Knowing that a burglar has broken into your home and stolen some of your personal belongings is infuriating. In 2021, in France, 190,300 households were victims of burglary or were subject to an attempted burglary in their home. It is better to have taken out the right home insurance, the right warranty and taken the right steps so that all this will soon be nothing more than a distant bad memory.
Does my home insurance cover reimbursement for theft?
The guarantee against theft and burglary is generally part of the basic home guarantees in multi-risk home insurance (MRH), but find out. All conventional home insurance policies do not necessarily include it, and it would be unfortunate to notice it after a loss. And one thing is certain: if you have only taken out rental risk insurance, the theft guarantee is not part of it, and you are therefore not covered if your home is broken into.
Be aware that there are exceptions, such as cases of burglary in the home of an insured who has been away for too long (residence clause).
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What to do after a burglary?
Different steps must be followed after observing a broken door and a burglary:
- Contact the police or gendarmerie by dialing 17 and then go to the police station to lodge a complaint;
- List of the stolen items;
- Contact your insurance company and have your home insurance number to hand. After a burglary, you have two working days to report damage to your insurance company;
- Collect the documents related to the stolen items (invoices, photos, etc.) and send your insurance company a receipt for your claim.
Do you need to submit your invoices to be reimbursed?
A purchase or repair invoice, a certificate of authenticity for jewelry and artwork… is important evidence to build your case and claim compensation for your financial loss. Photographs are also accepted, accompanied by supporting documents such as bank statements, credit card statements, checksums, etc.
How do you get compensation from your insurance company after a burglary?
According to Article L113-2 of the Insurance Act, you have a deadline to meet to contact your home insurance company: two working days. Write a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to describe your damage after the burglary and state the valuation of the stolen goods. Remember to attach the receipt for your complaint that was filed when you went to the police station. An expert authorized by your insurance company can be sent on site.
The compensation will depend on all these elements. A deductible remains your responsibility. To find out the amount, refer to the details of your home insurance agreement.
How to get compensation from the insurance for stolen cash How do you prove that you had a sum of cash in your home, well hidden at the bottom of a drawer? Difficult to obtain… As theft of cash is often difficult to prove to your insurance, you will not be compensated.
How are valuables and expensive items refunded in case of theft?
A distinction is made between valuable objects such as works of art, paintings, sculptures… and precious objects such as precious metal jewellery, precious stones, watches… When purchasing these objects, you will no doubt have received invoices and certificates of authenticity, which you have carefully preserved.
Precious items are reimbursed by multi-risk home insurance up to a certain ceiling, set at the time of the conclusion of the contract. And very often they will be insured according to their value in use, with obsolescence deducted. For your high value items, it is better to take out a specific guarantee.