What does home contents insurance cover?
You can use your household contents insurance to cover damage to items in your home caused by fire, but thecoverage is much broader than that. Theft from the shed and a burn hole in the laminate floor are also covered.
Many people have home contents insurance. Yet when damage occurs, people often forget to file a claim with their insurance company. That’s a shame. You always pay your premium on time, so if damage does occur, be sure to report it to your insurer—even if the amount of damage is small. Unlike with auto insurance, where premiums often go up after a claim, your premium won’t increase because of a claim on your home contents insurance.
What exactly does the insurer cover?
The most important coverage is probably fire coverage. The insurer also pays out for damage caused by storms, lightning strikes, and certain types of water damage. In recent years, comprehensive household contents insurance has become popular. With this type of insurance, the insurer even pays for damage caused by your own negligence. For example, suppose you’re moving a cabinet and it tips forward, breaking through a glass table. The insurer will cover the damage to the table as well as to the cabinet and its contents. Of course, any deductible will be deducted first.
What does home contents insurance cover?
According to the Dutch Association of Insurers, Dutch people pay an average of €10 per month for home contents insurance. Only 8% of policyholders file a claim on their home contents insurance each year. It is likely that many more claims could be filed. Policyholders often only file claims for major losses.
After a small kitchen fire, you’ll file a claim for the damage, but what do you do about a burn hole in your new couch? You’re entitled to compensation for this type of damage as well. If the damage can’t be repaired, you may even be entitled to a new couch.
Theft from the yard or from a shed or garage is also covered under certain conditions.
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Comprehensive Home Contents Insurance
The policy terms and conditions forcomprehensive household contents insurance state that all damage to your household contents is covered, unless specifically excluded. For example, damage intentionally caused to your household contents is not covered. The same applies to damage caused by flooding and earthquakes.
Dropping your phone in the toilet is usually covered, but we should make one important note here. Claims for damage to phones and tablets were frequently filed under comprehensive household property insurance policies. As a result, some insurers have decided to significantly increase the deductible. This means that a cracked phone screen is covered, but with a deductible of, say, €150, this coverage under your home contents insurance is essentially useless. In some cases, smartphones are even completely excluded from coverage.
Submit all claims?
If you have a claim, it’s best to contact your insurer and explain the situation. Insurers will most likely ask you to fill out a (digital) claim form. This will help them assess the damage more accurately.
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