Will home insurance become more expensive if you live in high-risk areas?

Did you know ? One in four French people is potentially exposed to flooding, which is currently considered the main major national risk. A figure that is constantly increasing, and which is set to grow in the coming years. Faced with the proliferation of natural disasters, insurers are taking their precautions and tending to increase the share linked to the devastation created by nature.

The trend therefore tends towards home insurance which will be clearly impacted by the area where the house is located.

What is a risk zone?

Does your place of residence determine whether you will be able to take out cheap home insurance?

First of all, you should know that a risk zone is defined by well-defined criteria, set by law no. 95-101 of February 2, 1995, known as the « Barnier » law, relating to the strengthening of the environment.

The Barnier law establishes a typology according to the natural risks to be considered in the area; this typology is established according to the percentages of natural accidents that have occurred in recent years, and according to objective criteria

Zones are divided into four categories, categorized as follows:

  • White zone: zone without notable natural risk, constructions are authorized without the owner needing an authorization from the municipality
  • Blue zone: moderate risk zone, which can potentially be exposed to natural risks: the owner can build in this zone, subject to authorization from the municipality.
  • Red zone: zone very likely to be confronted with natural risks: it is strictly forbidden to build a dwelling there. Any building built after the decision to place the area in the red zone is built illegally. As for the houses that were built before the classification, it is up to the municipality to decide whether to buy the houses that were built there, in order to destroy them… or not to do so, at its own risk.
  • Area subject to burglaries: this fourth category, based on the burglary statistics of the area, concerns touristic or disreputable areas.
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Due to the proliferation of natural disasters in France, the « natural risks » part is taking an increasingly important part in housing contracts: insurance companies, which currently provision 16% of the amount of their contract to cover natural risks , will probably be brought in the coming years to increase this share to 25%.

What impact on my home insurance contract?

To find out if the area in which you live is considered a risk area, your municipality can provide you with a PPRN, that is to say a forecast plan for foreseeable natural risks.

You can also consult the portal of the Ministry of Ecology, Géorisque, which will tell you the typology of your area by simply indicating your address.

Insurers like Maaf offer a quote in just a few clicks; by answering a few simple questions, you will be able to easily and clearly see the impact of your zone on the amount of your home insurance.

Anyway, of course, the amount of your home insurance may change considerably if your area is considered a risk area.

It is even possible in certain extreme cases that your insurer refuses to insure you.

In this case, a recourse is available to you: You can contact the Central Office of Tariffs (BTC) which will seek an insurer for you and will impose your file on it.

If you live in a high-risk area and your insurer nevertheless agrees to insure you, plan home insurance with a very high premium, because your insurer will want to cover itself as much as possible in the event of an accident.

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You nevertheless have the possibility of negotiating by offering your insurer to pay a higher deductible, and bet on the fact that your home will not be subject to climatic accidents.

You can also highlight the investments you have made to counter natural accidents or burglaries; bars on windows, work to fill in waterways if you are in a flood zone… these works can be taken into account by your insurer and constitute significant elements of negotiation for your home insurance premium.

Read also: How to terminate your 1-year insurance contract with the Hamon law?

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