Insuring a property in France from abroad: the cover that matters, the vacancy clause, proof of visits

What does the law say for a property owned from abroad?

In a co-ownership, the framework is clear: since the 2014 ALUR law, the owners’ association must insure its civil liability, and every co-owner, occupying or not, must insure their own. In practice the building is covered by a comprehensive policy taken out by the managing agent: the premium sits within your service charges, and you pay it without thinking. Be careful, though: that policy covers the building, not your assets. It covers neither your belongings, nor claims neighbours might direct at you personally, nor some consequences of a loss originating in your flat. That is precisely the role of a non-occupying owner policy, which also covers the civil liability the law requires of you.

For a detached house, the law is quieter: no insurance obligation falls on the owner. In practice, an uninsured house is an exposed asset: fire, storm or water damage, everything then rests on you alone. And as long as a mortgage runs, the lending bank almost always requires the property to be insured.

One last point, often misunderstood: your residence abroad creates no additional obligation under French law. What changes is the actual occupation of the property. A home left empty for months does not carry the same risk as a main residence: that reality, and it alone, is what the insurer looks at and what you must declare.

The guarantees that matter for a sparsely occupied home

An unoccupied home is not insured like a main residence. The risk profile differs: break-ins sit alongside slow leaks, frost does more damage, and any incident has time to grow before it is discovered. Five guarantees make the difference in a policy held from abroad:

• Water damage, the leading loss in empty homes: a hose failing behind a machine or a tired shower seal can run for weeks unseen.
• Frozen pipes, decisive if the property is barely heated in winter: the guarantee only applies if the precautions stated in the policy have been taken.
• Theft and vandalism: attempted break-in, damage, stripped fittings. Vacancy multiplies exposure, especially for a ground floor or an isolated house.
• Civil liability and neighbours’ claims: if a loss starting in your home reaches the neighbouring flat or the common parts, the bill is your concern.
• Emergency assistance: repair call-out, securing the property, first protective steps, invaluable when you are thousands of kilometres away.

The table below summarises what matters, and where to look before signing:

The vacancy clause: the number one trap

Most home insurance policies contain a vacancy clause. The principle: beyond an unoccupancy period defined in the policy, often counted in months, certain guarantees, theft and vandalism first among them, are reduced, suspended or even removed. Some policies also require preventive measures: shutters closed, water shut off, regular visits to the property.

The trap closes in two stages. Stage one: the policy is taken out as for a main residence, then the move abroad is never reported. Yet a change in the length of occupation is information the insurer is entitled to receive. Stage two: a loss occurs during the vacancy, and the loss adjuster finds that the conditions of cover were no longer met. The consequence ranges from a trimmed payout to a outright refusal, at the worst possible moment.

Three reflexes protect you:

• Declare the actual occupation of the property at subscription, and report every lasting change.
• Read the vacancy clause before signing, and compare: some policies are designed for long-vacant properties, others for second homes used by turns.
• Prepare your evidence: a regular, documented visit to the property weighs in your favour, before as well as after a loss.