Photo: ScheWo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Home and property insurance in Malawi
Home insurance in Malawi
Buildings, contents and householders' cover
Short answerChecked 31 October 2026
Home insurance in Malawi falls in the fire — domestic class of the Registrar's Classes of Insurance Business Directive, 2017, with three sub-classes: buildings, householders (contents) and comprehensive package covers. Fire cover pays for loss or damage to property from fire, explosion, storm and the other risks customarily in fire policies; burglary and all risks cover are separate sub-classes. It is voluntary, sold by the 8 licensed general insurers, though a lender usually requires buildings cover on a mortgaged house.
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Get the free PDFWhat a home policy can cover
| Cover | Class in the Directive | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings | Fire — domestic | Damage to the house by fire, explosion, storm and the other perils the policy lists |
| Householders (contents) | Fire — domestic | Furniture and belongings in the house, for the same perils |
| Comprehensive package | Fire — domestic | Buildings and contents together, as the policy defines |
| Burglary | Miscellaneous | Theft involving forced entry, as defined in the policy |
| All risks | Miscellaneous | Named valuables, in and outside the home |
| Public liability | Liability | Your liability to other people, for example a visitor injured on your property |
Classes and definitions from the Classes of Insurance Business Directive, 2017. Which perils a policy covers is in its wording: ask for the key facts statement (Disclosure Directive 2018).
Before you buy and when you claim
- Insure for the cost of rebuilding, not the market price of the plot, and list valuable items.
- Check the excess, the exclusions (for example floods, unoccupied periods) and the security conditions for burglary cover.
- Claims: the insurer must acknowledge within 5 working days and present the discharge within 7 working days of receiving the documents — see insurance claims.
Licensed general insurers: the Registrar's list.
Already insured?
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Frequently asked questions
Is home insurance compulsory in Malawi?
No law requires it, but a bank lending on a house usually requires buildings cover as a condition of the loan.
Does home insurance cover theft?
Only if the policy includes burglary (or all risks) cover, which are separate sub-classes from the fire cover on buildings and contents.
Sources
- Insurance (Classes of Insurance Business) Directive, 2017 — Government Notice No. 43, Gazette of 11 August 2017
- Financial Services (Disclosure Requirements for Insurance Services) Directive, 2018 — Government Notice No. 42, Gazette of 5 July 2018
- Insurance (Claims Management) Directive, 2014 — Government Notice No. 25, Malawi Gazette Supplement of 15 August 2014
- Registrar of Financial Institutions — Press release: list of licensed, registered and supervised financial institutions as at 30 June 2026 (published 28 October 2026)