What does home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) not cover?

What is never covered

Wear and tear, ageing and vermin. A sofa that sags or an appliance that stops after eight years is not sudden damage.

Gradual damage such as damp slowly rising or a leak that went unnoticed for months.

Motor vehicles, trailers and boats, even when they are in your garage; they have their own insurance.

What often falls outside

Your own mishaps such as dropping something. That is only covered under comprehensive cover, not under extended cover.

Away from home — theft from your bag, a broken phone in the pub — falls outside most policies.

What is fixed: a fitted kitchen or glued-down floor is buildings, or tenant's improvements if you rent.

What is covered only in part

For jewellery, audiovisual equipment and collections a sub-limit applies per category, often a few thousand euros for everything together.

Money and securities carry a low maximum. Garden furniture sometimes has its own conditions for damage outside the home.

What to do about it

Read the sub-limits on your policy schedule; they are there, but almost nobody looks before something happens. Anything above them you insure with a valuables policy, which also covers you away from home.