The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code and the model regulations place the obligation to insure with the association, not with the individual owners. The VvE is the policyholder; all flat owners are co-insured and the mortgage lenders are named on the policy as interested parties.
That makes this policy a responsibility of the board. The board carries out what the general meeting decides: which excess, which extensions, and when a new valuation is carried out. Anyone who lets that slide runs into a personal responsibility that stands apart from the policy.
What an individual owner arranges in addition is set out on the page about the insuring a flat with a VvE.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basis
Rebuild value
What it costs to rebuild the premises.
Not the market value
Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
Guarantee against underinsurance
Permanently fixed
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
Building and installations
Outbuildings
Boundary fences
Optional
Extensions
What is excluded as standard.
Glass
Garden landscaping
Inherent defect and foundations
What is covered
Situation
Standard
With extension
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Yes
Yes
Storm from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Glass breakage
Sometimes
Yes
Groundwater coming through the floor
No
No
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The association is the policyholder, not the owner
The policy schedule names the VvE as policyholder and insures the owners collectively. An individual owner therefore cannot claim for damage to the building independently of the association. The notification runs through the board or the managing agent. Make sure owners know where to report damage and that the board can be reached outside office hours, because with a leak every hour counts.
Decisions at the general meeting
The level of the excess, including glass, the choice of a guarantee against underinsurance and the instruction to obtain a new valuation are decisions of the general meeting of owners. Record them in so many words in the minutes, including the year in which a new valuation is to be made. Without a decision there is no basis for spreading the cost through the contributions.
The excess and passing it on
When there is a claim, the insurer pays the association. Who bears the excess is an internal matter: many associations pass it on to the owner in whose private part the damage arose, while others charge it to the joint account. Set that rule down before the first claim arises, or it becomes an argument between neighbours at the next general meeting.
Liability stands apart from it
Buildings insurance repairs damage to the building, but does not cover the association's liability. If someone falls over a loose stair tread in the stairwell, the VvE is liable as possessor under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, and for errors by a caretaker or cleaner under Article 6:170 DCC. Separate liability insurance is needed for that, alongside directors' and officers' liability cover.
What does your premium depend on?
Rebuild value of the complex. The current valuation of the whole building forms the basis of calculation.
Year of construction and state of maintenance. The condition of the roof, facade and installations as shown by the long-term maintenance plan.
Excess chosen. A decision of the general meeting that feeds straight through into the contributions.
Extensions included. Glass, the owner's interest and common installations are assessed separately.
Use of the private parts. Residential only, or business space and letting within the complex as well.
Number of apartment rights. The size of the association determines the administrative burden and the spread of risk.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover and wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Yes. Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code requires the regulations to provide that the association insures the building, and the model regulations set that out. The obligation rests on the association as a whole, not on the owners individually. A board that lets the policy lapse is acting contrary to the regulations and can be held to account by the owners.
Who reports a claim, the board or the owner?
The association is the policyholder, so notification runs through the board or the managing agent. An owner who calls in themselves does not appear on the policy as a point of contact. Do report damage to the board immediately and limit the loss yourself, as Article 7:957 of the Dutch Civil Code requires. The cost of those emergency measures is paid under most policies.
What falls outside buildings insurance?
The home contents of owners and tenants, and the improvements an owner has made in their private part: kitchen, bathroom, floors and sun blinds. Deferred maintenance, foundation repairs and construction faults are excluded as well, as is the liability of the association and of its directors. For those last two, separate insurances exist alongside the buildings policy.
Can the association recover a loss from an owner?
It can. If an owner or their tenant causes damage to the building, the insurer or the association can hold them liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. With a tenant this often runs through the owner, because the occupier is bound to the regulations through the user's declaration. So always record the circumstances and notifications in writing.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
