Buildings, let property
- Fire, storm, water and burglary damage
- Tenant vandalism as an extension
- Loss of rent after a covered claim
- Limited cover while the property is empty
Buildings · owner's interest · loss of rent
Insurance for landlords
As soon as you let out a home, the risk changes and with it the policy. Below you can read which insurances go with letting and where the cover stops.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Verzekeringen voor verhuurders.
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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for owner occupation is not suitable for letting. Insurers assess a let home as a different risk: someone else lives there, you see less of the property and when the tenant leaves a vacancy arises. If you let without reporting it, the insurer can rely on the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and reduce or refuse the payout (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code).
when you claim. buildings insurance for a let home, which covers the building and which can be extended to include tenant vandalism and loss of rent. Second, a liability insurance, because the owner of a structure is, under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code is strictly liable for defects. Third, with a furnished home or a flat, cover for owner's interest.
That last point is the one most often forgotten. If you let a flat, the VvE (Dutch owners' association) insures the building under the rules (Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code), but the kitchen, bathroom and flooring you installed yourself often fall outside that. You insure that investment of your own as the owner's interest. Also look at which insurances the VvE arranges itself.
Which policies go with letting
Three covers that recur in almost every letting situation.
Owner's interest
Insures what you installed yourself and the fittings let with the property.
- Kitchen, bathroom and floors
- Furnished letting
- For a flat, alongside the VvE policy
- Not the tenant's belongings
Liability
For injury and damage caused by a defect in the let property.
- Strict liability under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code
- Tenants, visitors and neighbours
- Not covered on an ordinary AVP
- Environmental damage to be insured separately
What is covered
| Situation | Owner-occupied | A home that is let |
|---|---|---|
| Fire and storm damage to the property | Yes | Yes |
| Vandalism by the tenant to the interior | No | Provided that |
| Loss of rent during repairs after a covered claim | No | Provided that |
| Burglary and water damage during a long vacancy | Provided that | No |
| Liability for injury to a visitor | Provided that | Provided that |
| Damage caused by a cannabis plantation in the property | No | No |
The extensions, clauses and excess that apply are set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before taking out cover.
Four points for landlords
Where let homes go wrong when a claim is notified.
Letting is a change of risk that you report
If you start letting a home you previously occupied yourself, the intended use changes and with it the premium and the conditions. Room letting, letting to migrant workers or short-term letting through a platform are assessed separately and are often excludedon an ordinary private policy. So report the type of letting before the first tenant moves in. Withholding it leads, when you claim, to a discussion about Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, at precisely the moment you need the cover.
A vacancy cuts the cover back
If the home stands empty between two tenants, with most insurers the cover falls back after a certain period to a limited cover: fire, lightning, storm and sometimes explosion. Theft, vandalism and water damage are then no longer insured. So report a vacancy actively; some insurers keep the wider cover in place if the property is managed, kept heated and checked periodically. Different conditions often apply during building work too.
What a landlord policy does not cover
Usually not covered are deferred maintenance, subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, and damage caused by wear and tear, defects in construction or materials. Also slowly penetrating damp, mould and vermin are not included. Rent arrears and loss of rent through a vacancy are not an insured risk: loss of rent is only paid as a consequence of an insured loss. Damage caused by a a cannabis plantation is almost always excluded, as is intent and recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. The tenant insures their own contents.
Keeping the owner's interest and the tenant's improvements apart
The buildings policy covers the structure. What the owner has added to the home since then or lets with it falls under the owner's interest. What the tenant installs themselves falls under the tenant's improvements on their own home contents policy. With a flat the VvE insures the building under the rules (Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code), but often on the basis of the original handover. Anyone who does not record that distinction discovers after a leak that nobody insured the new kitchen.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the premises: the main basis for calculation
- Type of letting: standard, room by room or short-stay
- Construction type and year of construction: materials, roof and maintenance
- Postcode area: burglary, storm and water risk
- Extensions chosen: vandalism, loss of rent, glass
- Excess and claims history: previous claims count
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk 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.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Can I keep my existing buildings insurance when I let the property?
Not without reporting it. A policy for owner occupation assumes a different risk. Report the letting to your insurer. It will adjust the conditions and premium or refer you to a policy for let homes. If you let without reporting it, the insurer can reduce or refuse payment when you claim, on the basis of the duty of disclosure.
Who insures the contents in a let home?
The tenant insures their own belongings on a home contents policy. If you let furnished, you insure those fittings yourself as the owner's interest or through separate contents cover for letting. Set out in the tenancy agreement what belongs to whom, because after a fire or a leak that distinction determines who can claim for what.
Is damage caused by the tenant insured?
Only if tenant vandalism is included, and then usually for damage to the inside of the building. Normal wear and tear, deferred maintenance and damage the tenant has to repair themselves under the tenancy agreement fall outside it. Damage caused by a cannabis farm is almost always excluded, even if you knew nothing about it.
What happens during a vacancy?
After a certain period of vacancy, with most insurers the cover falls back to fire, storm and lightning. Burglary, vandalism and water damage are then no longer covered. So report a vacancy immediately, so that the insurer can assess whether the wider cover can be kept in place with management measures. An unreported vacancy almost always causes problems when you claim.
Do I need legal expenses insurance as a landlord?
It is not a requirement, but disputes with tenants about arrears, maintenance or eviction go through the sub-district court and cost time and money. Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) with a property letting module covers those costs. Watch out for waiting periods when taking out cover and for the exclusion of disputes that were already running at the start.
Read more
Within Insuring a home that you let
- Insuring a home that you letthe main page
- Choosing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for the home you let
- Verzekering verhuurder woning
- Bescherm uw investering met deze tips voor vastgoedverzekeringen
- De opstalverzekering voor verhuurde woningen alle mogelijkheden bij finass verzekert
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting
- Een verzekering voor je tweede huis wat moet je weten
Similar pages
Is your let home properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation. We check the type of letting, the extensions and the clauses.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.