Moving is an opportunity to check with your insurer what will happen to your home insurance. Before deciding to cancel, report your change in circumstances and consider the applicable grounds. To prepare for the move, also ask which coverage dates apply to your situation.
Cancellation may be requested following a change in circumstances, subject to certain conditions. It may also be requested after the first year of the policy or at its annual renewal date. These options follow different procedures, so the best starting point is to check your situation and your policy dates.
Reporting the change to your insurer
You must inform your insurer of any change that could affect your policy. Service Public states that you should do so by registered letter within 15 calendar days of the change in circumstances.
When contacting your insurer, ask what will happen to the policy and what coverage to arrange for each home. Ask them to clarify the relevant dates and the steps applicable to your situation. This will give you a basis for deciding whether to request cancellation or consider what happens next with the policy.
Cancelling because of a change of address
A change of address that alters the insured risk may allow you to cancel the policy without waiting for its renewal date, even before the end of the first year. These grounds therefore require you to check whether the change alters the risk covered.
You may request cancellation because of a change in circumstances before the expiry of a 3-month period from the date of the event. You must provide proof of the change in circumstances cited. Cancellation takes effect 1 month after the date on which the insurer is notified.
When preparing your request, distinguish between the date of the change in circumstances and the date on which cancellation will take effect. Gather the proof and check with your insurer which coverage dates are relevant to your situation.
How should you send the request?
For cancellation related to a change in circumstances, Service Public mentions, among other methods, a paper letter and a declaration made in person at the insurer's head office or with its representative. Online submission is possible if the policy was taken out online or if the insurer offers online sign-up at the time of cancellation.
The guidance also mentions an extrajudicial instrument, a means of remote communication when the policy was concluded by that means, and any other method provided for in the policy. Consult your policy and choose a method applicable to your request.
After the first year: another option
After the first year of the policy, you can cancel your home insurance at any time, without penalty. The submission procedure varies depending on whether you are a tenant or a homeowner.
If you are a tenant and use this procedure, you must take out a new insurance policy that takes over before cancellation. The new insurer then sends the request to the former insurer. If you are a homeowner, Service Public lists the ways to send the request, including a paper letter and, under the conditions specified above, online submission.
Cancellation takes effect 1 month after the insurer receives the request. The portion of the premium corresponding to the remaining policy period is refunded.
To choose between the procedures, check in particular how long you have held your policy, the date of the change in circumstances and the conditions for the grounds you are considering. Ask your insurer for confirmation if you need clarification on the dates or the appropriate procedure.
At the first annual renewal date
You also have the right to cancel your policy at the first annual renewal date. The insurer must send you an information notice stating that date and the deadline for requesting cancellation.
If you wish to request cancellation before receiving this notice, Service Public states that the request must be sent 2 months before the annual renewal date. The submission procedure varies depending on whether you are a tenant or a homeowner.
The situation also varies depending on whether the information notice was sent on time or not. Consult the Service Public guidance to identify the procedure corresponding to your situation and receipt of the notice.
Planning coverage dates
If you are a tenant, home insurance is mandatory and the home must be insured at all times. Before moving, ask your insurer to clarify the coverage dates that apply to your situation.
To organize the process, you can follow this order:
- Tell your insurer about the change that could affect the policy, then ask what will happen to it.
- If you wish to cancel, identify the applicable grounds: a change in circumstances, cancellation after the first year or the annual renewal date.
- For grounds related to a change in circumstances, prepare the proof and check the deadline for the request.
- Depending on the procedure and whether you are a tenant or a homeowner, check who must send the request and by what means.
- Ask for clarification of the effective date and the coverage dates that apply to your situation.
This guide provides general information; ask your insurer to confirm the steps appropriate to your situation. You can consult the Service Public guidance on cancelling home insurance, which presents the procedures and a sample document for cancelling when moving.
