We have just accepted our first sit overseas in Australia, and have been offerred the use of the owner’s car which we would like to accept. The owners have said they can put us on their insurance.
Coming from the UK where car insurance is hugely expensive and inflexible- how does this work?? We would obviously pay any additional costs, and know we need an international driving permit as we plan to hire a car at other times on the trip.
What are other UK travellers experiences?
Congratulations @heljanejo on being accepted for your first overseas sit in Australia. Car insurance is different here as it is the car that gets insured and not the drivers. It is a simple process for your Australian owners to add you to their insurance policy without it costing anything.
I only wish it was reciprocated when I sit in the UK!
Enjoy being in our country!
I don’t think it’s as complicated as the UK as I have been added to car insurance over there. The HO here will probably put you on their policy as “a listed driver” and that doesn’t affect their premium if you qualify in regards age, driving history and no previous claims in the past five years.
Bear in mind that we have six States here and each one has different policies etc What I could tell you for Queensland for example would be different to Victoria and Victoria would be different to New South Wales. Each state has different terms and conditions but what I have said is pretty accurate across the board.
If you are a named driver on their policy and you have an AT FAULT accident, you would pay the excess which could be anything between $AUD250 and $AUD1,000. If the accident is you being NOT at fault, and you can provide the name and address and details from the at fault party, you pay no excess at all. It’s very straightforward and I would imagine this is what the HO is going to do, put you on the policy as a named driver.
But again, each State has different policies but it’s nowhere as hard as the UK. Snap, @Temba! I sent this same time you sent yours lol
Really simple process, took about 5 min but we had to pay about $100 AUD for 3 months for 2 drivers. The insurance was through Coles Supermarkets and the vehicle was registered in QLD.
Hi @heljanejo
I’m from the UK and have been housesitting in NZ and Australia for nearly a year. Most of the owners have left me their car to use and they haven’t had to pay extra insurance to cover me. You don’t need an international driving licence, your UK licence is fine.
I have hired cars in between sits and took out insurance to cover excess with a company back home which cost about £60 for a year, much cheaper than paying the hire car companies’ excess cover
@Smiley correct 
You have been very lucky to have a car at your sits also! The only time a sitter would be liable to pay anything would be if they had an at fault accident which would entail paying the excess. The HO sets their excess when taking out the policy. The higher the excess, the lower the premium.
So I would assume that the HS is made aware that if they had an accident and at fault, they would be up for the cost of the excess. e.g. I had a slight dingle in my own car last sit and as it was my fault, it cost me the excess which I had set at $750. Car was repaired.
But you are right in what you say. I also include car rental excess in my travel insurance when going overseas.
Thanks lovely THS’s for your replies- thats put our minds at rest. We are intending to take out excess insurance cover in the UK before we leave so hopefully that would cover an at fault excess claim.
I wish it was this simple in the UK!
@temba you know we’d have you back like a shot if I didn’t have horses now (muck and poop lol). My last HS used my car no problem.
@heljanejo I could be wrong but I am pretty certain that excess insurance will only cover you for rental car excess, not a HO’s accident car insurance excess. I would be asking that question of your insurance company beforehand but as you will be renting a car also, of course it will still be necessary for that angle.
Yes, for me it was to cover rental car excess. I’ve never discussed excess with owners’ cars - something to add to list of questions!
I know I would be most welcome back @JuliePetParent. 
Hi. I am on my final days of a 3 week sit in Tasmania. I was given the use of the car. I did jot request for it. I informed the homeowner when I wanted to travel further to Bruny Island. Apart from that I only used the car for shopping and groceries locally. I intend to fill the tank before I leave (they left me half full). Do you ‘pay’ the homeowner a token sum for the use of car?
Hello @Anne.323 we wouldn’t. We’d fill the tank full as you say & also wash 
it and leave them a bottle of wine to say thanks. #nicetouches
Thanks for the feedback. I did hose (too cold to wash). I dont drink so I wouldn’t know what to buy. I will leave something.
I currently have a use of car in SA. The owners just have the CPT, where listing a 3rd party driver is not possible. Does anyone know what can I do to get some insurance? The owners are elderly couple and they left it up to me to the research and purchase insurance. I think I am not able to directly purchase insurance if I don’t own the car. I will be using the car for a month.
Hey @BunnyCat 
In Australia it’s the car that’s insured, not the driver. So you generally don’t need to be specifically listed as a driver the way you might in other countries.
If the owners currently only have CTP (Compulsory Third Party) insurance, just be aware that CTP only covers injury to other people in an accident — it does not cover damage to property or the vehicle itself.
What they would need (if they want proper cover while you’re using it) is a standard comprehensive car insurance policy on the vehicle. That policy can usually allow “any licensed driver,” or at least cover occasional drivers without being specifically named. The only time insurers typically require specific disclosure is if the driver is under 25 — that can affect excess.
You’re right that you generally can’t insure a car you don’t own because you don’t have an insurable interest in the vehicle. The policy needs to be in the owner’s name. However, they can absolutely take out or upgrade a policy and simply confirm you’re an authorised driver.
So practically:
• The owners need to arrange comprehensive (or at minimum third party property) insurance in their name
• Make sure the policy allows authorised drivers
• Check excess amounts, especially if you’re under 25
If they’re elderly and leaving it to you to sort out, you can absolutely do the research and even help organise it — but the policyholder will need to be them.
Hope that helps you feel a bit clearer about it. Using someone else’s car always feels a bit nerve-wracking without knowing where you stand!
That’s very helpful, thank you. That’s the route I was going to suggest we take. The only other thing I didn’t see here is monthly insurance policies. Most likely they will need to purchase an annual comprehensive policy and then cancel after a month or two and pay whatever the cancellation fees is. Of course I will offer them to cover the monthly premium cost and the cancellation fee.
Would it be cheaper to take out monthly to drive ‘any car’ insurance?
I will look into that, thanks @BonnyinBrighton
Is the car quite old? If they have no full insurance I wonder is that because they can’t afford it or is the car not worth it? At a certain point it can become not worth $1000 per year if the car is only worth $5000. Always tricky using someone else’s vehicle.