Before registering on a house exchange site, reread your home insurance contract to find out if he authorizes the loan of your home because not all contracts are the same. While it is rare that an insurer does not authorize it, certain nuances can prove costly: “For example, certain comprehensive home insurance contracts accept the loan but double the amount of the deductible, if the person responsible for the loss is not a member of your family,” warns Marie Corbineau, director of home insurance at L’olivier Assurance.
Please note that being an owner or tenant does not change anything for this type of reciprocal loan. “The only difference lies in the guarantees,” she summarizes. Damage is covered by the lessor’s contract, on the other hand that of the tenant. It is therefore not necessary to request authorization from the owner in the context of a rental.
Civil Liability
Pillar of any housing exchange, the Civil Liability (RC) is the key solution since it is the part of your home insurance that covers you outside your home. It is even doubly useful. On the one hand, it covers you when you are staying with someone but also your accommodation when you are not there. In the case of house exchange, make sure that the future occupant is covered by theirs, while checking yours.
Most housing contracts include civil liability. If this is not the case, warranty extensions are often offered by your organization. The best thing is to contact your insurer to check. “The situation must be symmetrical,” advises Marie Corbineau. Before confirming your stay, always ask for your partner’s certificate of civil liability. If everyone has their own, the major financial risk is avoided.”
Written proof
Put by written terms of use housing can be a solution to establish responsibilities in the event of a problem. For example, if in the house rules you have advised against the use of the washing machine in the laundry room, the occupant uses it and it creates water damage, it is ultimately their responsibility. “In these cases, ask the person to acknowledge receipt of these rules, so that there is a real exchange and it is not one-way,” she suggests.
Platform insurance
Exchange sites often offer their own insurance “pack” but this should be seen as a complement rather than a replacement for your personal contract. Let’s imagine that a guest breaks the leg of a designer table worth €300, an amount often lower than the deductible on your usual home insurance (often between €150 and €500). In this case, the platform’s insurance or the deposit system managed by the site makes sense. “Their great interest lies in the damage management material and mediation, summarizes the expert. The site plays the role of arbitrator, retains the amount from the guest’s deposit and returns it to you, thus avoiding a head-on conflict or an unnecessary declaration of loss to your insurer.
In the event of a disaster
The first step is to call your insurance company to report the incident while the occupant does the same thing to his own manager. “Depending on the established responsibilities, your manager will take the necessary steps to obtain recourse from the occupant’s insurance – under their civil liability guarantee – if their liability is incurred,” explains Marie Corbineau. You are not going to pay directly, nor your occupant and everyone maintains the relationship with their own insurer.”
