Moving house · living together · DIY work
Living and insurance in a new situation
Most cover problems arise not when a policy is taken out, but at the moment your living situation changes and the policy schedule stays as it was.
- 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: Wonen en verzekeren bij een nieuwe situatie.
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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.
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- 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 an insurer, moving house is not a change of address but a change in risk. A ground-floor flat, a home with a thatched roof, a property by the water or an address in a different postcode band produces a different burglary, storm and water risk. Insurers may adjust the premium or the conditions and in exceptional cases terminate the policy. If you do not report the move, then in the event of a claim the policy was entered into on details other than the actual ones.
Living together or marrying almost always produces double cover : two contents policies, two liability insurances, two legal expenses policies. Where cover overlaps, in principle only one insurer pays out, so the second premium is money thrown away. Conversely, when a couple separates a gap arises, because the departing partner is often no longer named as a household member on the policy schedule. Both moments call for a brief check.
Work on the home is the third moment. As long as you are painting or wallpapering yourself, little changes, but as soon as demolition, an extension or opening up a roof is involved, part of the damage falls outside the buildings insurance. In that case look at Personal CAR insurance. An overview of the other personal covers is set out under home package.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Mortgages: we refer you on.
Four moments to review your policy
Situations in which cover quietly stops matching what is actually going on.
During the move itself
Damage to furniture while moving is generally covered only to a limited extent or excluded under a home contents policy; it is not an event at the risk address. If a professional firm carries out the move, that firm is liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and its liability insurance covers the damage. If you do it yourself with borrowed equipment, a damaged borrowed trailer falls under the care, custody and control exclusion.
Letting a room or taking in a housemate
Letting a room changes the capacity in which the home is used. A policy for owner occupation does not cover tenants, and a housemate who is not a family member does not fall under your liability insurance. In addition, as the owner you are subject to the strict liability under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for defects in the building. Always report letting in advance.
Solar panels, a charging point and a heat pump
These installations increase the rebuild value and bring a risk profile of their own. Panels on the roof are often only covered if they have been declared; fire damage demonstrably arising from a faulty installation is an inherent defect and is not reimbursed. Keep the installation certificate and the inspection report for the electrical connection.
Working from home
A study with a laptop is not yet a business. If you receive clients, store trading stock or use equipment for paid work, it is. The personal policy excludes damage connected with profession or business , including under the liability cover. A visitor who trips in your consulting room therefore falls outside your personal policy.
What does your premium depend on?
- New postcode — burglary and water risk differ by area
- Type and construction of the home — flat, terraced house or detached with thatch
- Number of occupants — decisive for the contents value and the liability cover
- Installations fitted — panels, a charging point and a heat pump increase the rebuild value
- Security level — certified locks and fittings or an alarm
- Business use or not — a practice at home calls for separate cover
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | Standard cover | After notification or a supplementary declaration |
|---|---|---|
| You let a room to a student and his fridge causes a fire | No | Provided that |
| Rain comes in during the extension work because the roof was open | No | Provided that |
| A client trips in the consulting room you have set up at home | No | Yes |
| The heat pump just installed behind the house is stolen | Provided that | Yes |
| Your partner moves in with you and his racing bike disappears from the shed | Provided that | Yes |
| Your sofa is damaged while you move house yourself with a borrowed trailer | No | No |
The left-hand column is the policy as it currently stands; the right-hand column is the same policy after you have reported the change.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Do I have to report a move if the cover stays the same?
Yes. The insurer accepted the risk on the basis of the old address, and the risk address is one of the core details of a household policy. Even if the premium is unchanged, the policy schedule must be correct. Also report changes to the contents of the home and to the level of security, because the sum insured and sometimes a clause depend on them.
Are my belongings insured while in storage?
Only if something has been agreed about it. Contents in a storage unit are not at the risk address and therefore fall outside ordinary cover, or under a limited temporary arrangement with a maximum of its own. For a longer period, separate storage cover is needed. Also ask what perils the storage location itself insures; that is almost never more than fire.
Is damage caused by my children covered by my policy?
Children living at home are covered under the personal liability insurance (AVP). For young children a wider arrangement often applies under which even deliberately caused damage is reimbursed up to a certain age. If a child goes away to study, that cover continues under many policies as long as the child is unmarried; do check this, because the arrangement differs by company.
What if I only report a change afterwards?
The insurer then considers what it would have done had it been notified in time. If it would have accepted the risk at a higher premium, the payout is reduced proportionately under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. If it would not have taken the risk at all, the right to payment lapses. Reporting takes an email; not reporting can cost you the whole claim.