Moving to a foreign country comes with its obvious challenges, such as learning the language, adapting to the culture, or just finding housing.
However, some obstacles can only be discovered once someone arrives. In this case, one of them is the French administration system, which can be challenging even for locals.
This is particularly true when dealing with insurance companies and contracts.
“I think that the French also make a lot of mistakes,” Nathalie Guibet-Roy, a product manager at MAIF insurance firm, told The Connexion.
She added that it can even be more difficult for foreigners. “The 'codes' we have when it comes to insurance may not be the same in terms of market practices.
“For example, in England / the US, the obligations, regulations, and instincts may be different.”
To make these ‘codes’ easier to understand, The Connexion spoke to experts to find out what people moving to France should know about housing insurance.
What is a second residence in insurance terms?
The difference between a person’s second or primary residence can vary when asking the French state or an insurance company.
The government considers various factors when determining a primary residence, especially where a person’s official administrative ties are linked, including the address used to declare taxes, or the home closest to their workplace or children’s schools etc.
Ms Guibet-Roy said that for insurance companies it is usually the place where the person resides for more than half of the year, or more than 182 days.
Read more: People with a second home in France should check their insurance policy
In practical terms the distinction between a primary and secondary residence does not make much of a difference when it comes to coverage, says Jean-Charles Guizouarn, director of insurance solutions at Generali France.
“You simply need to make sure you choose the right coverage options - for example, theft and vandalism protection, which is highly recommended for homes that remain unoccupied for long periods,” he said.
This is important as insurance companies may lower their compensation limits or increase an excess premium because they consider the property to be more exposed to certain risks.
The risk of burglaries
There are around 250,000 break-ins in France every year, according to Generali France. Many of these occur during traditional holiday periods when occupants are away for an extended period.
Bérenger Billerot, partnership manager at MAIF said: "there are areas in France that are considered more at risk than others.
“For example, living in isolated rural areas can present an additional burglary risk.”
There are also several departments where this is more pronounced, such as Bouches-du-Rhône, Rhône and Alpes-Maritimes.
Mr Billerot added that residents can lower their risks by following basic precautions, such as not posting on social media that they are going away for an extended period, not putting valuables in plain sight or leaving their windows open.
Property owners can also sign up for l'opération tranquillité vacances, a system in France where residents can request that the police patrol the area around their address more frequently when they are away. It is a free service.
What do residents have to do?
However, according to Generali France, some steps may be required depending on the contract. “To prevent intrusions and burglaries, you must follow theft-prevention measures required by your insurance policy,” Mr Guizouarn said.
“This includes locking and securing all doors, windows, and patio doors. If your home has an alarm system, it must be activated.
“If your insurance contract (as specified in any special conditions) requires shutters or blinds, they may remain open only if the absence is shorter than 24 consecutive hours,” he said.
In the cases where policyholders have substantial assets, insurers may also ask residents to install bars on some windows or take other security measures, said Ms Guibet-Roy.
However, this is “handled on a case-by-case basis.”
Property owners may also lose their coverage if they do not take action after a break-in.
“If someone experiences a burglary in their basement and then the same thing happens again the following year - and they haven’t taken any steps to improve security - we may refuse coverage,” she added.
“We will cover the first theft and note that certain security measures were lacking, like simply adding a lock or a padlock. But if no action is taken, and the risk is known, we would not cover it a second time.
“Making the same mistake twice is no longer considered a random event.”
Note that coverage against burglaries is not always automatically included in home insurance policies in France.
People moving to the country should verify with their insurance company that they are covered.
Things to look out for
In France, there are some common scams that people use to verify if someone is away from their home.
Mr Billerot said one of the best-known is the feuille blanche scam. “Someone slips a sheet of paper into the mailbox and leaves it sticking out a bit,” he said.
“The paper is visible from the outside, and the potential burglar comes by multiple times. If the sheet is still there and visible, it may indicate that no one is home.”
Other criminals may also call homes throughout the day. When a resident does not answer, it could signal that they are away, the house then becoming a potential target for burglary.
Mr Billerot suggested checking if villages have a participation citoyenne scheme in place.
“Neighbours in certain villages help and look out for each other,” he said.
“For example, if I know my neighbour is away and I see a car coming by every day, I can report that information to the gendarmerie to say, ‘Be aware, there is something suspicious happening near my home - could you please check?’.”
Sites such as France Assureurs can help understand how the country’s insurance system works.
Some regions in France are also more expensive to cover than others because of climate change.
“We are beginning to see insurers in the market who no longer accept covering properties in very high-risk areas,” Ms Guibet-Roy said.
“These include, for example, seaside areas, locations close to coastlines, houses that may be very exposed to cliff erosion, zones prone to repeated flooding, and areas at risk of flooding in winter and drought in summer.
“Insurers are starting to withdraw from these markets or offer premiums so high that they are unaffordable.”
Use this website to see what risks are specific to a region.
