Reporting a change on behalf of the VvE
If anything changes about the building, the board or the use of the spaces, let us know. Unreported changes are the most common reason for a disappointing payment at a VvE.
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In brief
A VvE policy is taken out on the basis of a snapshot: this building, this use, this rebuild value. If something material changes, the risk the insurer carries changes. Almost all policy conditions therefore require the association to report a change of risk within a short period. If you do not, the insurer can still adjust the premium or the conditions, and can reduce or refuse payment for a loss connected with the changed circumstance.
Report at least: any building work, extension or roof extension, replacement of the roof covering, the installation of solar panels or charging points, a change in the use of a space (from a home to an office, practice, hospitality business or room letting), a long vacancy of a flat or business premises, a changed rebuild value following a valuation, and a change of board, managing agent, collection account or correspondence address. Scaffolding standing against the facade for months also counts as a changed circumstance.
On an application the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and, if information is withheld, the sanction under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies: the insurer can reduce payment proportionately or refuse it entirely. For reporting a loss, Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Codeapplies. If a claim is already running, use reporting a claim in a VvE. For other questions on behalf of the association there is VvE contact.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare personal liability insurance (AVP).
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The changes that most often lead to discussion
Four situations in which failing to report has demonstrable consequences for the payment.
Building work and scaffolding
During building work the fire and burglary risk of the whole building changes. Insurers often impose clauses on roof work involving naked flames and on securing scaffolding outside working hours. Report the start and end dates and the nature of the work in advance. Fire damage after roof work that was not reported is a classic ground for refusal.
Solar panels and charging points
Panels on the communal roof increase the rebuild value and bring their own fire risk through inverters and cabling. They are not automatically included. The same applies to charging points in the car park, for which insurers can set additional requirements for installation and inspection. Keep the installation and inspection reports.
A different use or a vacancy
A flat let out room by room, business premises going from office to hospitality, or a unit standing empty for months: all three change the risk. Vacancy is, in many policies, a restricted-cover situation in which only fire and storm are still covered, and water damage or vandalism are not.
Rebuild value and indexation
After an extension or a rise in building costs the sum insured can become too low. Where there is underinsurance the insurer pays in proportion, so that the association bears part of every loss itself. An up-to-date valuation report usually gives entitlement to a guarantee against underinsurance; check how long it remains valid.
What does your premium depend on?
- New rebuild value: after an extension or a revaluation the premium is recalculated
- Changed use: hospitality or room letting counts more heavily than residential use
- Length of the vacancy: the longer it lasts, the more restricted the cover
- The nature of the building work: structural work and naked flames increase the risk
- Extra installations: solar panels, charging points and heat pumps
- Loss prevention and inspection: a valid electrical inspection can bring the premium down
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Change notified in advance | Change not notified |
|---|---|---|
| A chimney fire after a resident had a wood burner installed with a flue through the communal roof | Yes | No |
| A fire in the communal storerooms caused by a fat bike left on charge there | Yes | No |
| A planter blows off the newly built roof terrace onto a parked car | Yes | Provided that |
| Water damage in the communal laundry room that the board had fitted out without consultation | Yes | No |
| Storm damage to the roof tiles, entirely unrelated to the change made | Yes | Yes |
| Wet rot in the window frames that has developed over the years | No | No |
If the loss is not connected with the changed circumstance, the cover simply stands. If it is connected, the notification becomes decisive.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Does every small change have to be reported?
No. It is about changes that affect the risk or the insured value: the structure, the use, the occupation, the installations and the value of the building. Painting or a new letterbox does not need reporting. If in doubt, report it anyway; a notification that turns out to have been unnecessary costs nothing, whereas a missing notification can cost part of the payment.
We have a new board. Does anything change on the policy?
The insurance is in the association's name and simply continues. The people authorised to sign and the correspondence address do have to be updated, otherwise post and renewal notices go to the wrong address. With directors' and officers' liability insurance the change is particularly important, because former board members can still be held liable after they step down.
What happens if a change has not been reported?
That depends on whether the loss is connected with that change. If it is not, payment is usually made as normal and the premium is adjusted retrospectively. If the loss is connected with it, the insurer can reduce payment proportionately under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, and refuse it entirely where there was an intention to deceive.
From when does the change take effect?
From the date the insurer puts on the amended policy schedule, not from your notification. Wait for that confirmation and check that all the details are correct: sum insured, use, clauses and excess. If something is wrong, report it immediately. Keep the amended policy schedule with the minutes recording the resolution.