Buildings and outbuildings
- On a rebuild value basis
- Fire, storm, water, burglary damage
- Name outbuildings separately
- Thatch or timber increases the risk
Second home · vacancy · reporting letting
Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) is essential for your second home
A second home is usually not permanently occupied and is regularly let. Both facts change the risk and therefore the cover you need.
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- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
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- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Waarom een opstalverzekering onmisbaar is voor uw tweede huis.
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 situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
With your first home, buildings insurance is taken for granted: the mortgage lender requires it. With a second home that pressure is often absent, while the risk is in fact greater. A home that stands empty for most of the year means that a leak, a chimney fire or a burglary is discovered later. What in an occupied house is a wet floor is in an empty house a floor structure rotted through.
A second home also rarely falls under the policy for your main residence. Insurers accept the second home separately and then want to know how it is used: solely by you, occasionally lent out, or let to third parties. The last of these is a fundamentally different risk. Letting that you do not declare touches the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code, with the possible result that the payout is reduced or lost under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
You also remain liable as the owner of the building. Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code places strict liability on the possessor of a structure: if a roof tile falls on a passer-by or a balcony gives way under guests, you are liable without anyone having to show fault. See also why liability with a second home needs separate attention.
What buildings insurance for a second home arranges
Three elements that count more heavily with a second home than with your main residence.
Occupation and letting
The policy is geared to how often and by whom the home is used.
- Your own use, lending it out or letting
- The form of letting on the policy schedule
- Vacancy clause with a time limit
- Short-term letting often excluded
Owner's liability
Injury or damage to guests, tenants or neighbours caused by a defect in the property.
- Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code
- Personal liability insurance (AVP) usually does not cover letting
- Loose sections of roof and scaffolding
- Trees and boundary fencing
What is covered
| Situation | Own use only | Letting as well |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, storm and water damage to the home | Yes | Yes |
| Damage from burglary while you are away | Yes | Yes |
| Loss of rent after a covered claim | No | Provided that |
| Vandalism by tenants or their visitors | No | Provided that |
| Frost damage to pipes in an unheated house | Provided that | Provided that |
| Damage during a long period of vacancy | No | No |
Which periods, limits and exclusions apply to you is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before taking out the policy.
Four points for a second home
What is different with a second home compared with the home you live in yourself.
Letting does not fall under a private policy
Buildings insurance for a second home assumes use by the owner. As soon as you let the home, even occasionally through a platform, the situation departs from what was accepted. Declare the letting when you take out the policy or when it changes; that is required by Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code . If you do not, the insurer can reduce the payout in proportion to the premium you should have paid, or refuse it entirely (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code).
A vacancy narrows the cover automatically
Almost every policy has a vacancy clause. If the home stands unoccupied for longer than the period stated, the cover falls back to a limited number of perils, usually fire, storm and lightning. Water damage, burglary and vandalism then drop away. With a second home you only use in season, that is not a theoretical matter. Discuss in advance which period applies and what requirements are set for supervision, locks and heating.
What is structurally outside the cover
Even a good policy does not cover a number of causes. Excluded are, among other things, damage caused by deferred maintenance, wood rot and wear, damage caused by vermin, mould and slowly penetrating damp, and settlement or damage to foundations. In a home unused for months, these are precisely the kinds of damage that arise. Intent and recklessness also remain excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Maintenance is therefore not a luxury but a condition of the policy.
The sum insured is the rebuild value, not the purchase price
Insurers work with the rebuild value: what it costs to build a similar property again, excluding the land. With a second home in a hard-to-reach location, with thatch, timber or listed status, that value is often higher than the purchase price. A figure that is too low leads to underinsurance and therefore a proportionately lower payout. With unusual properties, a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code the value for a fixed period.
What does your premium depend on?
- Rebuild value — the basis for calculating the buildings cover
- Use and level of occupation — permanent, seasonal or empty
- Letting — to third parties or not
- Construction type and roof covering — brick, timber or thatch
- Location and access — burglary, storm and water risk
- Excess and extensions — glass, outbuildings, loss of rent
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.
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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.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Does my second home fall under the policy for my first home?
No. Buildings insurance is tied to one address and one risk profile. For your second home you take out separate buildings insurance, geared to its use. Some insurers include both homes in one package, but they remain two covers with their own sums insured and their own conditions. You also insure the contents of the second home separately.
What if I let my second home occasionally?
Report it. Even occasional letting, for example a few weeks a year through a letting platform, is a change of risk for the insurer. Some policies exclude short-term letting entirely, others accept it subject to additional conditions and a higher premium. Concealing it touches the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and can cost you the payout on a claim that has nothing to do with the letting.
Is buildings insurance compulsory for a second home?
Not by law. If you finance the home with a mortgage, the lender will almost always require buildings insurance, and with a flat the deed of division under Article 5:112 of the Dutch Civil Code usually prescribes joint buildings insurance through the VvE. Without a mortgage you bear the full rebuilding risk yourself, and with a second home that is rarely a responsible choice.
What happens if the home stands empty for months?
After the period stated in the policy, the cover falls back to a limited number of perils, usually fire, storm and lightning. Damage from burglary, vandalism and water is then not covered. Insurers also set requirements: locks, periodic checks and sometimes draining the water supply in winter. Discuss your pattern of use in advance, so that the clause fits your situation.
Does my liability insurance cover the second home?
Often only if you use the home solely yourself, and sometimes only for a home in the Netherlands. As soon as you let it, ownership of the property usually falls outside the AVP. You are still strictly liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage caused by a defect in the building. For that you need liability insurance for property owners.
Read more
Within Opstalverzekering
- Opstalverzekeringthe main page
- Why buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) protects your biggest asset
- Vermijd deze fouten bij het kopen van een eigendomsverzekering
- Wat is opstalverzekering
- Vereniging eigen huis opstalverzekering
- Begrijp de basis van eigendomsverzekeringen
- Opstalverzekering veel gestelde vragen
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Is your second home properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation; we will check vacancy, letting and the rebuild value against your situation.
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 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.