Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a static caravan
A static caravan is movable property in law and therefore does not fit on an ordinary buildings policy. The question is which policy does carry the built part.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) insures an immovable property: a building permanently united with the ground. A static caravan stands on concrete slabs or props, can be moved and thus remains movable property. A home insurer declines such a unit, and rightly so: the policy has no rebuild value for it. That is not a formality but the reason why damage to your chalet does not fall under the buildings policy for your house.
If the caravan stands on a rented pitch, the park owner is the owner of the ground, the drainage and the communal facilities. He is liable for defects in those under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. You remain responsible for the caravan itself, the extension and everything you have added to it. The park policy does not cover your unit; check that in the park rules before you assume it does.
The solution runs through a separate static caravan insurance as a holiday unit. If the chalet stands on your own land, on brick foundations, and can no longer be moved without damage, it can become immovable and genuine buildings cover comes into play. That assessment is made case by case.
What does buildings insurance for a static caravan cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Through the towing vehicle
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the trailer.
Covered while coupled
Under the car's third-party liability cover
Uncoupled: no longer covered
The object itself
Third-party, fire and theft
External causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft after forced entry
Hail, depending on the policy
Full
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Collision and manoeuvring
Vandalism
Contents as a separate section
What is covered
Situation
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Theft after forced entry, with the prescribed lock
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm damage on the pitch
Yes
Yes
Hail damage to roof and walls
Provided that
Yes
Collision damage while manoeuvring
No
Yes
Contents in the caravan or trailer
Provided that
Provided that
Damp, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
A trailer or caravan is not an independent motor vehicle and therefore has no insurance requirement of its own. Damage you cause to others with it falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle, as long as the combination is coupled (Article 2 WAM). Once the trailer is uncoupled and has come to a standstill, that cover no longer applies.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Movable or immovable determines which policy is possible
The dividing line lies at permanent union with the ground. A caravan on concrete slabs with a removable porch remains movable property, even if it has stood there for ten years. A chalet on brick foundations, connected to fixed services and no longer movable in one piece, may be immovable. Only in that second case is buildings cover open for discussion. Have the situation assessed before you apply for a policy; putting it right afterwards costs cover.
What the park owner does and does not insure
The owner of the park insures the infrastructure: roads, pipework, communal buildings and the greenery. He bears strict liability for defects in those under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. Your caravan, your terrace, your shed and your contents fall outside that. If a park tree falls on your roof, the question is one of the park's maintenance and liability; if your own tree falls, it is down to you. Record both with photographs.
The extension is the item most often missing
A A conservatory, canopy, veranda or store is added after siting and then drops out of sight. These parts increase the value of the whole but are rarely on the policy. In a storm it is precisely the extension that is vulnerable, because it is anchored more lightly than the caravan itself. Declare each added part separately with its year of build and construction. Without a declaration there is no insurable interest and no payment follows, however obvious the damage.
What stays outside every cover
Three things are paid for on no variant. Design faults and deferred maintenance fall under it: a leaking roof that has been rotting away for years is not a sudden event. Subsidence or groundwater damage to the ground is a matter for the landowner, not for your unit policy. And damage because the caravan was not anchored or propped in accordance with the park rules is at your own expense in a storm.
What does your premium depend on?
Year of construction and construction type. A timber chalet, a fibreglass caravan and an insulated unit are assessed differently.
Declared value including extensions. A conservatory, store and canopy count towards the sum insured and therefore towards the premium.
Location of the park. Coastal locations and open sites are more prone to storm than a sheltered inland park.
Anchoring and foundations. How the unit is secured and propped directly affects acceptance for storm.
Presence of gas and wood burning. A stove or gas installation changes the fire risk and the maintenance requirements.
Use and length of periods standing empty. Recreational use by you, permanent occupation or letting each produce different conditions.
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.
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.
As a rule, no. Buildings insurance covers the building at the address on the policy and is based on the rebuild value of immovable property. A static caravan on a park is movable property and stands at a different address. Insurers exclude that. The unit belongs on its own policy for holiday units, where the value and the pitch are recorded separately.
When does a chalet become immovable after all?
When it is permanently united with the ground: brick or poured foundations, fixed connections, and moving it is only possible by damaging or dismantling the unit. Owning the land strengthens that picture. Buildings cover then comes into play. That assessment is made case by case; have it done before you choose a policy, not after damage has occurred.
Who is liable if a park tree falls on my caravan?
That depends on the maintenance. For defects in buildings and works on the site, the park owner bears strict liability under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. For trees, the ordinary duty of care under Article 6:162 DCC applies, which is about overdue inspection or pruning. Report the damage to your own insurer and to the park, and record the situation with photographs.
Do I have to declare the extension separately?
Yes. Conservatories, canopies, verandas and stores are almost always added after siting and belong on the policy separately with their year of build and construction. Without that declaration there is no insurable interest for that part and no payment follows in a storm or a fire. Also declare later extensions, because the sum insured does not grow by itself with what you build on.
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.
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