Buildings
- Insured on rebuild value, not on the WOZ value
- Check the guarantee against underinsurance
- Glass and solar panels sometimes separately
- Declaring the use of the property correctly
Rebuild value · use · liability
Insuring your property investment
With let or investment property the risk rarely lies in the premium, but in the match between what you declare and what actually goes on in the building.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
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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 activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A property owner usually needs three covers. The buildings insurance for the building itself, a liability insurance for your position as owner, and cover for loss of rent when the property cannot be let for a time after a loss. Without that last one, the mortgage payments continue while the rental income stops.
The owner's liability is anchored in law in Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code: the possessor of a structure is liable if the building does not meet the standards that may be expected of it and thereby creates a danger. A loose roof tile that strikes someone, a defective gallery floor, a broken stair rail: that loss lands with you, whether or not you knew about the defect. With an apartment right, the regulations under Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Codealso apply, setting out what the VvE (Dutch owners' association) insures and what you insure yourself.
The greatest risk of a low payout is incorrectly declared use. Letting rooms, housing migrant workers, a catering function on the ground floor or a period of vacancy are very different risks for an insurer from a family home. See also what goes wrong if the stated use is incorrect.
Three covers that together deal with the risk
Each part answers a different question: the building, your liability and your income.
Owner's liability
Covers third-party injury and property damage caused by a defect in the building.
- Based on Article 6:174 DCC
- Applies even without knowledge of the defect
- Sum insured per claim and per year
- Your maintenance file is your evidence
Loss of rent
Pays lost rent for as long as the property is uninhabitable after a loss.
- Often a maximum period in months
- Only after a covered cause of loss
- Vacancy known in advance is not covered
- A percentage of the rent as the basis
What is covered
| Situation | Own use | A building that is let |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, storm and water damage to the building | Yes | Yes |
| Liability for a defect in the property | Yes | Yes |
| Lost rental income after an insured loss | No | Provided that |
| Vandalism or contamination by a tenant | No | Provided that |
| Damage during prolonged vacancy or renovation | Provided that | Provided that |
| Subsidence, foundation damage 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.
Two tips that pay off most
Both are about the match between paper and reality.
Keep the sum insured and the stated use up to date
Building costs rise and buildings change function. If the sum insured lags behind, underinsurance arises and the insurer pays proportionately less than your loss. If the use changes — from family home to letting rooms, from office to catering, or a period of vacancy — the risk changes materially. Report that in writing. On entering into the contract, Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code; an incorrect or incomplete disclosure can reduce the payout or cause it to lapse under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Record maintenance and reports
If a claim is brought under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code , your maintenance file is the difference between an argument and a case. Keep inspection reports for the roof, the facade and gallery floors, inspection records for installations, and correspondence with tenants about defects they reported. What remains outside the cover in any event is deferred maintenance, wear and design faults, mould and slowly acting damp, and damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence is also excluded.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the premises — the main basis for calculation
- Use and type of tenant — residential, rooms, office or catering
- Construction type and roof covering — brick, timber or thatch
- Year of construction and state of maintenance — older premises, higher risk
- Postcode area — burglary, storm and water risk
- Size of the portfolio — several properties on one policy
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.
Is an ordinary home insurance policy enough for a let property?
Usually not. Many home policies assume the owner lives there and exclude letting, letting rooms or vacancy, or restrict them severely. Let property needs a policy that expressly names the letting use, including loss of rent and liability as owner. Have the policy schedule checked on this point before the first tenant moves in.
With a flat, who insures the building: me or the VvE?
With an apartment right, the VvE insures the whole building, including your flat. You insure the contents, your own alterations and your liability, and often the excess that the VvE passes on when there is a loss. Exactly what falls to the VvE is set out in the deed of division, which rests on Article 5:112 DCC. Ask for the VvE's policy schedule and set it alongside your own cover.
Is damage caused by a tenant covered?
In part. Fire or water damage from an accidental cause falls under the ordinary cover. Vandalism, contamination and wilful damage by the tenant are only covered if you have expressly included that section, and then usually up to a maximum. Damage from cannabis cultivation or other criminal activity is almost always excluded. Screening tenants and a sound tenancy agreement therefore remain your first line of defence.
What happens during temporary vacancy?
Vacancy increases the risk of burglary, vandalism and undetected leaks, and insurers then usually restrict the cover to fire, storm and lightning strike. So report vacancy as soon as it occurs, even if you expect it to be brief. Some insurers set additional requirements, such as draining water pipes or checking the property periodically.
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Does your cover match the actual use?
Request a quote without obligation; we check rebuild value, use and liability for each property.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
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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.