It will be mandatory to have a smoke detector in your home from July 1, 2022. You must have one smoke detector per floor in both owner-occupied and rental properties. In addition, you must also have a smoke detector in confined spaces, such as a corridor, that serves as an escape route. There are no conspicuous requirements for the smoke detectors themselves.
But what if you don’t have a smoke detector? Will the introduction of this smoke detector obligation affect your home contents Att insurance? The answer is no for now. Many insurers continue to offer you cover in the event of fire damage.
How many smoke detectors should I install in my home?
It is mandatory to have a smoke detector in every home in the Netherlands. This has been the case for new-build homes since 2003. But exactly how many are mandatory? You are required to install one smoke detector per floor of your house. Do you have a residential floor with an area above 80 m²? Then you are obliged to place two smoke detectors in your home.
Smoke detector mandatory for fire insurance
Is a smoke detector mandatory for your fire insurance? The answer to your question is no. The legislation for smoke detectors, which will be introduced on July 1, 2022, will not affect your fire insurance for the time being. What does this mean? Having or not having a smoke detector will not affect your fire insurance policy. However, there are exceptions. If it is clearly stated in your insurance contract that you must have a smoke detector, then not having a smoke detector can affect the reimbursement from your fire insurance.
Smoke detector mandatory rental property
Are smoke detectors mandatory in rental properties? Smoke detectors will be mandatory in Dutch homes from July 1, 2022. This legislation has already applied to new-build homes, but the law will apply to all homes from July 1. Smoke detectors are therefore also mandatory in rental properties. But do you have to buy a smoke detector yourself if you live in a rented house? If you live in a rented home, WSL can place smoke detectors in your home free of charge on behalf of the FDG.
Smoke detector mandatory 2022
What are the consequences of a smoke detector obligation?
There are currently no consequences for not installing smoke detectors. So if you choose not to install smoke detectors, this will not affect your home contents insurance coverage. Many insurers do their best to inform people as much as possible about the importance and placement of smoke detectors. It is, of course, possible that insurers will eventually attach consequences to not having smoke detectors.
Fire damage, now what?
Many people don’t realize how much value they have in things in their homes. As a result, people often consider not taking out home contents insurance. But what if you have damage to your household effects, which include: paintings, clothing, laptops, furniture, and electronics? Then you can unexpectedly be faced with high costs. That is, of course, never nice. An average house hidden in the Netherlands has a household value of approximately € 45,000. That’s quite a lot of money. To insure yourself against financial risks of damage to your household effects due to fire, theft, or leakage, you should opt for household contents insurance. For a relatively small monthly amount, you can ensure the belongings in your home are against damage.
