Did you know that one-third of all claims are related to water damage? Fortunately, your home insurance covers you for:
Does insurance cover water leaks?
Your washing machine springs a leak and water starts pouring into your neighbour’s property. A pipe bursts and water damages your walls. It doesn't take a vivid imagination to picture disaster scenarios like these or the amount of money required to put things right. Which insurance policy can you claim on in such a situation and which conditions apply?
Emergency help: home insurance
damage caused by water seeping through the roofing material
damage caused by water leaking from a sanitary fixture or other household appliance
damage caused by pipe issues
damage caused by flooding or other severe weather conditions
However, the following needs to be borne in mind:
the insurance only covers consequential damage to your home and contents, not the cause of the water damage (e.g., paintwork is covered but not a leak in your roof)
you always have to pay some of the costs yourself (the deductible)
What is not covered by home insurance?
What your home insurance covers (and does not cover) – besides general water damage – depends on the specific cover included in it. You are therefore advised to read through your policy again. Of course, it’s important to keep everything in good repair in order to avoid damage as much as possible.
Water damage: when is it covered by home insurance or by family insurance?
Water damage caused by third parties
Water damage caused to third parties
The insurance covering the water leak depends on who has suffered damage. As mentioned earlier, your home insurance only covers consequential damage to your own property. If a leak in your roof or one of your pipes causes water damage to a third party (for instance, your neighbours), you need to call upon your family insurance policy.
What should I do if I suffer water damage?
The first thing you should do is make sure that you and your home are protected from any further damage. Turn off the electricity, try to pinpoint where the water is coming from (turn off the water supply if necessary), move any furniture or appliances out of harm’s way and clear out everything to see the extent of the damage. Contact a plumber or (if necessary) the fire brigade as quickly as possible.
For the insurance file:
Take photographs of the damage
Submit your claim online using KBC Mobile or KBC Touch
Provide a description of the damage. If a third party was involved, include their details (name, address, phone number, etc.)
Add all the information to your digital claim
Put together a file
Keep the invoices for everything you buy in order to evaluate the damage. It’s important to know that the insurer will also take account of the age of the building and the damaged contents, with the result that you often don’t get back the full amount you had originally paid.
More information about family insurance
What is and isn’t covered?
Covered
- Loss, damage or injury caused to other individuals
We will compensate the person who suffered the loss, damage or injury. The policy also covers any loss, damage or injury caused by your animals to other individuals. - Loss, damage or injury caused by the actions of another person
We’ll help you get compensation from the liable party. If they are unable to pay, we’ll pay up to 12 500 euros in compensation. This figure is doubled in the case of bodily injuries.
Not covered
- Loss, damage or injury which you cause to yourself or family members
- Loss, damage or injury resulting from gross negligence on the part of a member of your family aged 18 or older
- Loss, damage or injury caused intentionally by a member of your family aged 16 or older
- Loss, damage or injury caused by your riding horses or by animals that you, as a private individual residing in Belgium, are not allowed to keep
- Fines and out-of-court settlements
- Disputes in which you are involved as the owner or driver of a motor vehicle that is subject to compulsory motor insurance
Compensation and deductible
- For bodily injuries, we provide cover of up to 30 million euros per claim event and there's no deductible to pay.
- We provide cover of up to 10 million euros for material damage and you pay a deductible of 250 euros per claim event.
Good to know
- This product is governed by the laws of Belgium.
- {{right of cancellation}}
- Your intermediary is the first point of contact for any complaints you may have. If no agreement can be reached, please contact KBC Complaints Management, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven, complaints@kbc.be, tel. 016 43 25 94. If you cannot find a suitable solution, you can contact the Belgian insurance industry's ombudsman service: Ombudsman van de Verzekeringen, de Meeûssquare 35, 1000 Brussels, info@ombudsman-insurance.be, www.ombudsman-insurance.be.
- This does not affect your legal rights.
To request a premium calculation for KBC Family Insurance, visit www.kbc.be, use KBC Touch or KBC Mobile, or contact your Insurance Expert.
KBC Family Insurance is a product provided by KBC Insurance NV – Professor Roger Van Overstraetenplein 2 – 3000 Leuven – Belgium.
VAT BE 0403.552.563 – RLP Leuven – IBAN BE43 7300 0420 0601 – BIC KREDBEBB
Company licensed by the National Bank of Belgium, de Berlaimontlaan 14, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, for all classes of insurance under code 0014 (Royal Decree of 4 July 1979, Belgian Official Gazette of 14 July 1979).
Member of the KBC group
Read this information carefully before taking out this insurance
See full details regarding KBC Family Insurance
More information about home insurance for owners
What is and isn’t covered under home insurance?
Covered
You are covered for any unexpected damage to
- The home itself
- Patios, the drive and perimeter fencing
- Any constructions attached to the home
If you’re renting out part of your home or your garage, the person renting it is covered as well.
If you would also like to insure your garden shed, detached garage or pool house, we recommend our ‘detached annexes’ cover. It also covers your individual garage located elsewhere.
We provide a specific type of cover for swimming pools.
Not covered
Damage caused by
- Surface instability
- Groundwater or precipitation caused by your cellars or exterior walls not being waterproof
- Work being carried out on-site
- Correction of construction flaws
Your third-party liability for loss or damage caused in, around or on the building, the grounds, any adjacent footpaths or their contents is not covered under this policy, but instead under your family insurance policy.
The complete list of exclusions can be found in the general terms and conditions.
What is and isn’t covered under home contents insurance?
Covered
- Damage caused by, for example, fire, explosion, storm, hail, lightning, water, collision, ... to your
- Home contents: furniture, clothing, bicycles, jewellery, television sets, etc.
- Pets
- Motor vehicles and their trailers
And we take it a step further: your home's contents is also covered against all types of loss and damage, on condition that you did not expect said event to occur and that the loss or damage amounts to at least 1 250 euros. If you choose to add on this cover, you will also be protected against any loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft.
Not covered
- Theft and attempted theft
- Loss
- Deliberate damage
- Damage caused by flooding or by the overflowing of public sewers to items outside the home
- Unique property, such as art objects and antiques. We recommend our specific ‘Valuables’ cover for this purpose. Contact our Insurance Expert.
If you also want to take out insurance that covers theft or attempted theft of your home contents, motor vehicles and their trailers, pets, etc. and items outside your home, you'll need to add on theft cover.
The complete list of exclusions can be found in the general terms and conditions.
Good to know
KBC Home Insurance for owners may include one or more of the following types of insurance cover: home insurance, home contents insurance, theft insurance for home contents, swimming pool insurance, garden insurance and soil decontamination insurance. These are forms of property damage insurance. These forms of insurance cover are intended for owners-residents of private homes who do not use their home for commercial activities or liberal professions.
- This product is governed by the laws of Belgium.
- Insurance cover under this policy is valid for a term of one year and is tacitly renewed unless you cancel it no later than three months before the main renewal date.
For policies taken out or tacitly renewed on or after 1 October 2024, you have up to two months before the main renewal date to cancel them. As a consumer, you can cancel your insurance contract at any time starting from the second insurance year, with effect after two months have elapsed from the day after the registered letter was submitted for delivery, the writ was served or the date of the acknowledgement of receipt. - Your intermediary is the first point of contact for any complaints you may have. If no agreement can be reached, please contact KBC Complaints Management, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven, complaints@kbc.be, tel. 016 43 25 94. If you cannot find a suitable solution, you can contact the Belgian insurance industry’s ombudsman service: Ombudsman van de Verzekeringen, de Meeûssquare 35, 1000 Brussels, info@ombudsman.as, www.ombudsman.as. This does not affect your legal rights.
Contact your insurance expert or visit our website to request a quotation for KBC Home Insurance for owners.
KBC Home Insurance for owners is a product provided by KBC Insurance NV, Professor Roger Van Overstraetenplein 2, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
VAT BE 0403.552.563, RLP Leuven, IBAN BE43 7300 0420 0601, BIC KREDBEBB.
Company licensed by the National Bank of Belgium, de Berlaimontlaan 14, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, for all classes of insurance under code 0014 (Royal Decree of 4 July 1979, Belgian Official Gazette of 14 July 1979).
Member of the KBC group.
Read this information carefully before taking out this insurance
See full details regarding KBC Home Insurance for owners
More information about home insurance for tenants
What is and isn’t covered under home insurance for tenants?
Covered
- The home, annexes and fences
- Rented garage (even if it is located elsewhere)
- Property or items permanently attached to the building
If you sublet a section of the home, the subtenant is included in the cover.
Not covered
- Additional obligations in your lease which exceed the legal liability
- Deliberate destruction or theft of goods by you or members of your household
- Typical rental damage (such as wall plugs)
The complete list of exclusions can be found in the general conditions.
What is and isn’t covered under home contents insurance?
Covered
- Damage caused by, for example, fire, explosion, storm, hail, lightning, water, collision, ... to your
- Home contents: furniture, clothing, bicycles, jewellery, television sets, etc.
- Pets
- Motor vehicles and their trailers
- Damage to fixed equipment or improvements you made to the home as a tenant, at your expense, is also insured
And we take it a step further: your home's contents is also covered against all types of loss and damage, on condition that you did not expect said event to occur and that the loss or damage amounts to at least 1 250 euros. If you choose to add on this cover, you will also be protected against any loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft.
Not covered
- Theft and attempted theft
- Loss
- Deliberate damage
- Damage caused by flooding to items outside the home
If you also want to take out insurance that covers theft or attempted theft of your home contents, motor vehicles and their trailers, pets, etc. and items outside your home, you'll need to add on theft cover.
The complete list of exclusions can be found in the general conditions.
Good to know
KBC Home Insurance for tenants may include one or more of the following types of insurance cover: tenant’s insurance, home contents insurance, theft insurance for home contents, soil decontamination insurance (home insurance) and legal assistance insurance for tenants (legal assistance insurance). These forms of insurance cover are designed for tenants of private homes. No commercial activity or liberal profession is carried out in the insured home.
- This product is governed by the laws of Belgium.
- Insurance cover under this policy is valid for a term of one year and is tacitly renewed unless you cancel it no later than three months before the main renewal date.
For policies taken out or tacitly renewed on or after 1 October 2024, you have up to two months before the main renewal date to cancel them. As a consumer, you can cancel your insurance contract at any time starting from the second insurance year, with effect after two months have elapsed from the day after the registered letter was submitted for delivery, the writ was served or the date of the acknowledgement of receipt. - Your intermediary is the first point of contact for any complaints you may have. If no agreement can be reached, please contact KBC Complaints Management, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven, complaints@kbc.be, tel. 016 43 25 94. If you cannot find a suitable solution, you can contact the Belgian insurance industry’s ombudsman service: Ombudsman van de Verzekeringen, de Meeûssquare 35, 1000 Brussels, info@ombudsman-insurance.be, www.ombudsman-insurance.be. This does not affect your legal rights.
Contact your insurance expert or visit our website to request a quotation for KBC Home Insurance for tenants.
KBC Home Insurance for tenants is a product provided by KBC Insurance NV, Professor Roger Van Overstraetenplein 2, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
VAT BE 0403.552.563, RLP Leuven, IBAN BE43 7300 0420 0601, BIC KREDBEBB.
Company licensed by the National Bank of Belgium, de Berlaimontlaan 14, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, for all classes of insurance under code 0014 (Royal Decree of 4 July 1979, Belgian Official Gazette of 14 July 1979).
Member of the KBC group
