What does contents insurance cover?
For damage to your belongings in the house by fire you can call in the contents insurance, but the coverage is much broader than that. A fire hole in the laminate floor and theft from the shed are also insured.
Most people have home contents insurance, but when damage occurs, they often forget to make a claim on the insurance. That is a shame. You always pay the premium correctly and if there is a damage, do declare the damage to the insurer. Even if it is only a small claim. By a damage you do not pay more for the premium as is the case with the car insurance.
What does the insurer actually reimburse?
The coverage against fire is the most important coverage, but the insurer also pays out for damage caused by storm, lightning and some water damage. In recent years, the all-risk household insurance has become popular. This insurance even covers damage caused by your own fault. For example, you are moving a cupboard and it falls forward and crashes through the glass table. The insurer will pay for the damage to the table, the cupboard and their contents. Of course, any excess is deducted first.
What does the contents insurance pay out, but you forget to claim?
According to the Dutch Association of Insurers, Dutch people pay an average of €10 per month for household insurance. Each year, 8% of the insured parties make a claim on the contents insurance. It is likely that many more claims can be submitted, as insured parties often only claim for extensive damage. After a small kitchen fire, you file a claim, but what do you do with a burn hole in the new sofa? Even with this damage, you are entitled to compensation. If the damage is not repairable, you may even be entitled to a new couch. Theft from the garden or a shed / garage is also insured under certain conditions.
Especially with the all-risk household insurance, the coverage is broad
The policy conditions of the all-risk household insurance state that all damage to your household effects are insured, unless literally excluded. For example deliberately causing damage to your household contents is not insured. The same applies to damage caused by flooding and an earthquake.
What is insured is, for example, dropping the phone into the toilet, but we must immediately make a note of this. Damages with phones and tablets were often claimed on the all-risk contents insurance. Some insurers have therefore decided to greatly increase the excess. As a result, a cracked phone screen, for example, is insured, but with an excess of €150, for example, this coverage in the contents insurance is useless. Or smartphones are even completely excluded.
Simply submit all claims
In case of damage, it is best to call the insurer and explain the situation. If it is not insured, you will hear about it. Insurers will often ask you to submit a (digital) claim form. On this basis, insurers can better assess the damage.
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