The VvE's buildings insurance
- Structure, roof, facade and stairwell
- The basis is set out in the deed of division
- The excess comes out of the VvE's funds
- Rebuild value often through a valuation
VvE insurance and your own home: who insures what?
In a block of flats the buildings insurance runs through the owners' association. What you still have to arrange yourself is less obvious than it looks.
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- We compare the offerings of several insurers
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- Switching arranged
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In brief
With a flat you own an apartment right: a share in the building plus the exclusive right to use your home. The building as a whole is therefore not yours alone, and you do not insure it alone either. The division regulations, which go back to Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code, usually require the VvE to insure the whole building against fire and storm damage, among other things. You contribute to that through the service charge.
That does not mean you have nothing left to arrange. The VvE policy covers the building in the state in which it was divided. What you have had installed since then, such as a new kitchen, bathroom, parquet floor or an extension on the roof terrace, often falls outside that cover. There is owner's interestcover for that, usually placed on your own home contents insurance. Your furniture, appliances and clothing you insure yourself in any case.
If things go wrong, the question of which policy responds usually comes down to one point: did the damage arise in a communal or in a private part? That boundary is set out in the deed of division. See also the VvE's buildings insurance and cover for the owner's interest.
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Who insures which part?
Three policies together cover a flat; they only join up if you match them to one another.
Owner's interest
Improvements you installed yourself that are not part of the divided state.
- Kitchen, bathroom and floors
- Usually on the home contents policy
- Keep invoices and photographs
- Declare the amount separately
Home contents and liability
Your belongings and the damage you cause to others in the building.
- Home contents at replacement value as new
- Limits for jewellery and art
- Liability under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code
- Water damage to the flat below
What is covered
| Situation | VvE policy | Your own policy |
|---|---|---|
| Fire damage to the facade, roof and stairwell | Yes | No |
| A leak from a communal pipe | Yes | No |
| A kitchen and parquet floor you installed yourself | Provided that | Yes |
| Furniture, appliances and clothing | No | Yes |
| Water damage you cause to the flat below | No | 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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value of the complex: the basis of the VvE policy
- Year of construction and state of maintenance: an older building, a higher risk
- Number of apartment rights: the size and allocation of the contribution
- Use of the complex: residential, let or mixed with shops
- Sum insured for the owner's interest: improvements you installed yourself
- Excess and extensions: glass, liability, legal expenses
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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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.
Four points that affect owners in a VvE
This is where most misunderstandings arise between the VvE policy and your own insurance.
The deed of division determines the boundary
Whether a loss lies with the VvE or with you depends on whether it concerns a communal or a private part. That division is set out in the deed of division and the regulations, based on Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code. Window frames, pipework and balconies do not fall the same way in every building. Ask for the deed before you report a loss. It determines which party you turn to.
The owner's interest is the item most often forgotten
The VvE insures the building as it stood at the time of division. If you have since replaced a kitchen, refitted a bathroom or had a poured floor laid, that investment is often not in the VvE's sum insured. The owner's interest cover fills that gap, usually through your home contents insurance. Declare a realistic amount and keep invoices and photographs. When you claim you have to be able to substantiate what was there.
A dormant VvE is a risk
A VvE that does not meet, has no reserve fund and manages no policy still exists in law and remains responsible for the building. After a fire it can turn out that there is no insurance or an outdated one, with a sum insured that has not been index-linked for years. As a co-owner you then share in the shortfall. Check the association's policy schedule at least once a year, along with the date of the last valuation.
The exclusions apply on both policies
A VvE policy does not cover subsidence, foundation damage or pile roteither, nor damage caused by deferred maintenance, wear and tear or defects in construction and materials, nor damage caused by vermin, mould and slowly penetrating damp. With older buildings in particular that leads to argument: a roof that has been leaking for years is maintenance and not damage. Intent and recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to take out buildings insurance for my flat myself?
No, provided the VvE insures the building. The division regulations, based on Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code, usually require the association to insure the whole building. You contribute to that through the service charge. Your own buildings policy would then be duplicate cover. You do insure your own home contents and the owner's interest: improvements you have made since the division.
What exactly is owner's interest?
Everything you have had installed in your flat that was not part of the original divided state: a new kitchen, bathroom, poured floor, parquet or fitted wardrobes. The VvE policy covers the building as it was divided, so that investment falls outside it. You insure it as a separate amount, usually on your home contents insurance.
Who do I report water damage from the flat above to?
First to the VvE or the managing agent, so that the cause is established. If the water comes from a communal pipe, the VvE policy responds. If the cause lies in a private part, a washing machine or a pipe of their own for example, the liability of that owner under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and the cover under their liability insurance come into play.
What if the VvE is dormant?
The association then still exists in law, but it does not function. The risk is that there is no current buildings insurance or that the sum insured has not been adjusted for years. After a large loss you share in the shortfall as a co-owner. Activate the VvE, have a board appointed and check whether the building is insured at the current rebuild value.
Who pays the excess on the VvE policy?
In principle it comes out of the association's funds and is therefore borne by all the owners through their contributions. Some VvEs pass the excess on to the owner concerned where the damage is in a private part; whether that is permitted depends on the regulations and on resolutions of the general meeting. Ask about this before you report a loss.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)The main page
- The VvE's buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)Deed of division, rebuild value, owner's interest
- A VvE and liability: which insurance do you need?Article 5:112 DCC, communal parts, the board
- A flat and buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)Deed of division, owner's interest, fractions
- Insurance for the VvEStatutory obligation, valuation, board and management
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for an apartmentThe VvE insures the building, owner's interest, excess
- Buildings insurance for the VvEDeed of division, rebuild value, owner's interest
Read more
Does your cover join up with the VvE's?
Request a quote without obligation. We compare the VvE policy with your own home contents and owner's interest cover.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.