{"id":767565,"date":"2025-05-28T12:26:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T10:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/?p=767565"},"modified":"2026-06-03T14:33:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:33:19","slug":"insurance-for-letting-and-renting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/insurance-for-letting-and-renting\/","title":{"rendered":"Insurance for letting (and renting) a property"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Letting a property comes with responsibilities. Many private landlords are unaware that a standard homeowner\u2019s insurance policy may no longer provide sufficient coverage once a property is rented out. This can lead to unpleasant surprises if damage occurs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">What happens if a tenant causes a fire? Who is liable if a roof tile comes loose and causes injury? And are you still insured if you fail to inform your insurer that the property is being let?<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In this article, we explain which insurance policies are important when letting a property and what landlords should pay attention to.<\/p>\n<h2>The basic principle: everyone insures their own belongings<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">When it comes to letting property, there is a simple rule: everyone insures their own possessions. The landlord insures the property and any belongings that remain part of the rental. The tenant insures their personal belongings. This means, for example, that a landlord cannot insure a tenant\u2019s contents and vice versa.<\/p>\n<h2>Which insurance policies are legally required?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In the Netherlands, only a limited number of insurance policies are mandatory by law:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Third party motor vehicle insurance<\/li>\n<li>Health insurance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Personal liability insurance is therefore not legally required, although it is strongly recommended.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For landlords, however, there are additional considerations.<\/p>\n<h2>Building insurance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Building insurance is one of the most important insurance policies for landlords.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This insurance covers damage to the permanent parts of the property, including:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Walls<\/li>\n<li>Roof<\/li>\n<li>Kitchen<\/li>\n<li>Bathroom<\/li>\n<li>Pipework<\/li>\n<li>Shed or garage<\/li>\n<li>Solar panels<\/li>\n<li>Heat pump<\/li>\n<li>Electric vehicle charging point<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Examples of events typically covered by building insurance include fire, storms, lightning strikes and water damage.<\/p>\n<h3>Always notify your insurer<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Many insurers regard letting a property as an increased risk. As a result, letting must almost always be reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Some insurers accept rented properties under amended terms and conditions. Others may refuse cover altogether.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">If letting is not disclosed and damage occurs, there is a risk that an insurance claim may be partially or fully rejected.<\/p>\n<h2>Contents insurance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Contents insurance covers movable items within a property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For a furnished property, this may include:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Furniture<\/li>\n<li>Appliances<\/li>\n<li>Lighting<\/li>\n<li>Curtains<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Even in a partially furnished property, contents insurance can be relevant. Many landlords are unaware that a floating laminate floor is generally considered contents rather than part of the building structure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">If you let a furnished property, it is advisable to assess whether the value of the furnishings justifies insurance cover.<\/p>\n<h2>Liability insurance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">A property itself can cause damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>A loose roof tile damaging a parked vehicle<\/li>\n<li>A defective handrail causing someone to fall<\/li>\n<li>A structural defect resulting in personal injury<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Claims involving personal injury can be substantial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For this reason, landlords should ensure that they have liability insurance that specifically covers the letting of property to third parties. In many cases, this will involve a business liability policy or an extended form of liability cover.<\/p>\n<h2>Glass insurance<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Glass insurance is often included within a building insurance policy, but this is not always the case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">It is therefore advisable to check whether glass damage is covered and whether the letting of the property has been registered with the insurer.<\/p>\n<h2>Apartments and homeowners&#8217; associations<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For apartments, building insurance is often arranged collectively through the homeowners&#8217; association.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">However, this does not automatically mean that the insurer is aware that individual units are being let.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Landlords should therefore verify:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Whether letting is permitted under the building regulations<\/li>\n<li>Whether the homeowners&#8217; association insurance policy takes rented apartments into account<\/li>\n<li>Whether additional insurance cover may be required<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For homeowners&#8217; associations, directors&#8217; liability insurance or business liability insurance may also be worth considering.<\/p>\n<h2>Letting to students or specific tenant groups<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Not all insurers apply the same underwriting criteria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Letting to students, shared occupancy arrangements or certain tenant categories may result in adjusted policy conditions, higher premiums or restrictions in coverage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">It is therefore important to confirm in advance that the intended letting arrangement is acceptable to the insurer.<\/p>\n<h2>What should tenants insure?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For tenants, the following insurance policies are generally most relevant.<\/p>\n<h3>Contents insurance<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This covers personal belongings against risks such as fire, theft and water damage.<\/p>\n<h3>Liability insurance<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Liability insurance is recommended for damage caused to third parties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">It is important to note that damage caused by a tenant to the rented property itself is often not covered under a standard personal liability policy. This is because the property falls under what Dutch insurers refer to as <em>opzicht<\/em>, meaning items entrusted to the tenant&#8217;s care or under their control.<\/p>\n<h2>Travel insurance does not provide cover<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Some people assume that damage occurring in a rented property can be claimed under a travel insurance policy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In the Netherlands, this is generally not the case. Travel insurance is intended for holidays and travel related incidents and usually requires travel documentation or booking confirmations. Damage relating to a regular rental property is normally excluded.<\/p>\n<h2>Avoid unpleasant surprises<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The most important advice for every landlord is straightforward: always inform your insurer if you intend to let your property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">A rented property presents different risks than a property occupied by its owner. Insurers need to be aware of this so they can apply the appropriate premium, terms and coverage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">A simple phone call before the tenancy begins can prevent significant problems if damage occurs later.<\/p>\n<p>Not sure which insurance policies are appropriate for your situation? Interhouse will be happy to help identify the key considerations involved in letting your property.<\/p>\n<a class=\"c-button\"  href=\"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/search-office\/\" title=\"Contact one of our offices\">Contact one of our offices for more information<\/a>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The importance of the right insurance is widely understood, but many private landlords don\u2019t realise that a standard homeowners\u2019 insurance policy often doesn\u2019t provide sufficient coverage when a property is being rented out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":575547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3708],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-767565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insurances"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767565"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951427,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767565\/revisions\/951427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interhouse.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}