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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
In a mixed-use building, homes and business premises sit under the same roof and behind the same facade. An insurer assesses such a building as one whole: a fire in a deep-fat fryer or in a store full of paint spreads to the homes above. That determines acceptance, conditions and premium for every owner in the building.
Where a residential building is mainly about rebuild value and state of maintenance, here it is about use and compartmentation: what goes on in the business premises, and how well are they separated from the homes above in fire safety terms?
What does cover for a VvE with business premises include?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code
Compulsory
Buildings insurance is required by law.
Rebuild value as the basis
All apartments
Communal parts
Personal risk
The board
Article 2:9 of the Dutch Civil Code makes no distinction.
Unpaid board members too
Joint and several liability
Recourse against personal assets
Optional
Additional
What else the association needs.
Liability as owner
Legal expenses
Accidents involving volunteers
What is covered
Situation
Buildings, VvE
Liability
Drivers
Fire damage to the building
Yes
No
No
Injury in the stairwell
No
Yes
No
A claim against a board member
No
No
Yes
An owner's own kitchen
No
No
No
Deferred maintenance
No
No
Sometimes
A dispute with a contractor
No
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.
The heaviest use determines acceptance
An office or a hairdresser's is perfectly manageable for most insurers. A hospitality business with a deep-fat fryer and an extraction duct, a bicycle shop with lithium batteries or a workshop with paint and solvents is a different matter. Some companies will not accept such a building; others set requirements for fire-fighting equipment, duct cleaning and charging points. The homeowners notice that in the conditions, even if they have nothing to do with the business.
Fire separation is a condition of acceptance
Between the business premises and the homes there should be a fire-resistant separation with no open penetrations for pipes, cables or ventilation. In older buildings that separation has often been breached during building work and never restored. Have this assessed structurally and record the findings. An insurer can restrict cover or impose a higher excess for as long as the compartmentation is not demonstrably in order.
Report every change of tenant
If a unit goes from an office to a takeaway, the fire risk of the whole building changes. The duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and the increased-risk clause in the policy require the association to report that. If it does not, the insurer can restrict payment after a later fire under Article 7:930 DCC, including towards owners who knew nothing about the change.
What falls outside the association's policy
The entrepreneur's business contents and stock are not included; they need their own property insurance for that. Their loss of turnover after a fire falls outside it too, as does their liability towards customers. Advertising signs, canopies, terrace roofing and cooling units outside the facade are only covered if they are expressly stated on the policy schedule. Soil contamination caused by storage is excluded as standard.
What does your premium depend on?
Nature of the business activity. Hospitality, storage and workshops count more heavily than an office or professional services.
Ratio of residential to business use. The share of business floor area in the total building drives the assessment.
Fire separation and compartmentation. A demonstrable separation between units reduces the risk for the whole.
Fire-fighting and detection provisions. Fat fire suppression, fire detection and automatic notification all count when cover is assessed.
Construction type and roof structure. Timber floor structures above a shop are assessed separately.
Claims history of the complex. Previous fire or water damage in the business premises counts at renewal.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover 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.
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.
Do the homeowners share in the higher risk of the shop?
Usually yes. The premium is set for the building as a whole and apportioned according to the fractional shares in the deed of division. Some associations lay down a separate allocation key for the extra risk in the house rules or by resolution of the general meeting. That is an internal arrangement. The insurer invoices the association for the total.
Does a change of tenant have to be reported?
Yes, as soon as the use of the space changes. From office to hospitality, or from showroom to storage, the fire risk changes materially. If the association does not report that, the insurer can restrict payment after a later fire under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. Include a requirement in the lease that the tenant must notify changes in advance.
Is the shopkeeper's stock included?
No. The association's buildings policy covers the building, not an entrepreneur's goods and business contents. The shopkeeper or hospitality operator takes out property and business interruption insurance for that themselves. Their loss of turnover during repairs after a fire is not borne by the association either. Set out that obligation in the lease.
Can an insurer refuse a building containing a hospitality business?
Yes. Acceptance is not a right, and a number of companies categorically exclude hospitality businesses with naked flames or deep-fat fryers in a residential building. In that case specialist providers remain that will accept it, usually with requirements for fat fire suppression, duct cleaning and fire separation. Comparing here is not just a matter of premium but determines whether there is any cover at all.
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.
