Buildings
- Fire, storm and water
- Burglary damage
- Outbuildings and swimming pool
Insuring a holiday home in Ireland
Ireland is in the EU, so a Dutch policy usually remains possible. The question is whether the Irish underwriting map still wants to give your address flood cover.
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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
Because Ireland is an EU member state, a Dutch insurer may cover a risk located there under the freedom to provide services. So you almost always have a choice: a Dutch policy with Dutch law, Dutch-language conditions and access to Kifid (the financial services complaints institute), or an Irish policy that sits closer to local claims practice. We set both routes side by side before you sign.
Acceptance turns on water. Irish insurers assess the flood risk address by address, and unlike some neighbouring countries there is no national safety-net scheme to fall back on if the market refuses your street. A refusal or a flood exclusion says nothing about the claims history of your own property.
An Irish holiday home also often stands outside the built-up area, with its own septic tank and sometimes its own water source on the plot. That brings maintenance obligations that affect the policy. See also the position in the United Kingdom, where supervision and the water arrangements are completely different, and the general holiday home insurance.
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Holiday home in Ireland: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Home contents
Furniture and equipment you leave there permanently.
- Separate sum insured
- Theft while the property is unoccupied
- Lower sub-limit
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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Outcome of the flood check on the address. This first determines whether an offer is made at all, and only then what it costs.
- Distance to the Atlantic coast. Persistent driving rain and salt air put a strain on the roof, window frames and ironmongery.
- Connection to mains drainage and water. A private septic tank and a private well call for maintenance you can prove.
- Method of construction and roof covering. An old cottage with solid walls or a thatched roof is assessed separately.
- Number of consecutive days unoccupied. Beyond the period stated in the policy, cover for water, theft and vandalism lapses.
- Letting to guests. Short-term letting makes the house a commercial risk with its own liability.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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.
Why 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.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
EU membership keeps the Dutch policy open
Because Ireland lies within the EU, a Dutch insurer can cover the risk there without separate local authorisation. If you choose that route, Dutch law applies: the duty of disclosure when you apply follows Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, you report a claim under Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code and you can put a dispute to Kifid. Do have it checked that the sum insured matches Irish rebuilding costs; underinsurance is settled through Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Flooding is assessed address by address, with no safety net
The Irish market assesses the application on the location of the address, not on what the property itself has ever been through. If your street lies in an area marked as flood-prone, an exclusion for water damage from outside follows, or the whole application is refused. There is no national scheme to catch that. So ask two providers for an indicative acceptance before you buy; a refusal is a point to negotiate on the price.
Flood defences that have been built do not count automatically
If a quay wall, retaining wall or pumping station has been built in your area, that need not yet have reached the insurer's risk map. Supply the evidence yourself: completion documents for the works, the measured floor level in relation to the surrounding ground and photographs of the situation. Insurers who see that file sometimes make an offer after all, usually with a considerably higher excess for water from outside.
Septic tank, private well and solid walls
Outside the village the house discharges into its own septic tank and the water comes from a well. A blockage, a subsided tank or a pump cracked by frost are maintenance items and not an insured event; soil contamination and clean-up costs after a leaking tank normally remain excluded. Also excluded: damp gradually penetrating solid, uninsulated external walls, and frost damage in a house you left unheated.
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Can I insure my Irish holiday home from the Netherlands?
Usually you can. Ireland is an EU member state, so a Dutch insurer may cover the risk there without separate local authorisation. You then keep Dutch law, Dutch-language conditions and access to Kifid. Do have it calculated whether the sum insured matches Irish rebuilding costs. If it does not, a claim is settled proportionally.
Why is my application refused when the house has never had water in it?
Because the assessment is made on the address and not on your claims history. If the street lies in a flood-prone area on the map, an exclusion or a refusal follows. Unlike in the United Kingdom, there is no national safety-net scheme. Ask several providers for an indication and supply details of the floor level and of any flood defences that have been built.
Is damage caused by the septic tank insured?
Rarely. Blockage, subsidence and wear of the tank or the pump count as maintenance, and soil contamination with the associated clean-up costs normally falls outside home cover. If a sudden defect lets water into the house, the damage to the building may well be covered. Have the tank emptied periodically and keep the receipts as evidence.
What happens if the house stands empty for months?
The policy states a fixed number of consecutive days. Beyond that, cover for water damage, theft and vandalism normally lapses, unless you report the vacancy in advance and accept additional requirements such as periodic checks and draining the pipes. If you do not report it, on a Dutch policy you run into Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Holiday home insuranceThe main page
- Insuring a holiday home in LuxembourgSecond home, Luxembourg, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in GermanySecond home, Germany, vacancy and letting
- Compare holiday home insuranceVacancy, letting, local rebuilding costs
- Insuring a holiday home in AustriaSecond home, Austria, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in BelgiumSecond home, Belgium, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in FranceSecond home, France, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in the United KingdomSecond home, United Kingdom, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in the NetherlandsSecond home, the Netherlands, vacancy and letting
Read more
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.