Contents and buildings: which damage belongs on which policy?
Buildings and contents are two policies with one loss between them. After a leak or a fire the discussion is rarely about the cover itself, but about which of the two the damaged item falls under.
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In brief
The buildings insurance covers the building and everything permanently attached to it: walls, roof, window frames, the fitted kitchen, sanitary ware, the central heating system, glued parquet, a dormer window, an attached shed and usually the solar panels on the roof as well. The home contents insurance covers what you would take with you when you move: furniture, clothing, loose appliances, curtains, a free-standing washing machine. That sounds simple, but a home is full of borderline cases: sun blinds, a worktop you had fitted yourself, a floor laid on underlay and not glued down.
That line only really matters when the two policies are with different insurers. Both companies assess the same loss from their own conditions, and the item they disagree about is left unresolved. With one insurer or one package policy that discussion does not arise, because the claim is settled as a whole. You can read more background on the combination under insuring buildings and contents together.
Also note the valuation on both sides. The buildings amount should follow the rebuild value. The contents amount the replacement value as new of your belongings. If either is too low, proportionate payment follows on every claim, including a small one. An amount higher than the actual value gains you nothing: Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code provides that a payment may not put you in a clearly better position. See also what happens if you are underinsured and calculating the rebuild value.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
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What to look out for
Four places where the loss threatens to fall between the two policies.
The permanent-fixture test is not always decisive
Insurers use their own definitions. A floor that is not glued down, a made-to-measure free-standing cupboard and a movable garden house are seen as contents by one company and as structure by another. Read both sets of definitions side by side before you sign, and not only when there is water on the floor.
Sub-limits you only meet when you claim
The contents policy has fixed maximums for jewellery, cash, audiovisual equipment and belongings in a shed or store. The buildings policy often has a separate maximum for garden landscaping, paving and boundary fencing. Above that limit there is no cover, however high the sum insured may otherwise be.
Water: the pipe is covered, the cause not always
Damage from a burst pipe falls under the buildings cover, including the cutting and breaking out needed to reach the pipe. Groundwater, sewage backing up and flooding are usually excluded, as is damp gradually penetrating through poor sealant or a leaking joint. See water damage on buildings insurance.
Refurbishing without reporting it
An extension, a roof addition or a new roof structure changes both the rebuild value and the risk during the works. If you do not report it, the insurer can rely on the Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code on the duty of disclosure, with a reduced payment or none at all as a result.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value and volume: the basis under both sums insured
- Construction type and roof covering: thatch, timber or a partly timber structure counts more heavily
- Postcode and burglary figures: mainly decisive for the contents part
- Type of cover: extended or all-risks, to be chosen separately for each policy
- Excess: sometimes different for storm and for water damage
- Prevention: certified locks and fittings, smoke alarms, lightning protection
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
Which policy covers the damage
| Situation | Buildings | Home contents |
|---|---|---|
| The forced frame and front door through which the burglar came in | Yes | No |
| The laptop and the camera taken in that same burglary | No | Yes |
| Soot and smoke on the ceiling and walls after a smouldering cooker hood | Yes | No |
| A brick garden house at the bottom of the garden that burns down | Yes | No |
| The contents of the freezer in the garage that spoil after a power cut | No | Provided that |
| Rising damp that attacks the skirting boards and the lower wallpaper | No | No |
Every row that touches both policies at once means two claims and two excesses if you are with two insurers.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is a fitted kitchen structure or contents?
A kitchen permanently attached to the home belongs to the structure, even if you had it installed yourself. Separate units merely standing against the wall count as contents. If you live in a flat, a kitchen you installed may instead fall under owner's interest, because the association's policy only insures the original finish.
Can I place the two policies with different companies?
You may, but it increases the chance that a claim falls between the two. With one insurer the claim is assessed in one go and there is one excess and one claims handler. If you do choose two companies, have it recorded which items fall on which side and keep the sums insured up to date on both sides.
What if I rent and paid for the floor and kitchen myself?
As a tenant you do not need buildings insurance. The building belongs to the landlord. What you installed yourself is tenant's interest and should be included on the contents policy. Without that addition, after a fire you will be paid for your furniture but not for the floor, the sun blinds or the bathroom you had installed.
Do I have to report every claim straight away?
Yes. Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to report the damage as soon as you are reasonably aware of it, so that the insurer can investigate and limit its extent. If you wait too long and the insurer's interests are harmed as a result, it may reduce the payment. Damage you cause intentionally is never covered under Article 7:952 DCC.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)The main page
- What does buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) cover?Permanently attached, outbuildings, boundary fencing
- Home contents and buildings: what is the difference?Loose or fixed, two policies, together in one package
- Home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) for a houseYour own home, replacement value as new, buildings cover alongside
- Insuring buildings and contents togetherHome package, fit, one file
- Comparing buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) by policy sectionBasis of valuation, storm, foundations
- What exactly counts as buildings?Permanently attached, outbuildings ·. The line with contents
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what is it and what does it cover?Rebuild value, building, exclusions
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) through a.s.r.Rebuild value, underinsurance, gradual damage