Student room insurance
Have you found a student room to rent? Congratulations! But have you thought about insurance? Why is it important to do so? Are there different categories of student rooms to insure? What are the impacts of sharing a student room on your accommodation insurance and what are the important guarantees to include in your student room insurance? How long can I stay in a student room?
Why take out insurance?
You must be under 45 years of age to take out student insurance with Etudassur. Before moving in, it is compulsory to be insured for rental risks when you are a tenant (the only exception is if you rent furnished accommodation that is not your main residence).
The landlord (or owner) asks for a certificate of insurance when you move in. They must ask you for it again each year if you stay in the same accommodation.
If you do not have a certificate of student room insurance, the landlord can terminate the lease after giving you notice or take out a new one, and charge you for it on your next rent bill.
Categories of insured student rooms
There are various types of student rooms for rent in student residences:
– Single student rooms (the cheapest being furnished student rooms of 9 m2 (with kitchen and toilet in a shared space with other students) mainly located in CROUS.
– Rooms or flats in a private home, either alone or shared.
Individual flats in private student residences.
– Looliving flats in residences .
Insurance contract and flat sharing
A student room insurance policy will be essential, because as a student tenant you are obliged to take out at least the “Civil liability for rental risks” or “Tenant’s liability” in your home insurance policy, even if you share a flat. However, you are strongly advised to take out insurance with additional cover.
A flatmate can take out a home insurance policy on his own and have his flatmates benefit from the cover if they are named in his insurance policy. To do this, you can simply add them to your Etudassur Client Area.
Note: You must inform your student accommodation insurance company of the identity of the occupants sharing your accommodation.
If there is a change of flatmate, you must inform your insurer so that the new tenant can be included in the home insurance policy.
Important guarantees in student room insurance
The insurance obligation is primarily that of “rental risks” covering the landlord against damage that you may inadvertently cause to the accommodation and property entrusted to you, as well as damage resulting from fire, explosion or water damage. It is important to note that only damage to the dwelling or building will be compensated, not your personal property.
Therefore, it is better to take out additional options or to take out a multi-risk student room insurance, also known as Multirisk Home Insurance (MRH)
It can be difficult to find a comprehensive insurance policy that offers extensive protection at a reasonable price… So don’t hesitate to compare the different offers. Be careful, an insurance contract is not judged only by the price! Take the time to look around:
– the guarantee ceilings (800€ seems a bit low to insure a whole house for example),
– Deductibles: either indicated in a fixed way – 100€ at Etudassur without any change over time; or according to the “FFB index”, which is a quotation established by the French Building Federation that changes every quarter. This means that your student room insurance excess will change throughout the year.
– The clauses of the guarantees. Indeed, some low cost insurances will add exclusions to their cover, which are sometimes difficult to observe without an expert opinion, in order to reduce the scope of their intervention in the event of a claim.
– Availability of contacts in the event of a claim. Etudassur is an insurance broker and takes care of the management of our clients’ claims. You are in direct contact with our manager Laurence who will follow your file until it is closed.
If you have any doubts, always choose a student room insurance policy that is not the lowest priced on the market. Etudassur does not consider itself as a Low Cost but as a Just Right Cost contract: contract at the right price for the right things!
As a tenant, here are the essential guarantees for your home contract:
– Tenant’s liability covering damage you may cause to your accommodation or to the property entrusted to you in it. Please note that this guarantee does not cover your personal property.
– Personal liability, which will cover you for damage caused to third parties in the context of your private life, your school life or during your work placements. In a student room insurance, this guarantee is VERY STRONGLY recommended.
If your student room insurance includes a recourse guarantee, you will also be covered in case of damage caused to your neighbours or third parties, if this damage originates in your student accommodation (e.g. in case of flooding).
– 24/7 assistance will be necessary in certain situations (e.g. calling a locksmith with rates approved by your insurer so that you do not pay too much for an intervention). However, check that this guarantee works if you are at home, but also when travelling or abroad.
In addition, here are the essential guarantees to have in a student room insurance:
– Fire, water damage, explosion
– Ice breakage
– Travelling Stay
– Natural disasters
– Climatic events (storms, hail, snow, etc.)
– Defence costs
Some multi-risk home insurance policies (such as Etudassur’s “XXL” package) also offer extensive and particularly useful cover: electrical damage, theft/vandalism, bedbug disinfestation, loss of house keys, bicycle theft or strike (when this event prevents you from taking your exams).
Length of stay in a student room
The lease can be between 10 and 12 months, with the possibility of giving notice to leave on 30 June (this is after you have passed your exams, so you don’t have to pay rent in July and August).
Your student room insurance must be taken out for the same period as your lease.
You must pay your rent by the 10th of each month.
FAQ
With Etudassur you have the choice between 2 multi-risk home insurance policies: the “Essential” policy (€50 per year, i.e. €4.15 per month) and the “XXL” policy (€64 per year, i.e. €5.30 per month).
Be sure to check the risks covered by each home insurance policy. You will be much better protected in the event of a claim for a few euros. Buying home insurance from online insurers will be cheaper than buying it from an agency.
However, check that the insurer is a specialist in student room insurance and avoid low-cost insurers (general insurers also offer such insurance, but often more expensive and/or less comprehensive).
Beware, an insurance contract is not judged only by the price indicated! Take the time to look at :
– The guarantee ceilings (800€ seems a bit low to insure a whole house for example).
– Deductibles (Either indicated in a fixed way – 100€ at Etudassur without evolution in time, or according to the “FFB index” which is a quotation established by the French Federation of the Building industry evolving each quarter. This means that your deductible will change throughout the year.
– The clauses of the guarantees of your student room insurance. Some low-cost insurers will add exclusions to their cover, which are sometimes difficult to observe without an expert’s report, in order to reduce the scope of their intervention in the event of a claim.
– Availability of contacts in the event of a claim. Etudassur is an insurance broker and takes care of the management of our clients’ claims. You are in direct contact with our manager Laurence who will follow your file until it is closed.
If you have any doubts, always choose a student room insurance policy that is not the lowest priced on the market. Etudassur does not consider itself as a contract Low Cost but as a Just Right Cost contract – Contract at the right price for the right things !
The more your home insurance protects you from possible risks, the higher the price.
The age of the building, the number of rooms in the dwelling, the city and the security system will also affect the price (insurance being more expensive in larger cities).
Even if this is not included in the total price, you should also take into account the deductible for your student room insurance. The deductible is the amount you have to pay in the event of a claim and which will not be reimbursed by the insurer.
Finally, compare what each insurer offers in terms of maximum cover (maximum amount of reimbursement provided for in the insurance contract).
Most companies ask you for a scanned student card and ID. At Etudassur, you don’t need a student card, we trust you. All you have to do is fill in an online quote which summarises the price and the guarantees covered by the student room insurance.
If you are satisfied with the coverage/price ratio, you can pay online. Once your payment has been validated, your insurance will allow you to download certificates to your personal space if necessary (insurance certificate for your landlord, civil liability certificate to be able to do a school placement, etc.). If you are in a student residence, Etudassur will automatically send your certificate to your landlord.