Most home insurance policies today provide comprehensive protection which will cover you for a number of types of loss (or perils), including fire, smoke, windstorm, water, theft, and much more. Comprehensive policies always incorporate a set of exclusions, which describe the types of loss that the policy does not cover. Certain exclusions are common to most insurance providers: for example, almost all Canadian home insurance policies exclude losses caused by landslide, coastal flood, insects or vermin.
When a covered peril causes enough damage to your home to render it temporarily uninhabitable, your insurance will reimburse your additional living expenses, up to the limit on your policy.