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What you should know about home insurance in France
Home insurance is a must in any rental process, but it is not always easy to understand all the nuances. Fortunately, with Studapart, home insurance will no longer hold any secrets for you!
Home insurance: what, how, how much?
Home insurance takes action in the event of serious problems
Home insurance is one of the formalities required before moving in. We’re not hoping it’ll be of much use, but you never know. Home insurance covers you from potential damage that could happen in the apartment during your stay. We’re not talking broken dishes or burnt-out light bulbs here, but more like fires, water damage, robberies… (we’re really not trying to foreshadow anything bad).
Home insurance is used to cover you in case a serious problem occurs during your stay, in exchange for a certain amount that varies according to the clauses.
Therefore, it’s essential to take out home insurance. Here’s how it works.
Get the right home insurance
Studapart offers its own home insurance: home insurance by Studapart. This offer is exclusive to all tenants (French and international) who book accommodation online on the platform.
Simple and transparent, home insurance by Studapart protects you and your home, for the duration of your choice.
It's quick and easy: at the end of your online reservation, you will only have to subscribe in a few clicks. The certificate will then be sent to you automatically within seconds!
The price of home insurance
The price of home insurance varies depending on the characteristics of your home. It usually amounts from 10 to 15 € per month for a studio.
Taking out home insurance: what are the rules to follow?
Is it mandatory?
Home insurance is compulsory in France, for any type of accommodation (furnished or rented empty). You must take out home insurance before entering the premises. Your landlord will require that you send them a home insurance certificate, proof that you and your home are well covered.
Note that in shared accommodation, there are two possibilities: either all occupants take out the same insurance by sharing the amount, or each occupant takes out their own insurance.
What are the important clauses?
Your home insurance contract must be clear to as the guarantees you have the right to benefit from, and must allow you to foresee how up to how much you will be compensated for, depending on the kind of damage.
The important clauses which must be part of your contract are the extent of guarantees, the type or risks covered, what can’t be covered, the value of insured goods, the maximum amount of the guarantees, and franchises.
Let’s get into detail. Dusting off what’s in your contract might help you feeling at ease if you ever have to claim your home insurance!
The extent of guarantees specifies what your contract insures: damages done to goods, civil liability (it’s always included in a home insurance, and might be asked from you in administrative formalities of all kinds)...
The type of risks covered are generally the following: fires, explosions, water damage, robbery, vandalism, natural and technological disasters, terrorism.
Your contract must also list what’s not insured, that is to say what you won’t receive compensation for. Generally, they’re not guarantees you really need anyway.
The value of insured goods should also appear in your contract. You’re the one choosing the value range you wish to be insured for, and the price of your home insurance is mainly calculated based on that.
Your contract specifies the maximum amount of coverage, namely the maximum amount you can be compensated for depending on the damage.
Finally, the franchise is the amount that’s yours to pay following the damage, even though you’ve been partly compensated. The cheaper your insurance, the higher the franchise is.
How can I get an insurance certificate?
Normally, your insurance company provides you with an insurance certificate after you’ve subscribed to a contract with them. You should normally receive it either by post, by email or via a download on your online dashboard. If you didn’t, you can of course demand it to your insurer by mail or telephone. You will need it either way: landlords request the certificate when you enter the apartment.
How do I report a claim?
If your apartment undergoes some kind of damage or disaster, you will have to declare it to your insurance in order to be compensated.
To this end, address him a letter in which you give all the information regarding the damage and describe the losses. You can attach pictures to your letter to support your description
Changing insurer & terminating the contract
You can’t change your home insurer if one year hasn’t past since you signed the contract. But if you are staying in France after one year and have found a better offer for home insurance, you can easily change it.
As home insurance is compulsory, you don’t have any formalities to conduct. Just choose your new insurer, contact them to explain you wish to change your policy, and they will carry out the termination formalities with your former insurer. Smooth!
You can’t change your home insurer if one year hasn’t past since you signed the contract. But if you are staying in France after one year and have found a better offer for home insurance, you can easily change it.
As home insurance is compulsory, you don’t have any formalities to conduct. Just choose your new insurer, contact them to explain you wish to change your policy, and they will carry out the termination formalities with your former insurer. Smooth!
Generally, you have to give prior notice within 1 to 3 months preceding your leave, depending on your contract.
