Fire and explosion
- The structure, roof and door covered
- Stored items not covered
- Batteries and gas bottles must be reported
- Spread to the neighbouring garage: liability
Fire · burglary · storm
Damage to your lock-up: what buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) does and does not cover
A lock-up garage is a building in its own right with nobody watching over it. Buildings insurance covers damage to the structure, not to what you keep inside it.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Schade aan uw garagebox: dit dekt een opstalverzekering wel en niet.
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In brief
Buildings insurance for a lock-up garage follows the same logic as for a house: cover applies to damage to the building caused by one of the causes named in the policy conditions. In practice those are fire, explosion, lightning, storm, hail, water from a pipe and damage from forced entry. The building comprises the walls, floor, roof structure and roof covering, the up-and-over door with its locks and fittings, and the permanently installed electrics.
What is inside the garage falls outside this. Tools, a set of winter tyres, furniture, a motorcycle or a classic car are not part of the buildings. If the garage burns out, the building is repaired and those contents go unpaid, unless you have arranged something separately for them. An ordinary home contents insurance covers items in the house and rarely extends automatically to a separate building at another address. Ask about this expressly and have it recorded in writing.
If the garage is in a divided complex, the VvE the building under the deed of division, which goes back to Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code. You then report damage to the VvE or the managing agent and not to an insurer of your own. Also read what buildings insurance for a lock-up garage covers exactly.
What damage occurs in practice?
Three types of claim account for almost the whole picture with separate lock-up garages.
Burglary and vandalism
Damage from forced entry to the door and lock falls under the buildings cover, the stolen goods do not.
- Up-and-over door, lock and frame repaired
- Theft of contents not covered
- Requirements for locks and fittings
- A police report is required
Storm, hail and leaks
The flat roofs of garages are vulnerable to wind and standing water.
- Roof covering blown loose covered
- A blocked drain counts as maintenance
- Rainfall through a leaking roof covered only in part
- Groundwater in the floor excluded
What is covered
| Situation | Building | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Fire damage after a short circuit in the garage | Yes | No |
| Damage from forced entry to the up-and-over door and lock | Yes | No |
| A storm tearing the roof covering loose | Yes | No |
| Theft of tools or tyres | No | Provided that |
| Damage to a car or caravan kept there | No | Provided that |
| A leak caused by a blocked roof drain | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Four points about damage to a lock-up garage
What you arrange in advance determines what is left after a claim.
The building and the contents are two different policies
This is the most common misunderstanding with lock-up garages. Buildings insurance repairs the construction: walls, floor, roof and door. Everything you store is contents and falls outside it. A car, motorcycle or caravan kept there falls under that vehicle's own-damage cover, not under the garage's buildings policy. If you want the stored items insured, that calls for a separate contents or goods arrangement expressly naming the address of the garage.
Report the damage quickly and record what you find
Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code obliges you to report damage as soon as is reasonably possible and to limit further damage. With a garage that means: making the building secure after a break-in or storm, draining water away and turning off the power. After a burglary or vandalism, always report it to the police; insurers ask for this as standard. Photograph the damage before you clear up and keep the damaged lock or section of roof.
If the damage spreads, liability comes into play
Blocks of garages stand right against each other. If a fire starts in your garage and spreads to the neighbours, the owner of a defective structure can be liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, or liable for unlawful conduct under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Buildings insurance pays for your own building; for damage to third parties you need liability cover. Where the garage is used for business, that is almost always a commercial policy.
What is never covered with a lock-up garage
Excluded are subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear and tear and construction or material faults, and damage caused by vermin, mould and slowly penetrating damp. A roof leaking through a blocked drain or bitumen coming loose that has had no attention for years is regarded as maintenance. Groundwater rising through the floor is excluded as well, as is damage caused deliberately or recklessly under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the garage box — floor area and construction type
- Construction and roof covering — concrete, masonry or timber
- Position of the block of garages — inner courtyard or public area
- Use of the garage box — private, letting or business
- Security — lock, lighting and supervision
- Type of cover and excess — fire or extended
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk 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.
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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.
Are the contents of my lock-up garage insured?
No. Buildings insurance covers the structure: walls, floor, roof and the door. Tools, tyres, furniture and hobby materials are contents and fall outside it. Home contents insurance in principle covers items in the house and rarely extends automatically to a separate building elsewhere. Ask for a separate arrangement in which the address of the garage is expressly stated.
Who pays for the damage if the garage is in a VvE complex?
The owners' association's insurer. The deed of division, based on Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code, obliges the VvE to insure the building against fire and storm damage among other things. You report the damage to the board or the managing agent. The excess comes out of the VvE's funds. Improvements you have made to the garage yourself are not always covered.
My roof has been leaking for a while. Is that covered?
Probably not. Damage arising gradually through wear, ageing or a blocked drain falls under poor maintenance and is excluded. A sudden cause is usually covered, for example a storm tearing the roof covering loose. Repairing the cause itself, so the worn-out roof, is at your expense in both cases.
What if the fire in my garage spreads to the one next door?
Then liability comes into play. Buildings insurance only pays for your own building. For damage to the neighbours, liability can arise under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for the owner of a defective structure, or Article 6:162 DCC for unlawful conduct. So arrange liability cover and report it if you use the garage for business.
Do I have to report a burglary of the lock-up garage to the police?
Yes. For damage from forced entry and vandalism, insurers ask as standard for a police report or a crime reference number. Also report the damage itself to the insurer as quickly as possible, as Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires, and photograph the damaged lock, door and frame before you repair them. Keep the damaged parts until the loss adjuster has seen them.
Read more
Similar pages
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a garage box: is it compulsory and what does it cover?
- Insuring a garage or lock-up: what buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) does and does not do
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Also relevant
Damage to your lock-up garage?
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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.
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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.