In France, cover for natural disasters only takes effect once the state has officially declared the area a disaster zone, and a strict notification period is attached to that.
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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The French multirisque habitation resembles a Dutch home policy, but one element works fundamentally differently. Flooding, mudflow, earthquake and drought damage are governed by the statutory catastrophe naturellesystem. Your insurer does not pay for that damage on its own authority: an interministerial order for your municipality must first appear in the official gazette. If that order does not come, the loss remains yours.
As soon as the order is published, a short period begins within which you must report the damage. That period is why Dutch owners who only come to take a look in the spring find themselves too late. If you own the property from a distance, you need someone locally who follows the municipal notices.
The second French theme is the ground. Shrinkage and swelling of clay soil in dry weather causes cracking in walls and foundations, particularly in older detached houses. If you carry out building work, the assurance dommages-ouvrage applies to you as the client. Compare the position in Monacoas well, where the same legal concepts apply but the type of property is different.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The building
Buildings
The home at rebuild value, based on local building costs.
Fire, storm and water
Burglary damage
Outbuildings and swimming pool
The fit-out
Home contents
Furniture and equipment you leave there permanently.
Separate sum insured
Theft while the property is unoccupied
Lower sub-limit
As the owner
Liability
Your liability for the building and towards tenants.
A part of the facade coming loose
Injury at the swimming pool
Particularly relevant when letting
What is covered
Situation
Covered
Fire or storm damage to the home
Yes
Water damage while the property is occupied
Yes
Water damage during a long period of vacancy
No
Damage caused by a tenant
Sometimes
Theft of your home contents while the property is let
Sometimes
Deferred maintenance and frost damage
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Cover only after the arrêté de catastrophe naturelle
A flooded valley or a mudflow only leads to a payment once the municipality has been included in an interministerial order published in the official gazette. A short notification period then applies. So arrange for a managing agent, neighbour or syndic to follow the notices for your municipality and alert you at once. Report the damage to your own insurer immediately as well; in a Dutch policy that is Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Drought, clay soil and cracks in the walls
In large parts of France the clay soil swells and shrinks with the seasons. In detached houses with shallow foundations that leads to cracking in walls and floors. This sécheressedamage falls under the same disaster system and therefore under the same condition of an official order. Cracks that are demonstrably the result of deferred maintenance or of defective foundations remain outside any cover.
Building work: dommages-ouvrage and ten-year liability
If you have building work carried out in France, as the client you are required to take out dommages-ouvrageinsurance. It pays for the repair of structural defects without the question of fault first having to be fought out with the contractor, who is himself subject to a ten-year liability. Without that policy, a subsided extension means years of litigation for you, and on a sale the buyer will make an issue of it.
Wildfire zone and the duty to clear vegetation
In the south, designated municipalities impose a duty to clear the vegetation around the building and along the drive. If you do not comply, the insurer may reduce the payment in the event of a wildfire. Also excluded are: damage during a long vacancy to pipework that has not been shut off, deferred maintenance to the roof and shutters, and damage to a swimming pool from freezing where it has not been winterised.
Letting is commercial use
If you let through a platform, say so. Without notification, damage during the letting period falls outside the cover.
A Dutch policy or a local policy
For most destinations you can choose. A Dutch policy means Dutch conditions, Dutch law and claims handling in Dutch — worth a great deal in the event of a large claim in a country whose language you do not speak. A local policy sometimes fits regional natural hazards better.
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.
An order of the French state establishing that a municipality has been hit by a natural disaster. Without that order the insurer does not pay for flood, mudflow, earthquake or drought damage. After publication, a short period runs in which to submit your claim. So make sure someone locally follows the notices if you are not there yourself.
Are cracks caused by drought insured?
Only through the disaster system, and therefore only if your municipality has been included in an official order for that period. The loss adjuster then examines whether the cracks really come from ground movement and not from defective foundations or deferred maintenance. If in doubt, it pays to obtain a surveyor's opinion on the foundations before you buy.
Do I need a dommages-ouvrage policy for building work?
As the client for structural work you are in principle required to have one. The policy pays for the repair of defects that affect the soundness of the structure, without the contractor's liability having to be established first. If you sell the house within ten years of the work, the notary will ask about it.
Do I have to report seasonal letting to my insurer?
Yes. Letting to changing guests is commercial use and affects both acceptance and your liability towards the tenants, for example after an accident in the swimming pool. If you do not report it, the duty of disclosure comes into play; in a Dutch policy that is Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, and the payment may be reduced.
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.
