Rebuild value
- Not the market value
- Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
- Guarantee against underinsurance
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let premises
With let business premises it is not your ownership but your tenant's activity that determines which risk class the building falls into.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
This page in another language: Nederlands
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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
With commercial property, an insurer looks at what goes on inside. Office space, a workshop with welding equipment, a kitchen with a deep-fat fryer or the storage of plastics and batteries lead to entirely different fire assessments, while the building stays the same.
This policy therefore comes down to two things that are within your control: a tenancy agreement that prohibits a change of use without your consent, and a file with which you can show that you also checked it. Without those two you are in the wrong risk class when you claim.
If you let residential rather than commercial space, different rules apply; see insuring a let home.
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We compare your buildings insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
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What does buildings insurance for let premises cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
- Building and installations
- Outbuildings
- Boundary fences
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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Permitted use under the tenancy agreement. Office, storage, workshop or catering each produce their own risk class.
- Goods stored. Flammable materials and battery storage count more heavily than dry general goods.
- Fire prevention measures. Compartmentation, sprinklers, a fire alarm system and a valid inspection report.
- Loss of rent included. The period chosen over which lost rent is paid.
- Waiver of recovery against the tenant. If you waive recovery in the contract, the insurer's right of recourse falls away.
- Number of tenants in the property. Several users in a multi-let property increase the chance of unknown risks.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The tenant's activity determines the underwriting
With every new tenant, ask what processes take place and what goods are kept there. Plastics, foam rubber, batteries and charging points for forklifts or e-bikes are points an insurer asks about, as is extraction over a fryer. Pass that information on before the tenant moves in. A property accepted as storage but used as a workshop is not insured in the way you think.
A duty to report changes of use in the tenancy agreement
State in the contract that the tenant may not change the use without your written consent and that they must comply with fire safety rules. Also record a right of periodic inspection and use it. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code places the duty of disclosure at the outset with you. What changes afterwards, you can only report if you know about it. Subletting without your knowledge is the biggest risk here.
Loss of rent does not always run on
The loss of rent section pays the rent you lose for as long as the property is unusable after covered damage, for a period stated in the policy. Watch how this fits with tenancy law: a tenant can claim a rent reduction for a defect under Article 7:207 of the Dutch Civil Code, while your mortgage payments continue. Where the cause is not covered, the section pays nothing.
Waiver of recovery and tenant's interest
If your tenant causes a fire, your insurer can recover the damage from them. If the tenancy agreement contains a waiver of recovery clause, that option falls away and it is often reflected in the premium. Whatever the tenant had installed, such as partition walls, a suspended ceiling or cooling, is tenant's interest and belongs on their policy; your buildings cover does not extend to it.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
My tenant wants to start a workshop. Do I need to do anything?
Yes. A change from office to workshop changes the fire risk and with it the basis on which the property was accepted. Report it to your insurer before the work starts. The insurer can adjust the premium or the conditions, set additional requirements for compartmentation and extraction, or decline the risk. Saying nothing produces a dispute after a claim that you will not win.
Are my tenant's contents insured as well?
No. Your buildings insurance covers the building with everything permanently attached to it. Machinery, stock, office furniture and the features installed by the tenant are their property or their tenant's interest, and belong on their own business contents and goods insurance. Include in the tenancy agreement that the tenant takes out those policies and shows that they are in force.
What happens if the property stands empty between two tenants?
Report that vacancy, even if you are expecting a new tenant. During a vacancy, insurers usually restrict cover for burglary, vandalism and water damage, leaving fire, storm and lightning. What that involves is set out on the page about buildings insurance for an empty property.
Am I liable for injury to my tenant's staff?
As the owner of the building you are, where the injury arises from a defect in the property itself. That follows from Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. Think of a floor giving way, a defective roller shutter door or a loose facade panel. For working conditions within the business, the tenant is responsible as the employer under Article 7:658 DCC.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)The main page
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for student housesRoom letting, fire safety, changing tenants
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a rented homeThe landlord insures, tenant's interest, contents
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for warehousesStorage, compartmentation, sprinklers
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a practice spaceBusiness use, at home, reporting
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for day nurseriesYoung children, evacuation, supervision
- Who takes out the buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)?Owner, VvE, ground lease
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for schoolsPupils, fire safety, vacancy
Read more
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.