The building
- State the number of units explicitly
- Extended, or only fire, storm and explosion
- Prevention conditions appear on the policy
- Rebuild value by value calculator or valuation
Letting by the room · acceptance · prevention requirements
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) with room letting: from permit to policy
Letting by the room calls for a different policy from ordinary home insurance. This guide runs through the steps: recording the use, meeting the requirements and choosing the cover.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Opstalverzekering bij kamerverhuur: van vergunning tot polis.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The most important step comes before you take out the policy: record what you actually do with the property. To an insurer, letting by the room is not a detail but the heart of the risk assessment. An ordinary private buildings policy assumes one household living in the home itself and does not cover letting. If you state on the application that you live there while five rooms are let, the property is not insured as it is used.
That is not a formality. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code imposes a duty of disclosure on you: when taking out the insurance you must declare everything relevant to the assessment of the risk. If that duty is breached, Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code determines the consequence. If the insurer would have charged more premium had it known the facts, the payment is reduced proportionately; if it would have refused the property, no payment follows. In a fire at a student house, that means the whole amount.
Then come the practical steps: the local authority permit for letting by the room, the fire safety requirements that go with the number of occupants, and the choice between extended and limited cover. Finally you decide whether to include loss of rent and your owner's interest . See also the page buildings insurance for rooms let.
The three building blocks of your policy
A policy for letting rooms consists of the building, your own fixtures and your rental income.
Owner's interest
The kitchens, sanitary ware and furnishings you installed yourself.
- Often more per room than expected
- Separate from the occupants' tenant's interest
- Only covered with its own sum insured
- Record in the tenancy agreement what is yours
Loss of rent
The rental income you lose while rooms stand empty after a covered claim.
- Only after a covered cause of loss
- Up to the period stated in the policy
- Not for non-payment or difficulty letting
- Important if there is a mortgage on the property
What is covered
| Situation | Limited | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Fire and lightning strike in the student house | Yes | Yes |
| Water damage from a burst pipe | No | Yes |
| Burglary through a room door or the back door | No | Yes |
| Loss of rent while rooms are uninhabitable | Provided that | Provided that |
| Fire while smoke alarms were absent | No | No |
| Damage from cannabis cultivation in a let room | 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.
Step by step to a policy that holds
Four steps that determine whether your room letting is and remains insurable.
Establish the number of units let
Insurers make acceptance dependent on the number of separately let units. One lodging student is something other than a property with six rooms, a shared kitchen and changing occupants. As the number of units rises, the risk is assessed more commercially and the property moves to a let-property or property owners' policy. So count the units literally and report them, including when you add one in the loft later.
Arrange the permit and the permitted use
Many municipalities require a conversion permit or withdrawal permit for letting by the room, and the use must fit within the environment plan. Insurers ask about this on the application. If you let without the required permit, you not only run an enforcement risk with the local authority but also give the insurer grounds to rely on an incorrect declaration of use. Arrange the permit before the first occupant moves in.
Rijksoverheid (the Dutch central government) on renting and letting
Meet the fire requirements demonstrably
Letting rooms carries a higher fire risk: more cooking facilities, more appliances and occupants who do not always know one another. The fire safety requirements in the Buildings (Living Environment) Decree become stricter as the number of occupants grows. Insurers translate that into prevention conditions on the policy: interlinked smoke alarms, fire-resisting separation between units, a clear escape route and an inspected electrical installation. Keep the evidence; it will be asked for when you claim.
Know the exclusions before you sign
Even a correctly arranged policy does not pay for everything. Outside cover are, among other things, wilful damage and vandalism by the occupants themselves, deferred maintenance, wear and design faults and damage caused by cannabis cultivation or other illegal use. Subsidence, vermin, mould and gradual damp also fall outside, as do intent and recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. If damage occurs, report it as soon as reasonably possible; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires that.
What does your premium depend on?
- Number of rooms let — determines acceptance
- Rebuild value — the basis of calculation
- Fire prevention — alarms, separation, wiring
- Construction type and year of construction — material and state of maintenance
- Postcode area — burglary and fire service risk
- Extensions chosen — loss of rent, glass, owner's interest
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.
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 how many rooms is a separate policy needed?
There is no statutory limit; each insurer applies its own acceptance rules. In practice, one let room in an owner-occupied home can often stay on the home policy, while a property let entirely by the room moves to a landlord's policy. What decides it is your declaration: state the actual number of units and occupants and let the insurer decide.
Do I have to report converting the property into rooms in advance?
Yes. Dividing a home into rooms changes both the rebuild value and the risk. During the work, different conditions often apply as well, for example around roofing and welding work. Report the work and the new use in advance, so the sum insured is adjusted and no dispute arises about underinsurance or about how the property is used.
Who insures the occupants' belongings?
The occupants themselves, with their own home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering). Your policy covers the building and your owner's interest: the kitchens, sanitary ware, floors and furniture you install or let with the property. Point out to occupants when you hand over the keys that they need their own contents and liability insurance; that prevents them coming to you after a loss for items that were never covered by your policy.
What if a fire starts from a hotplate in a room?
Fire is a named cause and is usually covered, even if an occupant was careless. Two things can cut across that: the letting was not reported, so that Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code applies, or the prevention conditions were not met, for example missing smoke alarms or a blocked escape route. The insurer can then reduce or refuse payment.
Am I liable for accidents in the property?
As owner you are the possessor of the structure. Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code places liability for damage caused by a defect in the building on the possessor, even without fault. Think of a loose handrail or a defective fire door. Personal liability insurance (AVP) usually excludes letting; so take out liability cover for property owners.
Read more
Similar pages
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for rooms let and student houses
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a student house
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for rooms let
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) when letting: what does the landlord arrange?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for student houses
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for property landlords
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for an unoccupied home
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) is essential for your second home
Letting rooms with the right policy?
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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.