Home insurance in France: what tenants must have and how it works

• Tenants of furnished and unfurnished homes, including bail mobilité, must be insured at least for fire, explosion and water damage to the rented home.
• You give the certificate to the landlord when you get the keys and, on request, every year.
• If you cannot show proof, the landlord may, after a registered letter giving you one month, take out insurance on your behalf and add the cost to your rent, increased by up to 10%. Alternatively, if the lease contains a termination clause, a lack of insurance can lead to the end of the lease.
• In a furnished flat, check with the landlord whether their own policy covers the furniture; your policy covers your liability as tenant in any case.
• Holiday and seasonal lets follow different rules.

Policies are not standardised, but most combine:

• Damage to the home and your belongings from fire, explosion, water damage (dégât des eaux), storms, theft or vandalism, and broken glass.
• Natural and technological disasters (catastrophe naturelle and technologique), once officially declared by the state.
• Personal liability (responsabilité civile vie privée): damage you or your household cause to others in daily life, for example a leak that damages the neighbour below. Some policies also include legal protection.
• Optional extras such as replacement value (valeur à neuf) instead of depreciated value, valuables, electronic devices outside the home or a lower deductible.

1. Gather the details of the home: address, floor, surface, number of main rooms, whether there is a cellar or parking, and whether it is furnished.
2. Estimate the value of your belongings honestly. Under-declaring lowers the premium but also the compensation.
3. Compare several offers, checking the deductible (franchise), the ceilings per type of damage (plafonds), whether belongings are covered at replacement value, and the exclusions, for example theft without forced entry.
4. Read the pre-contract information. If you sign online or by phone, you usually have a 14-day withdrawal period.
5. Download the certificate and send it to the landlord or agency before the move-in date.
6. Pay the premium on time. If you do not pay within ten days of the due date, the insurer can suspend and then cancel cover after a formal notice of 30 days.

In a flatshare, check whether one policy names all flatmates or whether each must insure separately; landlords often ask each flatmate for a certificate. Some student residences include insurance in the rent or require a specific policy; read the residence rules.

• Water damage: stop the leak if you can, then declare the damage to your insurer within five working days. If another home is involved (a neighbour, the building), fill in a joint water damage report (constat amiable dégât des eaux) with the other person; it can also be used when no one else is involved.
• Theft: file a complaint with the police and send the receipt to your insurer quickly, with proof of value such as invoices or photos.
• Give your contract number, the date and cause of the event and a description of the damage. Keep damaged items until the insurer or expert has seen them.
• If you accept the insurer's offer, payment is usually made within the period set in the contract.

• After the first year, you can cancel at any time without fees. Because tenants must stay insured, the new insurer sends the cancellation to your old insurer, and the change takes effect one month later, so you are never without cover.
• When you move, you can cancel within three months of the move, with proof; cancellation takes effect one month after the insurer receives it. Many people instead transfer their contract to the new address, which you must declare to the insurer.
• Each year the insurer must remind you of your right to cancel at the renewal date.
• The insurer refunds any premium paid for the period after cancellation.