Expatriates in France: how to choose the right home insurance?

That’s it, you’ve done all the paperwork to be able to live in France, you’ve found a job and a place to live that you like. Well, the French administration still has some surprises in store for you… You must now subscribe to a home insurance policy! Would you like to know how home insurance works in France, when to choose it and what guarantees to subscribe to? Don’t panic, we explain everything!

Why buy home insurance?

Am I covered by home insurance?

Since the Alur law of 2014, home insurance is mandatory for all tenants in France. Even if you are an expatriate, your landlord will ask you for a certificate of home insurance when you receive the keys.

In fact, as a tenant, you are legally responsible for damages caused in your home during the rental period. This means that if there is water damage for example, you will have to pay for the repair. It is therefore best to choose a good home insurance policy that covers all rental risks.

If you are a student, with or without a scholarship, alone or in a shared apartment, it doesn’t matter, as soon as you are a tenant, you are covered by home insurance.

Mandatory guarantees

Although home insurance is mandatory as soon as you become a tenant, you are not obliged to take out all the coverages offered by insurers. The law requires you to protect yourself financially for unforeseen events defined as “rental risks“.

Here are the risks for which you must be covered:

water damage;
FIRE;
the explosion.

When you receive the keys, your landlord, or the real estate agency in charge of the property, will ask you for

proof of insurance

against these risks. He can ask you again at each renewal of the lease. Generally, you will receive this certificate with the other documents in your policy when you purchase your home insurance. Nowadays, the whole package is usually sent to you by email. If this is not the case, you must contact your insurer to obtain a certificate of insurance.

What happens if you don’t have insurance? In this case, your landlord can take care of the insurance for you. If on paper, this allows you to avoid administrative steps, this solution has several disadvantages.

First, he will choose the options that are most advantageous to him. He can take an insurance with the minimum guarantees or on the contrary take a very complete insurance with guarantees which do not suit you. In addition, you will be required to pay off this insurance each month by increasing your rent. This can increase your monthly rent by up to 10%.

Special case: if you rent a company house, you are not subject to this insurance obligation. However, we advise you to take out rental insurance adapted to this type of accommodation. Because in case of a problem, you will have to pay for the repair.

Multi-risk home insurance

In France, the most common model of home insurance is the “multirisque habitation” or MRH. You will find this formula with all the major insurers. It is a comprehensive insurance that covers you for all the damages of everyday life.

Who is covered?

In general, all persons living in the same household are covered by comprehensive insurance. Whether it’s your spouse, your children or even your roommates, they are also protected if they live at the address indicated on the contract. With some insurers, this condition is nominative. That is, you will need to provide personal information (last name, first name and date of birth) for each insured person.

What is protected?

Your insurance will cover you for :

the damage you cause to the dwelling
that you occupy as a tenant;
personal property
that are located in the home; note that if you rent furniture, rental furniture insurance is not required with Homat. The company is insured for its rental furniture.
damage you accidentally cause to another person, inside or outside the dwelling.

For what damage?

The damages for which you will be covered will differ from one insurer to another. But there are a certain number of recurring guarantees in each multi-risk home policy. The following is a list of the usual guarantees:

water damage
Water damage : your insurer takes care of the repairs if a water leak damages your property, your walls, and even those of your neighbors;
fire and explosion You accidentally cause a fire to start in your building. Insurance covers damage and replacement of equipment;
theft and vandalism:
your home has been broken into: the lock is replaced and the amount of the stolen items is reimbursed to you;
glass breakage :
glass replacement is covered by the insurer.
STORM: heavy rains damage your furniture. The insurance covers the damage and reimburses your furniture;
natural and technological disasters
If your house is flooded, the insurance company will compensate all your irreparable personal property.
Terrorist attack:
You are covered in the event of a terrorist attack or any act of terrorism.

Home insurance: how does it work in France?

Which insurance should I choose?

Now that you know what home insurance includes, it’s important to choose the one that’s best for you. There are a multitude of insurance products on the market with very different guarantees. It is up to you to choose the one that best suits your lifestyle and especially your budget.

Term insurance

A standard home insurance policy lasts for one year and is automatically renewed if you do not request a cancellation. This is called a tacit renewal. Most insurers have contracts that commit you for a minimum of one year, but you can find exceptions. So, if you plan to stay in the same home for less than a year, it may be worthwhile to look into a home insurance policy without commitment.

Homebrella

Homebrella offers insurance for small budgets with immediate cancellation.

Several contracts with the same insurer

Other insurances than the home insurance are also compulsory for any person residing in France. It can therefore be interesting to group your contracts with the same insurer. You can take out a school insurance option with your home insurance policy.

Compare offers

Overall, before you decide, you should ask yourself the following questions: What is my budget? What guarantees do I need? How long will I stay in this property? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can get quotes from different insurers before committing. To do this, you can go to insurance comparators. After filling out a form about your needs, you will get a list of the best offers for a similar service.

How does the claims process work?

The information to report a claim is indicated in your contract. They are often specific to each insurance company. In any case, you must contact them to find out the procedure to follow, the timeframe for reimbursement and the proof you must provide.

Reporting deadline

In order for your claim to be covered, you must report the damage within a certain time frame. This will depend on the type of claim and your insurer. However, in most cases, you must report the claim within 5 days of its discovery. This period is shortened to two days in case of theft. Finally, in case of a natural disaster, you must wait for the publication of a governmental decree and then you have 10 days to declare the disaster.

The franchise

A deductible is the amount that will not be reimbursed in the event of a claim. Sometimes this deductible is set directly by the insurer. This can be a fixed amount or a percentage depending on the loss. In other cases, you will be able to choose the amount of the deductible yourself from various options.

Cancellation or change of insurance

Whether you want to change your insurance or cancel your policy, you’ll need to contact your insurer to find out what to do. Generally speaking, if you wish to terminate your contract before one year has elapsed, you may have to pay a termination fee. There are exceptional cases where termination can be done without charge before one year, they are indicated in your contract.

After one year

After one year of subscription, and even if your contract has just been renewed, you have the right to cancel your insurance at no cost. In this case, you must make your request in writing, 30 days before the desired termination date, indicating your contract number and the reason for termination.

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Pauline Loroy

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