Buildings cover
- Extended: fire, storm, water, burglary
- Limited: fire, storm, explosion, lightning strike
- Comprehensive cover is rarely available for letting
- Declare glass and solar panels separately
Let home · types of cover · loss of rent
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes
A home that you let is not insured on the same policy as the home you live in yourself. Below are the types of cover that exist, what they give you and where the limits lie.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
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- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: De opstalverzekering voor verhuurde woningen.
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 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
As soon as you let a home, the risk changes. Someone other than you lives in the property, you have less sight of what happens there, and between two tenants the home sometimes stands empty. That is why a personal buildings insurance policy does not cover letting: that policy assumes the policyholder lives there. For a let home there is a separate type of policy, which insurers offer as a let-property policy or, where there are several buildings, as a property portfolio policy.
The choice you make comes down to three things: the type of cover of the building, whether you also insure your owner's interest and whether you want to cover loss of rent. Where your own home can often be insured on a comprehensive basis, the choice is narrower for letting: many companies offer an extended named-perils cover, and for heavier risks only fire, storm and explosion.
Whatever you choose, one thing is certain: the insurer must know about the letting. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to give full details when you take out the policy. If you conceal the letting, the insurer may reduce or refuse payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. Also read the page buildings insurance for a home that is let.
The options at a glance
A policy for a let home consists of three building blocks that you can choose separately.
Owner's interest
What you as owner have installed and let with the property, from the kitchen to the floor coverings.
- Kitchen, bathroom fittings, floors, sun blinds
- Often substantial with part-furnished letting
- Separate from the occupant's tenant's improvements
- Covered only if it has been declared
Loss of rent
The rent you miss for as long as the home is uninhabitable after a covered claim.
- Only after a covered cause of loss
- Limited to the period stated in the policy
- No cover for non-payment or vacancy
- Often a percentage of the sum insured
What is covered
| Situation | Limited | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, lightning strike, storm and explosion | Yes | Yes |
| Water damage from a burst pipe | No | Yes |
| Burglary damage to doors and frames | No | Yes |
| Loss of rent after a covered claim | Provided that | Provided that |
| Wilful damage and vandalism by the tenant | No | No |
| Deferred maintenance, wear and subsidence | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
What to watch when letting
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
A personal policy does not cover letting
The standard home insurance policy is written for the home you occupy yourself. If you let that home and do not report it, the property is not insured for the way it is actually used. That affects the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. After a claim, the insurer assesses what it would have done had it known the facts: a higher premium or different conditions leads to a a proportionately lower payout, and refusal of the risk means no payment at all. This is set out in Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Owner's interest and tenant's improvements are two different things
The owner's interest is everything you as landlord have installed in the property and let with it: kitchen, bathroom fittings, floors, sun blinds. The tenant's improvements is what the tenant installs or alters, and the tenant insures that on their own home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering). With part-furnished or fully furnished letting, your owner's interest can add up considerably. Include it in the policy with its own sum insured, and record in the tenancy agreement what belongs to whom.
You must report vacancy
If the home stands empty between two tenants, is being renovated or is put up for sale, the risk changes. Vacancy increases the chance of squatting, vandalism, copper theft and frost damage. Insurers usually reduce cover during vacancy to fire, storm and explosion, raise the excess, or set requirements for supervision and for draining the water pipes. If the vacancy lasts longer than the period stated in the policy, cover can lapse. So always report vacancy in advance.
What is not covered, even on extended cover
Excluded from cover are, among other things damage the tenant causes themselves and vandalism by occupants, deferred maintenance, wear, design and material faults, and damage caused by cannabis cultivation or other illegal use of the property. Subsidence and foundation damage, vermin, mould and slowly acting damp are also excluded. Damage caused by intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. For damage caused by the tenant, you must fall back on their liability insurance or on the deposit.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value: the main basis for calculation
- Type of letting: a family, rooms or holiday use
- Construction type and roof covering: brick, timber or thatch
- Year of construction and state of maintenance: older premises, higher risk
- Type of cover: limited or extended
- Add-ons: loss of rent, glass, owner's interest
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
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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?
Only if the insurer accepts the letting and notes it on the policy schedule. If it does not, the property must move to a policy for let homes. So do not simply let the existing policy run on. A telephone call or e-mail reporting the letting costs little and prevents you being left without cover in the event of a large claim.
Does the insurance pay for damage caused by my tenant?
Usually not. Many policies exclude damage caused to the property by the tenant or members of their household, certainly where it involves wilful damage or vandalism. You then have to fall back on the tenant's liability insurance, on the deposit or on a civil claim. Fire through the tenant's carelessness is generally covered, because fire is a named peril.
What exactly does loss of rent cover involve?
It pays the rent you miss because the home is temporarily uninhabitable after a covered claim. Cover runs for as long as the repairs take, up to the period stated in the policy. The underlying damage must always be covered. If you miss rent because the tenant does not pay or because you cannot find a new tenant, that is not loss of rent within the meaning of the policy.
Do I need separate liability insurance as a landlord?
Almost always. As owner you are the possessor of the building and, under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, liable for damage caused by a defect in it, even without fault on your part. Personal liability insurance (AVP) usually excludes letting. For let properties there is a liability cover for owners of immovable property, which you can take out separately or alongside the buildings policy.
Does the same apply if I let for holiday use?
No. Short-term letting to changing guests, for example through a letting platform, is treated by insurers as a separate risk and is not automatically included on an ordinary letting policy. Changing users, handing over keys without supervision and periods of vacancy all weigh in that assessment. Report this form of letting explicitly; otherwise the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 DCC comes into play again.
Read more
Within Insuring a home that you let
- Insuring a home that you letthe main page
- Een verzekering voor je tweede huis wat moet je weten
- Verzekering verhuurder woning
- Vergelijk opstalverzekeringen voor verhuurde woningen en bespaar geld
- Choosing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for the home you let
- Verzekeringen verhuurder
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a let home
Similar pages
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes: all you need to know
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) is essential for the home you let
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a let home
- Choosing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for the home you let
- Insuring a home that you let
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting
Also relevant
Do you let out a home?
Request a quote without obligation. We check the sum insured, the type of letting and the conditions.
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.