Apartment contents insurance: what to look out for?

What is insured in your apartment with contents insurance?

With contents insurance for your apartment, you are covered for damage to all your belongings in the house that are not attached to your apartment. Such as furniture, clothing, and possibly other valuables. Damage to the kitchen is usually covered under home contents insurance because it cannot be moved without damage.
Basically, insurance companies use the following rules as to what is covered under a building or contents insurance policy:

• Building insurance: All parts of your home that you cannot remove without causing substantial damage.
• Contents insurance: Anything you can take with you without detaching it from the building and thereby damaging it.

With a condo for sale, building insurance is often arranged through the owners' association (VVE). In most cases, this association provides property insurance for the entire building, so that not everyone has to insure his or her home separately. To be sure, check with your association whether this is the case.

What is not insured in your apartment with contents insurance?

Damage that was foreseeable is never covered on any insurance policy. You can think of damage due to overdue maintenance, for example. Damage caused intentionally is also not covered. Home contents insurance also often does not cover damage caused by earthquakes, floods, violence and nuclear reactions. For these, the government often calls a certain fund.

Items inside your apartment are insured with contents insurance. Outside your apartment, loss and/or damage to your belongings is usually not insured. If you purchase additional Out-of-Home coverage, belongings not in your apartment are still insured.

There may always be exclusions applicable to your apartment contents insurance policy. Therefore, it is always wise to carefully review the terms and clauses when comparing insurance policies. For example, cell phones or laptops may be excluded. In addition, the coverage area is important: does the coverage only apply to the Netherlands or worldwide? All this kind of information can be found in the policy conditions.