Belongings away from home · signs of forced entry · storage
Insuring a private storage facility through OOM Verzekeringen
Belongings kept outside your home are rarely included on your home contents policy. A storage unit therefore needs its own cover for the building and for its contents.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Een particuliere opslagplaats verzekeren via OOM Verzekeringen.
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 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.
In brief
For storage space away from the home the regular market is thin. Finass Advies compares several insurers objectively and uses OOM Verzekeringen where a small building or an interest does not fit a home or contents product. A private storage unit is such a case: a shed on a separate plot, an old stable, a lock-up garage or a rented unit in which you keep what does not fit in the house. The starting point is the question of who insures what. If you rent a unit, the landlord insures the building and not your contents. If you own the building yourself, you need buildings cover alongside cover for what is in it.
The distinguishing point is that ordinary home contents insurance assumes belongings in the home. For items in an outbuilding, a shed or storage space elsewhere, a restriction almost always applies: only certain perils, a considerably lower sub-limit, or no cover at all. Valuables, money, jewellery and collections are almost always excludedoutside the home. What you store therefore determines whether separate cover is needed; see also insuring contents in storage and ordinary home contents insurance.
The second theme is supervision. A storage unit stands closed for weeks or months, is unheated and is rarely checked. Two consequences follow. First, insurers set requirements on the lock, the door and sometimes on detection; theft without signs of forced entry is not paid. Second, slow processes fall outside the cover: condensation in an unheated space, mould, wood rot and damage gnawed by vermin are not insured perils. Storage for business purposes is subject to a different regime; see the business storage unit.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare holiday home and chalet insurance.
What to look out for
Four points that with private storage make the difference between cover and disappointment.
Stored vehicles belong on their own policy
A caravan, boat, motorcycle or classic car you put in the shed is not home contents. Those items need their own insurance, with a storage clause stating where the vehicle stands out of season. Report the storage address, because a different location can lead to refusal after a fire or theft. See for example the caravan insurance.
What you may not put in it
Insurers set limits on storing flammable materials. Jerrycans of fuel, gas bottles, paint and solvents are often excluded or subject to conditions. Charging the batteries of e-bikes, mobility scooters or tools in an unsupervised space is also a well-known ground for refusal after a fire. Charge batteries somewhere with smoke detection and supervision, not in the shed.
Damp, condensation and vermin
An unheated space with a steel or asbestos-free corrugated skin produces condensation. Mould, rust, woodworm, damage from mice and martens, and slow deterioration are excluded: insurance pays for a sudden, unforeseen event. Furniture, books, textiles and electronics therefore do not belong in an unconditioned space, however tempting the space may be.
The building itself
If you own the storage unit, you need buildings cover for the roof, walls, floor and doors, on the basis of rebuild value. Note vacancy and deferred maintenance: many policies limit cover to fire and storm during long periods of vacancy, and damage from a leaking roof or blocked gutters is not an insured peril. A lock-up garage often has a separate arrangement; see buildings insurance for a garage box.
What does your premium depend on?
- Ownership or rental of the space: determines whether buildings cover is also needed
- Construction type and roof covering: masonry, timber or steel sheeting
- Nature of the items stored: garden furniture weighs differently from electronics
- Security: lock, door, lighting and any detection
- Location: at the house, on a yard or standing alone in the countryside
- Frequency of supervision: a weekly visit or closed for months
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Buildings cover for a storage facility | Contents in storage |
|---|---|---|
| Fire destroys the roof and walls of your shed on the separate plot | Yes | No |
| In that same fire your parents' stored furniture is lost | No | Yes |
| Burglars force the door and take your tools | Yes | Provided that |
| The coin collection you kept in the unit disappears | No | No |
| The roof of the rented unit leaks and your boxes are soaked | No | Provided that |
| A storm tears a corrugated sheet off your own storage shed | Yes | No |
After a burglary, the sub-limit for items outside the home determines the payout more often than the question of whether there was a break-in.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Are my belongings in a rented storage unit covered by my home contents insurance?
Usually not, or only to a limited extent and up to a low sub-limit. Home contents cover is written for items in the home; outside it, separate provisions apply. The landlord of the unit insures the building and not your possessions, and often excludes liability in the rental terms. Apply for separate cover, therefore, and declare a sum that matches what is actually there.
There has been a break-in, but there is no damage to the door. Will I be paid?
Probably not. Virtually every policy requires signs of forced entry to the outside of the space. Where these are missing, the insurer assumes entry was made with a key or a code. That is particularly relevant where several people have access. Always report it to the police, take photographs of the situation and notify your insurer immediately.
May I keep someone else's belongings there?
You may, but those items are not your property and are not covered by your policy. If they are lost, you can be held responsible on the basis of the arrangement you made with the owner. Private liability insurance (AVP) usually offers no help there, because damage to goods in your care is excluded. Let the owner insure them.
I also use the space for my side earnings. Does that matter?
Yes. As soon as trading stock, work tools or customers' goods are there, the storage is wholly or partly commercial. You must report that under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code, because the risk and the nature of the contents change. A private policy is not written for that; commercial business contents and goods cover is.
Read more
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