Extended cover
- Fire, smoke and lightning strike
- Storm from force 7 upwards
- Water damage and leakage
- Burglary damage
Reporting the letting · tenant damage · loss of rent
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a let home
As soon as you let a self-contained home to a household, it is not the home that changes but your position: you become an owner at a distance, and that is precisely what a home insurance policy does not cover.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekering verhuurde woning.
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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 your own premium with the calculator.
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- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Home insurance is written for someone who lives in the property, notices a dripping tap and has the boiler serviced. When you let, that supervision disappears. Insurers class this as a let property, with its own conditions. Failing to report letting is the most common reason a claim payment falls through; the insurer then relies on Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Two subjects are specific to this situation. Damage caused by the tenant, from vandalism on leaving to wilful damage, is usually excluded from the standard cover and calls for an extension. And loss of rent: if the property is temporarily uninhabitable after a covered claim, the rent stops while the mortgage, the VvE contribution and the taxes continue.
You also remain responsible as owner for the condition of the building. If your tenant is injured by a loose stair rail or a collapsed balcony, you are liable as the possessor of a defective building under Article 6:174 DCC. That claim runs through a liability cover, not through the buildings policy.
What does buildings insurance for a let home cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Comprehensive
All sudden and unforeseen damage from outside, unless excluded.
- Unnamed causes included
- A small mishap while doing DIY
- Less discussion when you claim
Basis of value
Rebuild value with a guarantee against underinsurance, or a valuation.
- Rebuild value calculator
- Valuation under 7:960 DCC
- Guarantee on your policy schedule
What is covered
| Situation | Extended | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, smoke and lightning damage | Yes | Yes |
| Storm damage from force 7 upwards | Yes | Yes |
| Water damage from a burst pipe | Yes | Yes |
| Burglary damage to doors and frames | Yes | Yes |
| Drilling through a pipe while doing DIY | No | Yes |
| Subsidence, pile rot 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.
Reporting also applies to temporary and informal letting
Letting to a family member, a temporary agreement while you are posted abroad, or occasional letting through a platform all fall under the duty to report. Insurers look at the actual use, not at the form of the contract. If it becomes clear after a claim that the property had been let for months without this being known, payment can be reduced or refused, even for damage that has nothing to do with the occupation.
Loss of rent is a module, not part of the basic cover
After a fire, repairs easily take months, during which the property cannot be let. The rent stops; the fixed costs do not. The loss of rent module pays the rent you lose for a period stated in the policy and up to a maximum shown on the policy schedule. Check that period against the realistic repair time for your property, and note that loss of rent only runs if the underlying damage is covered.
Vacancy between two tenants is a separate situation
Once the property has been unoccupied for more than a few weeks, many policies limit cover to fire, storm and impact by a vehicle. Water damage and burglary damage then fall away, while those very risks increase in an empty property. So report vacancy as soon as you know the previous tenant is leaving. If the vacancy is extended by renovation work between two tenants, report that work as well.
What you are not paid for with a let property
The tenant's home contents fall outside your policy; the tenant arranges that and you record it in the agreement. Also excluded is damage from cannabis growing or other illegal use, even if you did not know about it, and rent lost through non-payment or a tenant who will not leave. Deferred maintenance, such as a boiler that has not been serviced for years, is likewise at your expense.
Including loss of rent
If the property is uninhabitable for months after a fire, the mortgage continues while the rent stops. This module absorbs that.
A guarantee against underinsurance is not automatic
If you fill in the insurer's rebuild value calculator correctly, you will usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance: in the event of a claim the actual amount is paid, even if the sum insured turns out to be too low. Your policy schedule states whether you have that guarantee. Without it, the proportionality rule applies, and that also affects small claims.
What does your premium depend on?
- Form of letting — Letting a self-contained home to a household, temporary letting and letting through a platform are assessed differently.
- Type of agreement and tenancy period — A long-running agreement with the same occupants gives a different picture from frequent changes.
- Rebuild value and condition of the property — The standard of maintenance, the year of construction and the state of the installations weigh more heavily in a property you do not supervise yourself.
- Expected vacancy — Periods without occupants lead many insurers to restrict cover temporarily.
- Modules chosen — Loss of rent, cover for tenant damage and liability for the building are separate choices.
- Excess — For let properties, a higher excess is more often applied or required.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Do I really have to report letting, even if it is only temporary?
Yes. Letting changes the risk fundamentally, because you no longer have daily sight of the property. That applies to letting to family, to a temporary agreement and to occasional letting through a platform. If you do not report it, the insurer can rely on Articles 7:928 and 7:930 DCC after a claim and reduce or refuse payment entirely.
Is damage my tenant causes insured?
Not as standard. Wilful damage and vandalism by the occupant are excluded on many policies, precisely because the tenant is lawfully present in the property. There is an extension for tenant damage; ask about it explicitly and note the maximum and the excess. Accidental damage, such as a stove falling over, is more often covered by the ordinary cover.
What exactly does loss of rent cover?
The rental income you miss for as long as the property cannot be occupied after a covered claim. Payment runs for a period stated in the policy and up to a maximum amount on the policy schedule. If the underlying damage is not covered, neither is the loss of rent. Rent lost through non-payment, or vacancy without any damage, is not included.
Am I liable if my tenant is injured in the home?
Possibly. As possessor of a defective building you are liable under Article 6:174 DCC for injury arising from a defect in the building, for example a collapsed balcony railing or a loose stair rail. That is not damage to the building and so does not run through the home policy, but through a liability cover for the let property.
Read more
Similar pages
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) is essential for the home you let
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes: all you need to know
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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.
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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.