Buildings
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Let home · rebuild value · duty to report
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes: all you need to know
Anyone who lets a home needs different buildings insurance from someone who lives there. Below is what is insured, how you set the sum insured and where cover stops.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekering voor verhuurde woningen: alles wat u moet weten.
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.
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
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) covers the building: everything fixed to it, from foundations and walls to the roof, window frames, kitchen and central heating system. With a let home, what is insured does not change, but who lives there and how much supervision there is does. Insurers treat that as a separate risk. That is why a personal buildings policy does not cover letting; there is a separate policy for let homes.
When you let, the sum insured matters as much as the type of cover. The calculation uses the rebuild value: what it would cost to rebuild a similar property to current building standards, excluding the land. That is not the same as the WOZ value, the sale price or the amount of your mortgage. If the sum is too low, there is underinsurance and the insurer pays proportionally less than your loss. For unusual buildings, a valuation based on Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code the value for a fixed period.
The details you give are just as decisive. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to disclose everything relevant to the assessment of the risk when you take out the insurance; letting is by definition part of that. A breach can lead, under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code , to reduced or refused payment. See also the page buildings insurance for a home that is let.
What is insured
The policy has three parts; the first is compulsory, the other two are optional.
Owner's interest
What you as landlord have installed or let as part-furnished.
- Floors, sun blinds, built-in appliances
- With furnished letting, the furniture as well
- Apart from the tenant's improvements
- Needs its own sum insured
Loss of rent
The rent that stops for as long as the property is uninhabitable after a covered claim.
- Only after a covered cause of loss
- Up to the period stated in the policy
- Not for non-payment or vacancy
- Usually 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 |
| Kitchen and floors installed by you | Provided that | Provided that |
| Vandalism by the tenant or their visitors | No | No |
| Cannabis growing or other illegal use | 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.
Everything to arrange in advance
Four points that most often cause problems with a claim on let homes.
Letting belongs on the policy schedule
The standard home insurance policy is written for the home you occupy yourself. If you let it without reporting this, 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. This is set out in Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
The sum insured determines the payment
Calculate with the rebuild value, not with the WOZ value or the market value. Establish it with a rebuild value calculator, an address scan or, for an unusual property, a valuation report. Keep the sum up to date: building costs rise and an extension increases the rebuild value. If the sum is too low, the insurer pays proportionally. With guarantee against underinsurance that does not arise, but that guarantee is by no means always given on let properties; check this in your policy.
Owner's interest, tenant's improvements and loss of rent
Three terms landlords tend to confuse. The owner's interest is what you install yourself and let with the property. The tenant's improvements is what the occupant installs and insures on their own home contents policy. Loss of rent is the rent you miss for as long as the property is uninhabitable after a covered claim; without covered damage there is no loss of rent. Rent arrears, a tenant who has left or difficulty re-letting therefore fall outside it. Record who owns what in an inventory report at the start of the tenancy.
The exclusions that come up most often
With let homes, the same refusals recur. Not covered are damage the tenant causes themselves and vandalism by occupants, deferred maintenance, wear, design and material faults, vacancy for longer than the term stated in the policy and damage caused by cannabis cultivation or other illegal use. Subsidence, foundation damage, vermin, mould and slowly acting damp also remain outside cover, as do intent and recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value — the main basis for calculation
- Type of letting and type of tenant — 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
- Postcode area — burglary, storm and water risk
- Type of cover and excess — limited or extended
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
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
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Why can my home not simply stay on a personal policy?
Because the risk changes. An occupant who is not the owner has less interest in prevention and maintenance, you have less sight of the property, and there are periods of vacancy. Insurers price that differently, and many companies accept letting only on a separate policy. So always have the letting noted on the policy schedule, or switch to a let-property policy.
How do I set the right sum insured?
With the rebuild value: the cost of rebuilding a similar property, excluding the land. Use the insurer's rebuild value calculator or address scan, or have a valuation carried out for a listed building, a thatched roof or an unusual construction. Revise the sum after every alteration. A valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code fixes the value for a set period; within that period the insurer cannot rely on underinsurance.
Is glass damage covered?
Not automatically. Glass in windows and doors is a separate section on many policies that you choose in addition, and for let properties it is not always offered. Also check that glass is not insured twice, through a home contents policy or through the VvE in an apartment building. Double cover does not give a double payment, but it does mean a double premium.
What happens if there is a cannabis plantation in my property?
Damage from cannabis growing or other illegal use is excluded. That covers not only fire caused by tampered wiring, but also damp, mould and structural damage and the cost of decontamination. In addition, the local authority can close the property and the grid operator can reclaim the electricity taken. Screen tenants, visit the property periodically and record a right of inspection in the tenancy agreement.
Do I also need liability insurance?
Almost always. As possessor of the building you are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage caused by a defect in it, even without fault on your part. Think of a falling roof tile or a collapsing balcony railing. Personal liability insurance (AVP) generally excludes the letting of property, so take out a liability cover for owners of immovable property.
Read more
Within Insuring a home that you let
- Insuring a home that you letthe main page
- De opstalverzekering voor verhuurde woningen alle mogelijkheden bij finass verzekert
- De voordelen van een verhuurverzekering voor je tweede huis
- Een verzekering voor je tweede huis wat moet je weten
- Vergelijk opstalverzekeringen voor verhuurde woningen en bespaar geld
- Waarom een opstalverzekering voor je verhuurde woning onmisbaar is
- Choosing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for the home you let
Similar pages
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let homes
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) is essential for the home you let
- Choosing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for the home you let
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a let home
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting
- Insuring a home that you let
Do you let out a home?
Request a quote without obligation; we check the rebuild value, 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.