cohabit insuranceSmarter insurance for your strata building.
The Uninhabitable Strata
When every insurer says no, better building intelligence changes the conversation.
The Brief
Secure insurance for an eight-unit apartment building rendered uninhabitable following a gas bottle explosion, with an open insurance claim, extensive structural damage, and virtually no market appetite.
The Challenge
- Eight-unit residential apartment building
- Uninhabitable following a major gas explosion
- Insurance claim remained open more than three years later
- Elevated fire and arson risk
- Renewal declined by the incumbent insurer
- Owners sought help only one month before their policy expired
The Stakes
With the incumbent insurer declining renewal and specialist markets unwilling to participate, the owners corporation faced the prospect of losing insurance altogether while critical reinstatement works remained incomplete.
The Cohabit Approach
Rather than accepting the market’s assessment, Cohabit rebuilt the submission around evidence instead of uncertainty.
- Engaged directly with specialist London Markets and hard-to-place insurers
- Compiled detailed claims, engineering and reinstatement documentation
- Presented a clear roadmap for rectification and risk reduction
- Negotiated directly with underwriters using independently verified evidence
- Secured comprehensive building cover despite an exceptionally complex risk profile
The Outcome
- Insurance secured after widespread market rejection
- 27.7% reduction in premium versus the previous year
- Almost $40K negotiated off the insurer’s initial renewal terms
- $2.58M building insured at updated replacement value
- 10+ insurers unwilling or unable to participate
Why It Matters
When insurers see uncertainty, they price risk conservatively or walk away.
Cohabit replaces uncertainty with evidence, giving underwriters the confidence to make better decisions.
