personal liability protection of "Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan" provides up to HK$10 million for the insured or his family members to be legally liable due to the relevant accident.
    It should be noted, however, that according to the exclusions in Section 1 of the "Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan”, QBE Hong Kong will not cover property damages caused by water seepage from external walls or windowsills due to disrepair or structural defects.
    As for damaged windows, no claims will be paid whether or not they have been replaced in the past; claims for damage to the windows itself is limited to the replacement of damaged windows after a burglary, theft or any attempted burglary incident in the home, with reasonable expenses required.
    Since the pipe is a structural part of the building and damage due to wear and tear, no claims will be paid for any damage to the pipe itself. The cost of repairing the pipes should be paid by the policyholder.
  6. If a pet accidentally bites a passer-by, is the legal liability covered?
    If you take your pet out for a walk and it loses control, resulting in death or bodily injured a passerby, the " Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit" in the " Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan” covers the potential liability with a limit up to HK$10,000,000 per year.
  7. Are the household contents of premises that the insured and family members own, live in or rent covered?
    According to the terms and conditions - Household Contents Stored Outside the Home, only apply to the insured's household contents stored, in the workplace or any other premises owned, occupied or leased by the Insured and family members within Hong Kong, the maximum limit is 10% of sum insured of Household Contents, subject to specified risk clause coverage.
  8. Does "Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit" protect the policyholder against third-party losses caused by accidents? (e.g., in a retail shop)
    The Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit of “Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan” provides coverage up to HKD 10 million for the policyholder or his family members who are legally liable for accidents, including accidental incidents such as objects falling from height caused by negligence, and damage to shop property. Please report the incident to our Claims Department under the Worldwide Personal Liability Benefit Cover, and our Claims Department will handle it in accordance with the terms of the policy. Policyholders are reminded not to admit any liability or make any offer to third parties.
  9. Does the Personal Accident Benefit only cover accidents that occur inside the house? Are accidents that occur outside the house also covered?
    Personal Accident Benefit protects the insured and/or the family members who live with them in the insured property directly resulting in death or permanent total disability due to an accident such as an explosion, fire, theft or burglary in the insured property.
  10. Does “Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan” provide protection for building structure?
    No. “Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan” only provides comprehensive protection for household contents (furniture, decoration, electrical appliances and personal belongings, etc.), excluding building structure, and fixtures & fittings provided by the developer decoration parts, such as floors, walls, doors and bathroom sanitary ware. The building structure is usually covered under the Fire Insurance Plan. You can call the QBE Hong Kong Customer Service Hotline at +852 2828 3138 during office hours for a free quote.
  11. If I don't have fire insurance, how can I protect (1) the fixtures and fittings provided by the developer and (2) the decoration of myself or the previous tenant?
    “Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan” can protect you or the former tenant's decoration. If you want to protect the fixtures and fittings provided by the developer, you can choose to add additional "Developer’s Fixtures and Fittings" when you apply for “Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan". You only have to pay extra HKD30 per month to enjoy this additional all-risk protection, which covers the damage to the fixtures and fittings provided by the developer due to accidents. The developer's fixtures and fittings are limited to floors, skirtings, wall and ceiling paint, wall tiles, iron gates, doors, door frames, kitchen facilities, bathroom facilities and toilet facilities.
  12. If the property has been uninhabited for a long time or the occupant is currently traveling, can a claim be made after accidental damage?
    If the home is unoccupied for 30 consecutive days or above, no claims will be payable for the loss of household contents, unless the loss is caused by fire, flood, lightning, explosion, earthquake or typhoon.
    However, if the insured or his/her family members successfully apply for the “Travelsure Protection Plan” (including Single Trip Cover/Annual Global Cover/Annual China Cover) during the “Homecare Plus Home Insurance” period of insurance, the coverage period for Household contents will automatically extend to the entire journey (up to 180 days for a single trip, and up to 60 days for an annual global coverage/annual China coverage).
  13. What should I do in the event of a home accident?
    You can call the 24-hour home and claim assistance hotline services +852 2537 3896 to get instant free referral services such as water and electrical repair and emergency medical etc., so that you can get repairs and rescue services as soon as possible.
  14. Does the "Worldwide Personal Liability Benefits" cover third-party losses caused by the insured's properties including rooftops or gardens?
    If the insured address does not include the rooftop or garden, the liability for death, injury or property damage to a third party due to the negligence of the insured or his family is not covered. Therefore, the insured must clearly include the rooftop and garden items in the insured address in order to get the cover under the "Worldwide Personal Liability Benefits ".
  15. What does “frozen food” refer to?
    Frozen food refers to food that is stated on the food label of prepackaged food to be stored at -18 degrees Celsius or below.
  16. When the policy expires, do I need to arrange for renewal?
    No, your policy will be automatically renewed each year.
  17. Can I purchase "Homecare Plus Home Insurance Plan " for my rental property? How is the coverage?
    Yes. However, the coverage only includes the owner's home contents within the insured address, loss of alternative accommodation/rental, replacement of doors and windows, door locks and keys due to home burglary or theft, and worldwide personal liability coverage (for outbound travel not exceeding 30 days limit).
  18. Can I claim both alternative accommodation and rental loss for my rental property in the same accident?
    No, you can only claim either alternative accommodation or loss of rent for your rental property.
  19. What if I want to file a claim?
    You can submit it online through QBE eClaims.
  20. What is the process after I submit a home insurance claim through the QBE E-claims?
    You will receive a claim confirmation email with a claim reference number assigned to your case. If your claim relates to damage to home building structure (such as ceiling and floor) and choose QBE Hong Kong panel contractor for repair, the adjuster will contact you within 4 working hours after your claim submission to arrange an onsite visit with panel contractor to inspect the extent of damage and evaluate repair costs.
    Upon completion of surveying, the adjuster will assess the claim as soon as possible. After passing it onto QBE Hong Kong claims team for approval, loss adjuster will advise you the assessment result shortly. You only need to pay whatever is not covered under the policy instead of paying the whole bill and pending for the reimbursement from the insurance company according to the coverage of the policy.
    Upon your confirmation of all the details and information, our panel contractor will proceed with the repair work after your confirmation. Once the repair work is completed, you will be asked to sign a form of satisfaction and pay the excess/ uncovered items under the policy (if any).

The above is intended only as a general summary. Please refer to the policy for detailed terms and conditions and exclusions.

The above general insurance plan (“Plan”) is underwritten by QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited which is authorised and regulated in Hong Kong by the Insurance Authority. Hang Seng Bank Limited (“Hang Seng Bank”) is an insurance agent authorised by QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited for the distribution of this Plan. Premiums will be payable to QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited upon enrolment of this Plan. QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited would provide Hang Seng Bank commission and performance bonus as remuneration for distribution of this Plan. The existing staff remuneration policy on sales offered by Hang Seng Bank takes into account various aspects of the staff performance instead of focusing solely on the sales amount.

In respect of an eligible dispute arising between the Hang Seng Bank and the customer out of the selling process or processing of the related transaction, Hang Seng Bank is required to enter into a Financial Dispute Resolution Scheme process with the customer; however any dispute over the contractual terms of the product should be resolved directly between QBE General Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited and the customer.