Basic cover
- Injury to persons
- Property damage to third parties
- Employees included
- Retroactive cover (prior risk)
De Vereende · compared independently · advice from Finass
Insurance for vacant properties via Vereende
As soon as a property becomes vacant, the risk changes from occupation to burglary, freezing and arson, and most buildings insurers cancel the policy or cut cover back.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Verzekering voor leegstaande panden via Vereende — vergelijk & bereken premie.
Calculate your premium or request a quote
Without obligation; a reply within one working day.
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
Vacancy is not an administrative detail but a change of risk that you must report. A building where someone walks about every day and which is heated is something other than a property closed up for months. If you do not report it, the insurer can fall back at claim time on the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and the consequences of this in Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, with reduction or refusal as the result.
Vereende focuses on what can no longer be placed elsewhere, and vacancy is the clearest example of that. We use this cover for properties between two tenants, buildings awaiting a change of use, a shop unit after an insolvency and a home still for sale after an inheritance. A property being cleared in phases also falls under it.
Expect narrower cover than you are used to. Where ordinary buildings insurance pays out widely, with vacancy limited perils cover generally remains: fire, storm and lightning strike. Vandalism after forced entry, broken glass and water damage in particular are the items that disappear first, while those are precisely the losses that happen to an empty property.
Through Finass or direct with De Vereende?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Extended cover
In addition to damage to third parties, employers' and product liability and damage during work at the client's premises.
- Employers' liability at the client's premises
- Product liability
- Agency workers, interns & volunteers
- Care, custody and control (property in your care)
Complete package
The most complete cover. We compare the extended version from Vereende with the market.
- Environmental impairment (unforeseen, limited)
- Retroactive cover (prior risk)
- Higher sums insured
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 | Provided it is declared | Yes |
| Groundwater coming through the floor | No | No |
| Wear and deferred maintenance | No | No |
What we do
| What we do | At Finass | Direct with De Vereende |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison across several insurers | Yes | No |
| Advice based on your own situation | Yes | Sometimes |
| One point of contact for claims | Yes | Sometimes |
| Cancellation with your current insurer arranged | Yes | No |
| We determine whether De Vereende is the best choice | Yes | No |
| Advice fees for you as a customer | No | No |
This overview concerns our service, not the cover. What is actually covered is set out in the policy conditions and on the insurer's insurance card (verzekeringskaart); you receive both before you take out cover.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
As the owner you remain strictly liable, even with no occupier
If a roof tile, a facade panel or a piece of fascia board falls into the street, you are liable as possessor of the structure under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. Nobody has to prove fault; the defect is enough. An empty property falls into disrepair faster and nobody reports loose components. Do not leave an open cellar, a shaft or an unstable staircase accessible, because that creates a hazard under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code added.
Freezing and leaks go unnoticed
The classic vacancy claim is a burst pipe in January that runs for six weeks before anyone opens the door. Insurers therefore impose the condition that the water supply is shut off and drained, or that the property is kept at a minimum temperature. If that has not been done, the water damage is excluded. The same often applies to a central heating system that has not been drained and to sprinkler or fire main pipework.
Squatting, copper theft and arson
An empty property is a stock of materials: copper pipework, cabling, boilers and sun blinds disappear, and whoever comes for them first tears open the ceilings. Vandalism after unlawful entry is often excluded or tightly limited in vacancy conditions. Boarding up windows and doors, removing combustible material from around the facade and sealing the letterbox are not optional advice but policy obligations.
Property guardians, demolition and building work change the policy again
If you bring in property guardians, the building is occupied again and residents have contents of their own; you must report that, because the cover is then different. Properties awaiting demolition or where a contractor is at work fall outside this insurance; the building risk belongs with construction insurance. Loss of rent or missed sale proceeds is reimbursed under no variant.
Retroactive cover (prior risk)
Retroactive cover (prior risk) Included for your staff during work.
Defence & legal costs
What does your premium depend on?
- Duration and expected period of the vacancy — Two months between tenants is assessed differently from a property that has been closed up for years.
- Construction type and roof covering — Masonry with a hard roof covering is more favourable than timber construction or thatch, certainly where there is arson.
- Location and surroundings — A remote commercial property with no neighbours overlooking it is more attractive to burglars than a residential street.
- Security and boarding up — Steel boarding, an alarm with response and camera surveillance determine whether the theft element can still be covered.
- Inspection frequency — How often someone actually walks round the property and records it is a firm condition with vacancy.
- Designated use and future plans — A change of use, sale, demolition or building work each leads to a different form of cover and a different rate.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
From when does my property count as vacant?
There is no fixed number of weeks. What is decisive is whether the building is in fact still in use for living or working. A shop whose stock has gone and where nobody comes any more is empty, even though the tenancy formally continues. Report the moment use stops to your insurer; that notification matters more than the legal status.
Is vandalism after squatting covered?
Usually not, or only up to a limited amount. Damage arising after someone has entered the property unlawfully is a standard exclusion in vacancy conditions, because the risk stems precisely from the vacancy itself. What you can do is reduce the likelihood with boarding and an alarm, and limit the consequences by removing and storing valuable installations in advance.
Do I have to inspect the property periodically?
Yes, that is a policy obligation under virtually every vacancy cover. It usually involves a fixed round inside and outside, with a brief record of the date, findings and photographs. If you neglect that obligation and damage arises as a result that could have been discovered earlier, the insurer can reduce or entirely refuse payment.
Can I insure lost rental income?
No. Business interruption cover attaches to a running operation interrupted by a covered loss; with an empty property there is no operation to interrupt. The insurance reimburses repair of the building, clearing costs and liability towards third parties. The vacancy risk itself, that is to say the failure to find a tenant or buyer, remains a business risk.
Read more
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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 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.