Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
- Walls, roof, foundations and fixed floors
- Kitchen, bathroom and central heating system
- Shed, garage and usually the boundary fencing
- Solar panels covered once declared
Buildings · contents · liability
Insurance for your home and family
Around a home three insurances circle each other: buildings cover for the structure, home contents cover for your belongings and liability cover for damage you or your family cause to others. Below you can read exactly where the boundaries lie.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Verzekeringen voor huis en gezin.
Calculate your premium or request a quote
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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The buildings insurance insures the building: walls, roof, foundations, fixed floors, the kitchen and the bathroom, and everything fixed to the home. The home contents insurance insures everything you take with you when you move. That rule of thumb works in almost every borderline case: if it goes with you when you move, it is contents; if it stays put, it is buildings.
The third pillar is personal liability insurance. That covers damage which you, your partner, your children or your pet cause to someone else, under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. As the owner you are also liable for defects in your property: if a roof tile falls on the neighbour's car, Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies, even though you did nothing wrong. For a pet, Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Buildings insurance is not compulsory by law, but almost every mortgage lender requires it, because the security would otherwise be unprotected. If you live in a flat, the VvE insures the building collectively and you insure your own contents and your own improvements yourself. See also exactly what buildings insurance covers.
Three insurances around the household
Each insurance covers its own part; together they fit alongside each other.
Home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering)
Covers everything you take with you when you move.
- Furniture, clothing, equipment and bicycles
- Loose rugs, curtains and lamps
- Valuables often up to a maximum
- Calculated on replacement value as new, not on rebuild value
Liability
Covers damage you or your family cause to someone else.
- Applies to the whole family, including pets
- Also as owner of the property (6:174 DCC)
- Damage to your own belongings is not included
- Intent is always excluded
What is covered
| Situation | Buildings | Home contents |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted kitchen and built-in appliances | Yes | No |
| Sofa, bed and television | No | Yes |
| Glued vinyl or parquet flooring | Yes | No |
| Loose-laid floor covering and curtains | No | Yes |
| Solar panels on the roof | Yes | No |
| Subsidence, pile rot and deferred maintenance | 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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that determine whether your family is really covered when there is a claim.
The boundary between buildings and contents determines who pays
With water damage in the kitchen, the fitted kitchen can fall on the buildings policy and the loose dining table on the home contents policy. If both are with the same insurer, you notice little of that. If they are with different parties, you get two files and two lots of excess. The rule of thumb still holds: if it goes with you when you move, it is contents.
The sum insured has to move with it
The buildings policy is based on the rebuild value, not with the WOZ value or the sale price. If you refurbish, add an extension or a dormer window, that value rises. If you do not report it, underinsurance arises and the insurer pays proportionately less. With guarantee against underinsurance that does not arise, provided the value calculator has been filled in correctly.
As the owner you are liable even without fault
If a roof tile blows off your roof onto the neighbour's car, you are liable as the owner of the building under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, even if you did nothing wrong. That damage does not fall on your buildings policy but on your liability insurance. For damage caused by your dog or cat, Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies. Neither insurance covers your own belongings.
What no home policy covers
A fixed group of causes falls outside both buildings and contents. Not covered are subsidence, foundation damage and pile rot, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear, design and material faults, and damage caused by vermin, mould and slowly penetrating damp. Flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence also falls outside the ordinary cover, and damage caused by intent or recklessness is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the home — the basis of calculation for buildings cover
- Type of home and construction type — detached, terraced, thatched or brick
- Household composition — determines the contents value
- Postcode area — burglary, storm and water risk
- Type of cover — extended or comprehensive
- Package discount and excess — several policies with one party
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.
Do I need both buildings insurance and home contents insurance?
As the owner of a home, usually yes. Buildings insurance covers the structure, home contents insurance your belongings; they do not overlap. If you rent, the landlord insures the building and you only need home contents insurance, supplemented with cover for tenant's improvements if you have fitted a kitchen or a floor yourself.
Is liability insurance compulsory?
No, for private individuals it is not compulsory by law. You are, however, liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage you cause unlawfully, and as the owner of a defective building even without fault under Article 6:174 DCC. Without insurance you pay that damage yourself, and personal injury quickly runs to amounts a household cannot carry.
Are my children covered as well?
On personal liability insurance the whole family is normally co-insured: your partner, children living at home, and often students living away and guests as well. For young children there is often wider cover, even where their behaviour does not count as unlawful. Check in the conditions from what age and up to what amount that applies.
Is damage to my own belongings also covered by the liability insurance?
No. Liability insurance covers only damage you cause to someone else. If you drop your own television, that is a contents claim and covered only on an all-risks form. If you damage your own home while doing DIY, that is an all-risks buildings claim. On the extended form, your own mishaps are not covered.
What changes if I live in a flat?
Then the VvE (Dutch owners' association) insures the whole building with one buildings policy; the costs run through your service charge. You insure your own contents yourself and usually your own improvements, such as a more luxurious kitchen or bathroom. Check that the VvE is active and that the sum insured for the building is up to date.
Read more
Similar pages
- What should you insure when you move into a place of your own?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): what is it and what does it cover?
- Why property insurance is essential for homeowners
- Is buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) the same as home insurance?
- What is the difference between home contents and buildings insurance?
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering): rebuild value and exclusions
Everything for home and family in one place?
Request a quote without obligation; we will make sure buildings, contents and liability fit together.
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 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.
