Buildings insurance for businesses through De Vereende
Some business premises no longer find a home in the ordinary market. De Vereende is then one of the routes that remains, with cover narrower than you are used to.
- 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
De Vereende focuses on risks that cannot, or can no longer, be placed elsewhere. With business premises that means a building with a fire history, structural vacancy, an occupier in a line of business insurers are cautious about, a squatted or partly demolished building, or a policy the previous insurer has cancelled. What this insurer does is set out at De Vereende.
The main expectation you need to adjust concerns the extent of the cover. Where ordinary buildings insurance is wide and also includes damage from burglary, vandalism, water and impact, cover in this market is often limited to a list of named perils: fire, explosion, lightning, storm and aircraft. Anything not on that list is not insured. That is not an oversight but a deliberate choice to keep the risk placeable.
The second difference lies in the clauses. Expect requirements about securing the site, regular inspection of an empty building, shutting off gas, water and electricity, boarding up accessible windows and doors, and an inspection of the electrical installation. A clause is a condition: if you do not comply with it and the loss is connected with that, it is an independent reason not to pay. The general explanation of this product is on the hub page.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare commercial buildings insurance.
Independent, personal, sorted quickly
We compare your commercial 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.
Commercial buildings insurance
Compare
Get coveredWhy 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.
What to look out for
Four points that determine whether premises can be placed in the specialist market and stay insured.
Tell the whole story in the application
A previous cancellation, an avoidance, a fire history or a criminal record must be disclosed. That is not optional: Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code imposes a duty of disclosure on you and Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code determines what happens if you fail to do so. Where information is concealed, the insurer can refuse payment, even if the fact concealed has nothing to do with the loss.
Vacancy calls for active management
An empty building attracts copper theft, cable theft, squatting and arson. Insurers therefore tie the cover to periodic inspection and records of it. Record who attends, how often and what has been checked. Without those records you are empty-handed when you claim, even if you were in fact keeping an eye on the building.
What is never included
In this market too, the following remain excluded: damage from deferred maintenance, inherent defect and construction defects, subsidence and foundation damage, gradual action of damp, vermin, and damage connected with illegal use such as cannabis cultivation. Arson by or with the knowledge of the insured is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code, and soil contamination is not property damage but a matter for environmental damage insurance.
It is intended as an interim solution
As soon as the reason for the refusal disappears, there is reason to look again. A building that is fully let again, a completed renovation, an inspected installation or a claim-free period all make a return to the ordinary market possible. So have the policy reviewed periodically rather than letting it renew silently year after year.
What does your premium depend on?
- Reason for the earlier refusal: claims history, use or vacancy
- State of maintenance: roof, walls, installations and security
- Use of the premises: and the occupier's line of business
- Length of the vacancy: and the supervision arranged for it
- Type of cover chosen: named perils or wider, where possible
- Excess: in this market usually higher than normal
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Named perils | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| A fire spreads from the neighbouring building | Yes | Yes |
| A storm tears the roof boarding loose | Yes | Yes |
| Burglars force the roller door and wreck the frame | No | Yes |
| The facade is daubed with graffiti and the ground floor windows are smashed | No | Yes |
| A lorry breaks up the loading dock while turning | No | Yes |
| A pipe in the loft freezes and bursts and the water comes through the ceiling | No | Provided that |
The list in the left-hand column differs by insurer; have it set literally against these six situations before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
When does this insurer come into the picture?
Only after the ordinary market has been tried. Finass first puts the application to the insurers we work with. If the building finds no home there because of a claims history, the nature of the use or vacancy, an insurer for specialist risks is one of the remaining routes. That is a division of roles within the market and not a judgement on how you run your business.
Why is the cover narrower than on my previous policy?
Because the risk cannot otherwise be placed. Cover on a named perils basis is limited to a list such as fire, explosion, lightning and storm. Damage from burglary, vandalism, impact and water then falls outside it. Read the list literally and work out which part of your risk remains uninsured, so that you can allow for it yourself.
Can I move back to a mainstream insurer later?
Often, yes. If the circumstance that led to the refusal has gone and there is a claim-free period to set against it, we can offer the building to the market again. So keep evidence of renovations carried out, inspections and security measures; in a new application that file counts for more than the premium you pay now.
What happens if I have not complied with a clause?
The insurer can then refuse or limit payment, provided there is a connection between the non-compliance and the loss. Where an inspection round was not carried out at an empty building in which a fire then starts, that connection is quickly made. Report the loss immediately in any event; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires it and prompt notification keeps the discussion to the clause itself.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) and commercial buildings insurance (gebouwenverzekering): the same or not?The main page
- Business buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): which version suits your premisesFire, extended, comprehensive
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for let propertyVacancy, loss of rent, owner's liability
- Business buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): effective protection for your business premisesPrevention, rebuild value, exclusions
- Commercial buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting your premisesLoss of rent, vacancy, tenant's improvements
- a.s.r.'s buildings insurancePrevention, warranty clauses, fire safety
- De Vereende's buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)Unusual risks, vacancy, clauses
- Insuring business contents and trading stock through De VereendeHard-to-place risk, warranty clauses, survey