If you are a tenant of a rental unit with a residential lease (including a mobility lease), you are obliged to take out a residential insurance contract with the minimum guarantee.

You must comply with this obligation regardless of your nationality and regardless of the duration of your stay in France.

However, if you own the house in which you live, you do not have to take out insurance.

However, when the property you own is in a condominium, you may be required to take a co-ownership insurance.

To find a home insurance offer, you can search the internet.

You can also go to the offices of:

• General Insurance Officer
• Insurance Broker
• Insurance company
• Bank

You can approach multiple agents simultaneously to compare their proposals.

You must tell the insurer what guarantees you want to take out.

The insurer may ask you to fill out a questionnaire. It will be used to assess the risks and determine the amount of the contribution.

You have to give them accurate information. Indeed, a false statement or omission can be considered as a swindle and can have serious consequences for you. In that case, the compensation you should have received may be reduced, and you may have to compensate some of the victims yourself.

If a declaration of bad faith is found, the contract can be declared ineffective by the judge: the insurer will not compensate you, but it will keep the contribution.

The insurer who agrees to cover you must provide you with an insurance proposal.

This document includes

• an information sheet on prices and guarantees
• and a copy of the draft contract or a detailed information notice.

Documents must be clear and written in visible characters.

They must tell you very specifically about:

• Applicable collateral limits (e.g. list of uncovered risks)
• Applicable law and competent bodies in case of dispute
• Conditions for triggering the guarantee for liability contracts (triggering by the harmful event or by complaint)

If you are satisfied with the insurance proposal, you must complete and sign the documents and hand them over to the insurer.

You may also enter into a discussion with the insurer at this time on the terms and conditions of the contract, including the rate.

Once you have reached an agreement with the insurer, the insurer must provide you with the insurance contract, which includes the general terms and conditions and the specific terms and conditions.

The general conditions concern guaranteed risks, exclusions, deductibles, claims declaration procedures, method of payment of contributions...).

The specific conditions concern your identity, the description of the insured risk (description and situation of the dwelling), the amount of the contribution and the amount to be paid on the 1st maturity (in case of splitting).

If the insurance contract is suitable for you, you must sign it and return it to the insurer.

Once the signed contract is in the possession of the insurer, you can no longer reverse your decision.

You have a withdrawal period only in cases where the negotiation was done remotely or via the Internet.

You have a withdrawal period of 14 calendar days following the signature of an insurance contract which has been concluded at a distance in any of the following cases:

• You have been contacted by telephone or at your home
• You have responded to a mail merge (by mail or by mail)
• The contract was concluded via the Internet

To request the cancelation of the contract, you must send the insurer a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt informing it of your intention to cancel your contract. You don't have to justify your decision.

However, you will have to pay the premium share corresponding to the number of days already covered by the contract. The insurer must reimburse you for the amounts already paid within 30 calendar days of termination. After this period, the sums due are increased by statutory interest.

Once you have given the signed contract to the insurer, it will send you a certificate proving that you are insured.

The rates set by the insurers are free and contributions may vary from one company to another for the same guarantee.

So you need to compare quotes to choose the best offer.

Generally, rates depend on several factors, the main ones being the following:

• Size of dwelling
• Location of the accommodation
• Value of housing and insured property