Insurance in France – policies to protect French properties
Home owners are required by law to protect their property with third-party liability insurance in France. This is true for all French properties whether they are a main residence or a holiday home in France.
It is of equal importance to arrange adequate cover in either case. Insurance in France will protect your main home if something goes wrong. You also need the reassurance that your holiday home in France will be covered if something goes wrong while you are not there.
What type of insurance in required for French properties?
When exchanging contracts on French properties you must be able to prove you have suitable insurance cover. Your holiday home in France must have buildings insurance which covers the structure of the home and the cost of rebuilding in the event of fire, flood or other eventuality. All fitting inside French properties should also be covered.
Buildings insurance in France must cover the cost of completely rebuilding the property to their present condition including all outbuildings. A local builder or architect will be able to provide a valuation of your holiday home in France for insurance purposes.
Contents insurance in France is more relevant if you live there as few people leave expensive goods in an unoccupied holiday home in France. You should ensure all contents of French properties are insured to the value of new-for-old replacements.
Renting out your holiday home in France
If you plan on leasing out French properties you should take cover that includes accidental damage. Far more importantly you must have public liability insurance in France to cover you in the event of death, injury or damage to a third party on or near your property. If you have a swimming pool ensure you comply with your insurers recommendation and French law.
Should I take out insurance in France or the UK?
Before choosing any policy you should read the small print so you understand exactly what you are and are not covered for. This poses a problem when the contract is written in a language you do not speak fluently.
Insurance in France tends not to be as comprehensive as in the UK. You may wish to cover your holiday home in France under a UK policy which would be written in English and written designed for French properties owned by British owners.
There are lots of UK and French insurers providing cover for your holiday home in France so shop around and see who offers the best deal. Insurance in France is a necessary expenditure and one which you could be very grateful of if anything were to happen to French properties you own.
