AFAIK letting agencies - the ones that do the whole package such as Brittany Ferries Holiday Homes and Country Cottages in France - include all relevant insurance in the package for their customers. I had this situation arise last year when a teenager blocked the fosse with tampons despite all the written and verbal cautions (Monsieur le Fosse Unblocker was leaping around the garden shouting "Look, I've found some mice!!"). I was advised by their regional agent that I could put in a claim to the company (French Country Cottages) as it was too late for me to deduct from their deposit on leaving - as is the nature of these problems it surfaced (I use the word carefully...) only a few days later when the current occupants were two rather too elderly ladies who would not have required the said items. Didn't actually put in the claim, as I was only charged €20 or so. Yet another reason why we no longer bother with private lets, after 15 years of running our gite. Another insurance-related reason - some friends wanted to let the gite. We said they'd have to book through the agency. Duly done, all paid for. Arriving next week, but then our friend had a stroke, can't drive for a month, and had to cancel. We've been paid, the agency's been paid, and friend will be reimbursed from the insurance. Had he made a private booking with us we'd only have had the deposit by now, which, being a friend, we would have refunded. HTH Jo