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Do you rent out a home in a condominium? You must take out civil liability insurance. You can assess non-occupying owner insurance against this obligation and the other cover you are looking for: ask for the contract details before making your choice.
To move forward, separate three questions: what civil liability cover is provided for you as a condominium owner? What other cover are you looking for for the home? And what insurance must your tenant take out? This approach will help you read the documents without confusing each person's role.
What insurance is mandatory for a condominium owner?
According to Service Public, the owner of a home in a condominium must take out civil liability insurance. It covers damage that an element of the home could cause to the condominium or to third parties.
Service Public gives the example of faulty electrical wiring that causes a fire in the home, which then spreads to the landing and a neighboring apartment. This example distinguishes the origin of the damage, inside the home, from its possible consequences for the condominium and third parties.
To assess your situation, start with the condominium owner's civil liability obligation. Then look for the corresponding cover in your contract or in the proposal you receive, and ask the insurer to clarify its scope.
Civil liability and PNO insurance: what should you check?
To check your non-occupying owner insurance, ask the insurer whether the contract includes condominium owner civil liability cover and under what conditions it applies. Examine the other cover offered separately: its inclusion must not be assumed from the name of the contract alone.
The distinction is useful when comparing policies: on the one hand, identify the cover that meets the civil liability obligation; on the other, read about the additional cover you wish to consider. Ask questions about each rather than stopping at the general name of the condominium PNO insurance.
Before taking out any policy, ask for the contract documents and read the cover, its conditions and exclusions in particular. If anything remains unclear, ask the insurer for clarification. These checks help you compare contracts against your needs; they do not replace advice tailored to your situation.
A practical approach to reading the contract
You can prepare for your discussion with the insurer by noting the following points:
- Is civil liability cover provided for your situation as a landlord in a condominium?
- How does the contract describe the damage and people covered by this protection?
- What conditions and exclusions should you read alongside this cover?
- What other cover is offered and meets your needs?
Ask for the answers to be explained to you using the contract documents. If you compare several proposals, use the same questions for each one, then compare the answers with the cover you are looking for. A proposal lets you examine an offer before deciding whether to take it out.
What role does the tenant's insurance play?
If you rent out the home, you must also ensure that your tenant takes out rental risks insurance. This covers damage that the tenant could cause to the home.
Service Public cites the example of a leak from the tenant's washing machine that damages the carpet or parquet flooring. This example concerns damage caused to the home; it helps explain the purpose of the tenant's rental risks insurance.
The condominium owner's civil liability cover and the tenant's rental risks insurance therefore serve distinct purposes. Check each in its own context, without inferring the contents of one from the presence of the other.
Before choosing
Gather information about the home and request the documents needed to examine the civil liability cover and the other cover under consideration. Then review your tenant's rental risks insurance. If the documents or explanations you receive do not make a cover clear, ask for further details before making your decision.
This approach is an aid to reading and comparing, not a personalized recommendation. For an answer tailored to your situation, explain your needs to the insurer and check the terms of the proposed contract with them.