gite insurance query

[MKT]

I wonder if any of you can shed any light on this worrying insurance situation for me (also posted in gite owners forum)

After 3 long years of preparation, we are about to open for our first season of renting our house out (short term holiday lets, so far English take-up only) and so, keen to be properly insured,  I went to see our insurance agent (AGF) to adjust the policy to cover the fact that the house is being rented out. After a few days she came back with a quote - €100 or so higher than I am currently paying, and assured me that ‘everything is covered, including legal protection’. However, on closer questioning about what would happen if the clients damage our property  (for example burn the house down or rip the expensive pool cover) she said that this is down to THEM and not our insurance (i.e. AGF)  and that we need to obtain from them, along with the security deposit an ‘attestation de responibilite civile’. She says this will be provided by the clients own UK insurers free of charge (seems a bit of an assumption) and that is ‘normal’ and that we are not covered for damage from clients without it. She says even if the people are only coming for 2 days, they must furnish us with this certificate each time. 

 

Having in the past stayed in many gites and houses, I have never been asked to provide this sort of thing and have grave doubts as to how this request will be received/achieved. I cannot see that holidaymakers are all going to want to ring their insurers and get this certificate in advance of the holiday and what about non-homeowners anyway? Does everybody in the party have to have it? The whole thing sounds wrong to me, and I wonder if the agent is just either being a bit awkward (perish the thought) or just covering AGF’s back in advance. I would like to know if any of you fellow gite owners do this or not and if not, where does one stand regarding major damage.

 

I have of course asked for a security deposit of £100 against damage and said in my terms and conditions (which they have to sign and return)  that this sum does not limit the clients liability to us. 

 

In the situation outlined by AGF yesterday however, if there was a fire and the gendarmes determined that it was the fault of the clients, I would have no leg to stand on – according to her I would not be insured and without this attestation I could not claim from the clients insurance. Clearly, the £100 is going to be neither here nor there! Am I the only person in this situation? Do the rest of you ask for such an attestation? And do you get it?

 

I hope someone can help or shed some light on this matter, it cost me a nights sleep last night and I am not sure where to turn for clarification.

Many thanks in advance

Maria

 

[Clair]

I seem to remember that this sort of cover can be requested in addition to your household cover (speaking from a visitor's point of view).

See this link for more details:

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F2721.html

I have certainly never been asked to provide details when renting a gite in the past and I do not ask for details now, but the security deposit I ask for is 450 Euros in cash. This is mentioned very clearly in all my correspondance with the person making the booking.

Good luck

[Musicmonkey<ADDRESS><STRONG>Musicmonkey<STRONG><ADDRESS>]

This is an interesting issue. 

We have just renewed our insurance (through Britline) for our maison secondaire which we rent out.  We were told last year that we could rent within our existing cover as long as the rentals were short term, (ie less than 2 months) but we only have this verbally.  However, being cautious I rang again to check the info on receipt of renewal notice and they have confirmed this again.

We don't pay any extra for this cover.