Commercial Legal Expenses

Insurance

Avoid costly legal battles. CLE Insurance covers disputes with tenants, contractors and regulators, plus provides access to legal advice when you need it most.

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Commercial Legal Expenses Insurance for Landlords

Protect your commercial property from costly legal disputes. CLE Insurance covers lease disputes, debt recovery, regulatory investigations, contract disagreements, and provides access to legal advice when you need it most. Coverage is subject to policy terms, limits, and insurer consent, including per-claim limits and excesses.

Why CLE Insurance Matters
CLE Insurance safeguards commercial landlords against legal costs arising from property management disputes. Common scenarios include unpaid rent, lease disagreements, contractor disputes, ATO audits, and employment disputes with staff. Optional endorsements may cover tenant nuisance claims, statutory notices, or international disputes (subject to policy terms).

CLE Insurance is not a substitute for general liability, professional indemnity, or management liability insurance, but complements these by covering legal costs they do not. Coverage typically applies within Australia, unless specifically endorsed.

Please refer to the Insurer’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or Policy Wording when deciding if this product is right for you.

Disclaimer: Coverage under Commercial Legal Expenses (CLE) Insurance is subject to the full policy wording, terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions. Not all disputes or legal costs may be covered. Please review the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before purchasing.

Building Insurance vs. Commercial Legal Expenses (CLE) Insurance for Commercial Landlords

Building Insurance protects the physical property but does not cover legal disputes.

Building Insurance typically covers: 

  • Damage from insured events
  • Glass breakage
  • Loss of rent due to property damage
  • Public Liability for injuries on-site

Building Insurance does not cover:

  • Lease or contract disputes with tenants
  • Unpaid rent or bond recovery
  • Eviction or tenancy enforcement
  • Disputes with contractors or suppliers
  • Regulatory investigations or notices
  • ATO audits (excluding fines or penalties)
  • Employment disputes (if staff are employed, subject to policy terms)
  • General legal advice

CLE Insurance covers: 

  • Lease disputes and access/repair disagreements
  • Debt recovery, including unpaid rent (e.g., recovering non-paying tenant rent)
  • Contract disputes with tenants, trades, or service providers
  • ATO audit costs (excluding fines or penalties)
  • Employment disputes (if staff are employed and subject to policy terms)
  • Regulatory investigations
  • Legal advice hotline for day-to-day questions

CLE coverage is subject to insurer consent, policy limits, and terms. It helps landlords reduce upfront legal costs, resolve disputes efficiently, and access proactive legal advice.

In Summary

Building Insurance protects your property.

CLE Insurance protects your legal risks.

Together, they provide comprehensive protection for commercial landlords, helping you manage lease disputes, debt recovery, and legal challenges with confidence.

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Hear Directly from Our Clients

Don’t take our word for it, see what other business owners and clients have to say.

Wouldn't go anywhere else! We have been in the building industry for over forty years and have used other companies to handle our insurances and it was a nightmare. CGIB has been responsive, efficient and pleasure to do business with. They have handled our claims in a speedy manner and stayed on top of things, sending ME friendly reminders to help me stay on top of things. We have been with them for what could be over 15 years and highly recommend them.
Very easy to work with. Nothing a problem Caroline exception to deal with always obliging.
We have used CGIB for many years. Caroline is very easy to deal with. Communication is always punctual & polite.
Thank you, CGIB has been an easy company to work with and was able to find me a competitive insurance offering.
Very knowledgeable and helpful. My hat off to Sarah and the team. So friendly and she goes out of her way to help as much as possible.
Our family has been working with Joe and his team for over 15 years and we couldn’t be happier with the service. From day one, they’ve been hardworking, trustworthy, and genuinely committed to looking after our needs. What really sets them apart is how they stay on top of current insurance developments and proactively keep us informed. Joe and his team take the time to understand our situation and always provide clear, honest guidance. They’re not just our insurance brokers—they’re trusted advisors we rely on completely. We can’t recommend CGIB highly enough.
Efficient and wonderful service and experience. Thank you Andrea
Once again Caroline has been amazing to deal with, her experience and knowledge is second to none, I would not insure with anyone else.
Caroline Cori at CGIB has provided excellent service over many years. I particularly appreciate her thorough approach in making sure the insurance cover is genuinely suited to my needs, not just off-the-shelf, while also getting me a great price.
Caroline Cori has been absolutely fantastic to deal with, she has always been prompt, professional and knowledgeable with her responses and feedback. Highly recommend to any individual or Business seeking insurance advice!

Key Notes:

  • Fines & penalties: Not covered—only legal costs
  • Pre-existing disputes: Excluded
  • International disputes: Usually excluded unless endorsed
  • Consent: Insurer approval required before appointing lawyers or incurring major legal costs

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