Buildings
- Fire, storm and water
- Burglary damage
- Outbuildings and swimming pool
Insuring a holiday home in Italy
For a property in Italy the assessment starts with the seismic zone of the municipality and with the question whether the building is of masonry or of reinforced concrete.
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- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
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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
In Italy an earthquake is not a marginal case but the defining risk. The country is divided into seismic zones, and that classification drives acceptance. In the heaviest zones insurers offer the extension for terremoto only with an excess expressed as a share of the sum insured, or not at all. In the lightest zones the extension is usually available without much difficulty.
The second question is the construction. An old house in a borgo, built of natural stone or unreinforced masonry, is assessed differently from a post-war property of reinforced concrete. Alterations that affect the structure must have been carried out with the proper permits. If those are missing, that is a problem when you claim.
If you own an apartment, the building itself is covered by the polizza globale fabbricati of the condominio and you insure your own part and your contents yourself. We check where those two policies overlap or in fact leave a gap. Compare Spainas well, where earthquakes are dealt with through a national scheme.
Understanding insurance, without the small print
Policy wording is rarely easy reading. We explain what the terms actually mean, so you can judge for yourself what you need — and what you don't.
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Holiday home in Italy: 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?
- Seismic zone of the municipality. Determines whether the earthquake extension is offered and on what terms.
- Method of construction and number of storeys. Unreinforced masonry is assessed more strictly than reinforced concrete.
- Apartment in a condominio or detached property. With a condominio the joint policy covers the structure and you cover the rest.
- Rebuild value based on Italian building costs. Repairs in historic centres cost more because of material and heritage requirements.
- Land registry and structural conformity. Differences between the paperwork and reality can reduce the payment.
- Security and use of shutters. Theft cover is tied to the use of the prescribed means of closure.
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.
Seismic zone and the earthquake extension
The municipality in which your property lies has a seismic classification. That determines whether the earthquake extension is offered and on what terms. In the heaviest zones an excess applies that is expressed as a share of the sum insured, so that in a large loss you bear a substantial part yourself. Without this extension, earthquake damage is entirely excluded, including any fire that follows.
Masonry or reinforced concrete
For the Italian underwriter the type of construction is decisive. Unreinforced masonry and natural stone, common in old village centres, are rated more heavily for earthquake than a frame of reinforced concrete. The number of storeys and the presence of tie rods or ring beams also count. Have the method and year of construction recorded in the application. An incorrect declaration almost always comes out at the loss adjustment.
Permits, alterations and the land registry position
Italian properties have often been altered without the land registry or the municipal records being updated. In a large loss the adjuster checks whether the building matches the permitted and registered situation. If it does not, the payment may be reduced. Arrange the conformità urbanistica e catastale when you buy, not once something has gone wrong.
What falls outside the cover
Three exclusions come back again and again in Italian files. First, damage from volcanic ash and eruption, which must be insured separately and does not come along with the earthquake cover. Second, gradual subsidence and settlement of an old building. Third, theft where the prescribed locks or shutters were not used while you were away. Intent and recklessness fall under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code in a Dutch policy.
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.
Is earthquake damage covered as standard in Italy?
No. The basic policy covers fire, water and storm; earthquake is a separate extension that you must request expressly. Without that extension, a fire following a tremor is excluded as well. In the heaviest seismic zones an excess also applies that is expressed as a share of the sum insured.
What does the condominio policy cover and what does it not?
The joint policy normally covers the structure, the roof, the facades and the communal areas. Your own kitchen, bathroom, floors, finishes and contents fall outside it. Ask the managing agent for the policy, check whether the earthquake extension is included, and insure your owner's interest and contents separately.
Why does the insurer ask for my land registry documents?
Because in a large loss it is checked whether the building matches the permitted and registered situation. Alterations that were never registered, or that changed the structure without permission, can lead to the payment being reduced. Have conformity checked when you buy. That is the same check the notary needs.
Is volcanic damage covered along with earthquake?
Not automatically. Eruption, ash load on roofs and pyroclastic flow are a separate peril, offered separately, and not every insurer offers it in the immediate vicinity of an active volcano. If your property lies in such an area, have it stated expressly in the policy which volcanic consequences are and are not covered.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- What kinds of insurance exist?The main page
- Which types of non-life insurance are there?Property, liability, continuity
- Insurance fraud and the consequencesRegister, eight years, unintentional
- What types of insurance are there?Indemnity, fixed sums, health, income
- Insuring a holiday home in PortugalSecond home, Portugal, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in SpainSecond home, Spain, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in BelgiumSecond home, Belgium, 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.