Tort
- Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code
- Property damage and personal injury
- Including a simple accident
- Attributability, even without fault
Article 6:162 DCC · strict liability · injury claims
Why liability insurance is essential in the Netherlands
Dutch liability law places damage with the person who caused it quickly, and where there is injury the amounts run high.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering in Nederland essentieel is.
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
The main rule is in Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code: anyone who acts unlawfully and causes damage as a result must make it good. Dutch law also recognises a series of strict liabilities where no fault is needed. The possessor of a building is liable for defects in it (Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code), the possessor of an animal for what the animal does (Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code), and parents are liable for young children.
Personal liability insurance is not compulsory. The only liability cover required by law is that for motor vehicles, under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). Even so, the AVP is one of the most widely held policies in the Netherlands, and there is a reason for that: in injury claims, loss of income, care, adaptations to the home and compensation for pain and suffering are calculated over decades, and those amounts far exceed average means.
The policy does have clear limits. Liability arising from profession or business falls outside it, as does liability connected with the ownership or letting property that you do not live in yourselfof property. Anyone who lets a home or keeps a second home needs separate cover for that. See also whether the insurance is compulsory in the Netherlands.
What Dutch law places on you
Three categories of liability that affect almost every household.
Strict liability
Liability for property and animals that are yours, even without fault.
- Structures: Article 6:174 DCC
- Animals: Article 6:179 DCC
- Defective movable property
- Applies to hidden defects as well
Children and assistants
Liability for what others in your household do.
- Young children's acts are attributed to you
- House guests and babysitters covered
- Students living away from home often too
- Intent remains excluded
What is covered
| Situation | AVP | A different policy is needed |
|---|---|---|
| You knock over a television at a friend's house | Yes | No |
| Your dog injures a passer-by | Yes | No |
| Injury to a tenant in the home you let out | No | Yes |
| Damage during paid work for others | No | Yes |
| A collision with your car | No | Yes |
| Deliberate vandalism or assault | No | No |
The sums insured, exclusions and excess that apply to you are set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before you take out cover.
Four points about liability in the Netherlands
What makes the Dutch system distinctive and where the policy stops.
Injury claims are calculated over decades
Where injury is permanent, the loss covers more than medical costs. Loss of earning capacity, domestic help, adaptations to the home, travel costs and compensation for pain and suffering are assessed for the rest of the victim's life. A claim can also still be brought years after the event. That is why, when choosing a policy, the sum insured matters more than the difference in premium between two providers.
Strict liability applies without fault
With Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code the injured party does not have to show that you did anything wrong: it is enough that the building did not meet the requirements that may be set for it. That affects owners of homes, sheds, fences and trees. The same applies to animals through Article 6:179 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you let a property, that liability continues in full while the AVP cover falls away.
You have to report letting and work
If you start letting a home, letting a room or running a business from home, the risk on both your liability policy and your home policy changes. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to disclose that information. If you conceal it, the insurer can, under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code , reduce the payment in proportion to the premium you should have paid, or refuse it entirely if the risk was uninsurable.
What the policy does not cover
Excluded are damage to your own property, damage caused by a motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft, fines and traffic offences and pure financial loss without property damage or injury. Damage caused deliberately or recklessly also stays outside the cover, under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Notify a claim as soon as reasonably possible; that is required by Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code , and do not admit liability yourself.
What does your premium depend on?
- Household composition — single person or family
- Sum insured — per event
- Excess — per claim
- Area of cover — Europe or worldwide
- Special possessions — animals, boats, drones
- Package discount and claims history — a combination of policies
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 liability insurance compulsory in the Netherlands?
For private individuals, no. Only liability insurance for motor vehicles is compulsory by law, under Article 2 of the WAM. Landlords, sports clubs, schools and clients do often require liability cover as a condition. Without a policy you carry the loss yourself, and in injury claims those are amounts that can rarely be paid from your own resources.
Does my Dutch policy also apply abroad?
Usually yes. The AVP normally has worldwide cover for holidays and temporary stays, often limited to a continuous period of a few months. If you move abroad or stay there for a long period, the cover lapses or you have to report it. Check the territorial scope in the policy conditions before you stay away for longer than a holiday.
What if my child causes damage?
For children up to fourteen the law attributes the act to the parents, who are liable. Many policies therefore also cover damage deliberately caused by young children. From the age of fourteen the ordinary exclusion for intent in Article 7:952 DCC applies, and for older children it is assessed whether their own conduct was unlawful. Children living at home, and usually also children studying away from home, are covered.
I let a home. Is that covered on my AVP?
Usually not. The AVP excludes liability connected with the ownership or operation of property you do not occupy yourself. You do remain strictly liable under Article 6:174 DCC for damage caused by a defect in the property. For that situation you take out liability insurance for property, alongside buildings insurance for let homes.
What do I do if I am held liable?
Report it to your insurer as soon as you receive the letter holding you liable; Article 7:941 DCC requires notification as soon as reasonably possible. Do not admit liability and make no undertaking about payment, not even out of politeness. The insurer assesses whether you are liable in law and conducts the defence. Keep photographs, witness details and all correspondence.
Read more
Within Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering
- Aansprakelijkheidsverzekeringthe main page
- How liability insurance protects you against risks
- Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering aansprakelijkheid en overige varia
- Waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering voor expats in nederland essentieel is
- Why you need liability insurance in the Netherlands
- Verhuur en aansprakelijkheid waarom een aansprakelijkheidsverzekering onmisbaar is voor vastgoedeigenaren
- Aansprakelijkheidsrisico s bij onroerend goed hoe beschermt een verzekering je
Similar pages
- How liability insurance protects you against risks
- Liability and other miscellaneous risks: which cover belongs where?
- Why liability insurance is essential for expats in the Netherlands
- Why you need liability insurance in the Netherlands
- Letting and liability: what a property owner risks
- Personal liability insurance (AVP) through Turien & Co — compare & calculate your premium
- Premium liability insurance through Turien & Co — compare & calculate your premium
- Liability insurance through Klaverblad
Also relevant
Would you like your cover checked?
Request a quotation without obligation; we check the sum insured and the exclusions 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.