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Smarter business insurance

Strip Mall Insurance.
One Property, Multiple Tenants, One Policy.

Cover for neighbourhood shops, retail complexes, and local shopping centres across Australia.

Member

Steadfast Group

$50M+

Protected

Zero

Call Centres

Recognition

Industry Awards

Introduction

Owning a small retail complex or neighbourhood shopping centre comes with risks that standard policies aren't built for.

Multiple tenants, different business types, shared common areas, and exposure that sits somewhere between a single commercial property and a large managed shopping centre.

If you've got a butcher, a café, and a hairdresser all under one roof, you need cover that accounts for varying fire risks, public access, and tenant mix without forcing you into an expensive strata-style policy.

Owning a small retail complex or neighbourhood shopping centre comes with risks that standard policies aren't built for.

What We Cover

Building a Protection Program

We arrange cover for owners of small retail properties, neighbourhood shopping centres, and mixed-use buildings. This includes:

Building and contents

Fire, storm, vandalism, theft, and malicious damage to the structure and owner-held fixtures

Signage and outdoor areas

Cover for signs, landscaping, and external fixtures

Flood endorsements

Available for properties in flood-prone areas (subject to underwriter appetite)

Public liability

Cover for injuries or property damage in common areas like carparks, walkways, and loading zones

Rental income protection

Lost rent if your property is damaged and tenants can't operate

Tenant default cover

Optional protection if a tenant causes damage beyond their bond
Navigating the Appetite Gap

Why Strip Malls Are Hard to Insure

Navigating the Appetite Gap

Small retail properties fall into an awkward spot. Too complex for standard commercial property policies, not big enough for full ISR (Industrial Special Risks) cover used by large shopping centres.

Common reasons insurers decline:

01

Tenant mix

Food preparation, deep fryers, and extraction systems increase fire risk. Some insurers won't quote if there's a café or takeaway on-site.

02

Mixed-use buildings

Residential upstairs, retail downstairs. Doesn't fit neatly into commercial or residential appetite.

03

Building age and construction

Older buildings, fibro, original wiring, heritage listings all make placement harder.

04

Fire protection gaps

No sprinklers, unmonitored alarms, or poor fire separation between tenancies.

05

Flood zones

Properties in flood-prone postcodes get knocked back by most mainstream insurers.

Case Studies

How We Place Difficult Risks

If you've been knocked back or quoted premiums that don't make sense, there are options. It takes knowing which underwriters will actually consider the risk.

What We Need to Quote

Streamlining the Quote Process

To get accurate quotes from the right underwriters, we need:

Abstract engineering detail

Age and construction type (brick, fibro, weatherboard, concrete); Roof material and rewiring date; Total building sum insured

Business types on-site; Percentage split between retail, office, food, and residential

Sprinklers, alarms (monitored or local), extinguishers; Fire doors and separation between tenancies

Claims history (last five years); Flood zone, bushfire zone, or coastal exposure

Are tenants required to hold their own insurance? Liability and property cover requirements in tenancy agreements

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but most mainstream insurers decline mixed-use. We work with specialist underwriters like Axis, Pen, About, and Ocean who consider these risks with detailed information about tenant splits, construction, and fire protection.
Flood cover is available but fewer insurers offer it. Some quote with a flood exclusion, others won't quote at all. We've placed properties in high flood risk areas through specialist referrals. If flood cover is essential, tell us upfront.
Yes. Your policy covers the building and your liability as property owner. Tenants need their own cover for stock, fit-out, public liability, and damage they cause. Your lease should require tenants to hold adequate insurance and name you as an interested party.
Common with these properties. Declinations usually come down to tenant type, building age, or location. We access different markets and specialist underwriters who price these risks differently. Send through what you've been declined for and we'll see what we can place.
Depends on building value, tenant mix, age, construction, and location. Properties with food tenancies and older buildings generally cost more. Get in touch for a quote based on your specific property.
Yes, but notify your insurer. A higher-risk tenant (e.g., replacing a florist with a café) may increase your premium. Some insurers won't cover certain occupations, so check before signing a new lease.

Get the Right Cover for Your Local Shopping Centre

We work with property owners Australia-wide. If you've been knocked back, told it's too hard, or you're paying more than you should, get in touch.

Call us on 02 9000 1155 or request a quote online.

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