---
title: "Owning a holiday home in France: what your insurance must cover"
description: "For many travellers, France starts as a holiday destination and ends up as a second home. A stone house in the Dordogne, a flat in an…"
url: "https://allovoyages.fr/guides-pratiques/holiday-home-france-insurance/"
author: "Rédaction Allovoyages"
date: "2026-11-07T09:13:43+00:00"
lang: "fr_FR"
categories: ["Guides pratiques"]
---

# Owning a holiday home in France: what your insurance must cover

For many travellers, France starts as a holiday destination and ends up as a second home. A stone house in the Dordogne, a flat in an Alpine ski resort, a cottage near the beaches of Brittany or a villa in Provence: having a place to come back to every summer is a dream shared by a great many foreign buyers. But a holiday home is not insured like a main residence. It stays empty for weeks or months, it may be lent to friends or let to strangers, and problems are often discovered long after they happened. Here is what to check before your next trip, and what to do if something goes wrong while you are away.

## Why a second home is a different risk

Insurers look at second homes differently for a simple reason: most of the time, nobody is there. A small leak that would be spotted within hours in an occupied house can run for weeks in an empty one, soaking floors, ceilings and furniture. Burglars know that holiday areas empty out after the season, and isolated properties are easier targets. Storms, heavy snow or frost can damage a roof or pipes without anyone noticing until the next visit. All of this is reflected in the conditions of the contract and sometimes in the price.

When you take out a policy, the insurer will ask whether the property is your main or secondary residence (*résidence secondaire*), how many months a year it is occupied and whether it is let. Answer accurately. A wrong declaration, even made in good faith, can lead to a reduced payout after a claim. If your use changes, for example if you start letting the house in summer or spend the whole winter there, tell your insurer so that the contract keeps matching reality. This is one of the most common oversights among foreign owners.

## Read the policy in a language you understand

French home insurance policies (*assurance multirisque habitation*) are written in French, and the details that matter for a second home sit in the general and special conditions rather than in the sales brochure. Ask for an English summary or go through the document with someone who reads French well. Pay attention to three things in particular: the exclusions, the obligations you must respect when the house is empty, and the deadlines for reporting a claim. Many disappointments come from a clause nobody read.

## Empty periods, water damage and frost

Many French home policies include clauses about unoccupancy. Some guarantees, particularly theft and vandalism, may be reduced or suspended after a set number of consecutive days without anyone living in the house, and the contract may require specific precautions. These clauses matter far more for a holiday home than for a main residence. Note the exact number of days and the conditions that apply, and if they do not fit the way you use the house, look for a policy designed for second homes.

Water damage (*dégât des eaux*) is one of the most frequent claims in French homes, and holiday properties are particularly exposed. In mountain areas and across much of inland France, winter frost can burst pipes in an unheated house. Policies often require you to drain the system, turn off the main valve or keep a minimum level of heating when the property is empty during the cold months. If these conditions are not respected, cover can be refused. A simple routine before leaving, written down and pinned near the front door, saves a lot of trouble.

## Burglary, security and the conditions behind theft cover

Theft cover in France is often linked to specific security requirements: locks of a certain standard on the entrance door, shutters or bars on accessible windows, sometimes an alarm for higher value contents. These requirements are written in the contract and they are checked after a burglary. If a window was left without its shutter closed or a door was not properly locked, the insurer may reduce or refuse compensation. For a house left empty for months, review these points before signing and adapt the property if necessary.

Practical arrangements help too. A trusted neighbour, a caretaker or a local key holding service can check the house regularly, open the shutters from time to time and alert you quickly if something is wrong. Some owners install connected sensors for water leaks, smoke or intrusion, which send an alert to their phone wherever they are. These devices do not replace insurance, but they shorten the time between an incident and its discovery, which often makes a big difference to the extent of the damage and to how smoothly the claim is handled.

## Lending or letting your holiday home

Many owners lend their house to family and friends, or let it for a few weeks in summer to cover running costs. Lending to relatives is usually compatible with a standard policy, but check that your liability cover extends to guests. Letting to paying holidaymakers is another matter. Some policies exclude seasonal letting or limit cover during rental periods, and the protection offered by booking platforms is not a full substitute for proper insurance. Tell your insurer how often and for how long you let the property, and ask whether your contract needs a specific extension.

Holidaymakers renting a furnished property can also be asked to show their own holiday liability cover, known in French as *assurance villégiature*, which some home policies already include. Between your contract, theirs and any platform guarantee, it is easy to get lost. Specialist resources on [holiday home insurance france](https://best-french-insurance.com/insurance-services/home-insurance/) written for English-speaking owners can help you understand which policy responds in which situation, from a window broken during a stay to water damage affecting the flat below. Clarifying this before the first booking avoids disputes with guests and difficult conversations with neighbours.

## Natural events and the French disaster scheme

France has a specific system for natural disasters (*catastrophes naturelles*). When the authorities officially recognise an event, such as a flood, a mudslide or certain types of ground movement, as a natural disaster for a given municipality through a published decree, home insurance policies cover the resulting damage under this scheme, with a statutory excess. Damage caused by storms, hail and the weight of snow is also built into French property policies that include fire cover. For a holiday home, the key issue is timing: you need to discover the damage, report it and gather evidence within the deadlines, even if you live abroad.

Those deadlines are short. As a general rule, a claim must be reported within five working days of discovering it, and within two working days for a theft, which must also be reported to the police or gendarmerie. For a recognised natural disaster, you have thirty days from the publication of the decree. Check the exact wording of your own contract, as it may be more favourable.

## What to do if something happens while you are away

This is where local support becomes valuable. If a storm hits the coast or a river floods while you are back home, someone on the spot can check the property, take photos and secure it to prevent further damage, which insurers expect you to do. Keep an up-to-date inventory of the contents, with photos and receipts for valuable items, stored online so that you can access it from anywhere. Save your insurer's claims number and your policy number in your phone, and keep the contact details of a local tradesperson who can carry out emergency repairs.

## A simple checklist for travelling owners

Before leaving at the end of each stay, go through a short routine:

- close all shutters and lock every door and window;
- turn off the water at the main valve, or drain the system in winter;
- unplug non-essential appliances, empty the fridge and remove anything that could attract pests;
- make sure the person looking after the house has your contact details and those of your insurer.

These steps take less than an hour and match what most French policies expect from the owner of a second home.

Once a year, review your contract. Has the value of the house or its contents changed? Have you added a pool or a terrace? Do you now let the property more often? An outdated policy is one of the most common reasons for disappointing payouts. With cover that truly fits the way you use your house and a few good habits, you can close the door at the end of the summer and look forward to the next trip without worrying about what you left behind.

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*Source : [allovoyages.fr](https://allovoyages.fr/guides-pratiques/holiday-home-france-insurance/)*