Securing your property
Securing your property, floor by floor
Non-occupying owner insurance, rent guarantee, claims deadlines, physical protection of an empty property: the three floors of security for a property held from afar.
The essentials in four sentences
A property held from afar is secured floor by floor: insurance first, a non-occupying owner policy for an empty or alternating home, rent guarantee insurance for a let one; the law imposes its deadlines, water damage declared within five working days, burglary within two. Surveillance next: periodic visit with a report, emptied letterbox, shutters and shut-offs to standard, which the insurance contract may itself require. Physical protection last: locks, detection, controlled water shut-off, draining before winter. The costliest mistake is not the burglar, it is the refused claim: an undeclared vacancy or an unproven visit can drain the payout. French Realty carries out the protections and the visits on quotation, and points to the insurer used to non-residents.
What does "securing" a property from afar mean?
Securing is not only locking up: it is stopping a small incident from becoming a distant catastrophe. Three floors stack, from the most legal to the most physical: the contract (the right insurance, declared at the right occupancy), the presence (someone who looks, records and acts within the deadlines) and the hardware (what closes, shuts off, drains). Each floor holds the other two; the table below makes them readable.
| Floor | What it covers | Who carries it |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance contract | PNO for empty or alternating, GLI for let, tenant's comprehensive cover | The insurer, with your exact declaration |
| Human presence | Visits with report, mail, claim deadlines, repairs | French Realty caretaking, on quotation |
| Physical protection | Locks, detection, shut-offs, winter draining, shutters | An installer, coordinated by French Realty |
How to go about it, in what order?
Order matters, because each floor conditions the next. Start with a risk inventory: photos, weak points, actual occupancy, what the insurer will ask. Then set the contract straight: occupancy declared as it truly is (empty, used by family, let), covers read, excesses understood. Then put presence in place: a regular visit with a report, tracked letterbox, written instructions for the neighbourhood. Hardware last, only where it pays: reinforced locks, an accessible water shut-off, draining before the first cold. Our articles on securing an unoccupied flat and on protecting an empty house in winter walk each floor step by step.
- Risk inventory: dated photos, weak points, actual occupancy.
- Contract: occupancy declared exactly, covers and excesses reread.
- Presence: agreed visit rhythm, a report at every visit, tracked mail.
- Hardware: locks, accessible shut-offs, winter draining, detection if useful.
- Instructions: a written note for the neighbourhood and the caretaking, with the numbers that matter.
Under what conditions does insurance respond for an empty property?
Insurance for an unoccupied home follows its own rules, and that is where payouts get lost. The policy must be a non-occupying owner one (or a home policy fit for alternating use), declared at the right occupancy: living in it undeclared, or leaving empty a home declared occupied, distorts the cover. Contracts sometimes condition theft and vandalism cover on precautions: periodic visits, closed shutters, water shut-off; read them BEFORE winter, not after the claim. The table below separates the policies and their purpose.
| Situation | The fitting policy | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Empty or intermittently used property | Non-occupying owner (PNO) | The building, the owner's liability, prolonged absence per the terms |
| Let property | Landlord's PNO + tenant's home insurance | The building and the owner on one side, tenant's recourse on the other |
| Rents of a let property | Rent guarantee insurance (GLI), optional | Arrears and damage, per the contract's terms |
Note: the tenant's insurance is theirs to buy, but the landlord does well to check it (certificate, amount): it is the let property's first line of defence, ahead even of GLI.
How much do these protections cost, and who bills them?
French Realty publishes no rates and sells no insurance: premiums belong to insurers, physical installation to installers at actual cost, and caretaking (visits, presence, deadline tracking) is quoted individually. What can be said, being law and method: a PNO premium is computed on the property and its declared use, GLI on the rent and the tenant's file, and a periodic visit is paid by time spent. The table below shares out the bills; our acquisition-plan simulator seats the premiums in the property's annual budget.
| Line | Who bills | Base |
|---|---|---|
| PNO and GLI premiums | The insurer | The property, the rent, the file |
| Installation (locks, detection) | The installer, at actual cost | Hardware and fitting |
| Visits, presence, deadline tracking | French Realty, on quotation | Time spent |
Within which deadlines do you declare a claim from abroad?
The deadlines are law, and being abroad waives none: the clock runs from knowledge of the claim. The table below holds the main ones; the rule of conduct is single: record (photos, values), declare within the deadline, keep the receipt, and repair nothing urgent save after agreement or documented necessity. Our article on declaring a French home claim from abroad walks the whole procedure, expert survey included.
| Claim | Deadline | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Water damage | Five working days | Knowledge of the claim |
| Burglary or attempt | Two working days | Discovery, with a police report |
| Natural disaster | Ten days | Publication of the decree in the Official Gazette |
| Technological disaster | Five days | Publication of the decree |
What does living abroad change for insurance?
Three differences, all workable. The insurer: some policies or covers assume an insured living in France; others are made for non-residents; a question to ask BEFORE subscribing, and French Realty points to the insurers used to it. The formalities: statements, photographs, expert survey and mail happen remotely, which requires someone on site to record within the deadlines. Payments last: the payout can be wired to a French or foreign account per the contract; to check when subscribing, not when claiming.
Note: the neighbour, caretaker or relative who notices does a favour; only a dated report, written by you or your caretaking, counts with the insurer. Good practice: the visit that finds triggers the declaration that follows, same day if possible.
What should you check before leaving the property for months?
| Gesture | Why |
|---|---|
| Shut off water at the meter and drain if winter nears | A frozen pipe bursts unseen |
| Fridge emptied and defrosted, devices on sensible standby | Smells, silent failures, electrical fire |
| Shutters closed, locks checked, valuables gone | What shows outside invites, or not |
| Letterbox entrusted, dated photos on leaving | Piled mail signals absence; photos date the condition |
What risks without protection, and what do they cost?
Without protection, three scenarios recur. The unnoticed claim: water runs for weeks, mould spreads, and the payout turns on proven upkeep. The refused cover: undeclared vacancy, unproven visit, precaution untaken; the contract takes its rights, not the insured. Unlawful occupation: a home that looks abandoned tempts; rehousing, evicting and repairing costs more than the whole hardware floor. The answer to each sits in the sections above; the thread is the same: dated proof of upkeep and presence.
How do you prevent unlawful occupation and burglary?
Prevention comes to three inexpensive gestures: keeping up appearances (mail picked up, lights and shutters that live, a regular presence), closing properly (certified locks, protections on reachable openings) and documenting (photos of belongings, invoices, readings). A regularly visited home does not look like a target; burglary cover, for its part, will often demand proof of the break-in and of the declared protections. Our article on securing an unoccupied home treats the subject at length, including the reflex to have at the first sign.
What insurance and security mistakes should you avoid?
| Mistake | Answer |
|---|---|
| Keeping an occupant's policy for a property turned empty | Policy switched to PNO from the change of use |
| Declaring the claim late "because you were abroad" | A mandated presence that records and declares on time |
| Repairing before the insurer's agreement | Photos, quotes, agreement; only urgency is documented |
| Installing detection never maintained | Half-yearly test, batteries, written instruction to the caretaking |
What does French Realty do on your property's security?
French Realty neither insures nor installs: it carries out, coordinates and points. Carries out: inspection visits with a dated report (the proof of upkeep insurers ask for), the departure protocol, attendance at interventions, winter draining and seasonal opening. Coordinates: the installer of locks and detection, the emergency repairer, the insurer's surveyor on site. Points: to the insurer used to non-residents, to the let property's rent guarantee. All on quotation, in your language, with one contact who knows the property and its file. Dated proof of presence: it is the best insurance there is, and it is a trade.
This guide describes insurance law applicable in 2026 for information; cover, excesses and exclusions belong to your contracts. French Realty informs, points to the insurer suited to a non-resident owner, and carries out on quotation the physical protections and the visits; claims are declared with your insurer, within the contractual deadlines.
Frequently asked questions about insuring and securing a property from afar
Last updated: September 2026
Which insurance for an unoccupied property held from abroad?
A non-occupying owner policy (PNO), declared at the property's actual occupancy: empty, occasional family use, or alternating. The classic mistake is keeping an occupant's comprehensive policy after leaving: on a claim, the inaccurate declaration can reduce or drain the cover. French Realty points to insurers used to non-residents; the contract, for its part, is read before winter, not after the claim.
Does insurance cover a home empty for several months?
Per the contract: many policies cover prolonged absence up to the limit they define, beyond which certain covers, theft and vandalism first, lapse; others keep everything against precautions (periodic visits, closed shutters). The answer is written in your own policy terms: limits, exclusions, required precautions. Our article on insuring French property as a non-resident explains what to read where.
Must the tenant insure, and what does the landlord check?
Yes: the tenant must carry rental-risks insurance, and the landlord may demand the certificate every year. The tenant's insurance is the let property's first line of defence; the landlord's PNO then takes over for the building and liability. For the rents, rent guarantee insurance (GLI) is studied with the tenant's file in hand, before the lease is signed.
Within what deadline must burglary or water damage be declared?
Five working days for water damage, two for burglary or attempt (police report in support), ten days after the decree's publication for a natural disaster: these are Insurance Code deadlines, and the clock runs from knowledge of the claim, not from your return. Hence the value of a mandated presence that records, photographs and declares on time.
Do alarms or cameras prevent unlawful occupation?
They deter, they do not prevent alone: what truly discourages unlawful occupation is the sign of life (mail picked up, living lights, regular visits) combined with serious closures. Useful detection is chosen with the insurer, since some theft covers require specific equipment. Our article on securing an unoccupied flat ranks the defences by their real return.
How do I prepare the property before leaving for months?
One protocol, always the same: water shut at the meter and drained if winter nears, fridge emptied, devices on sensible standby, shutters closed, locks checked, valuables gone, letterbox entrusted, dated photos of the departing state. French Realty caretaking runs and documents this protocol at every departure and every return: it is the trace the insurer will reread when the day comes.
Can the insurer refuse to pay a claim on an unoccupied property?
Yes, on precise grounds: inaccurate declared occupancy, required precautions untaken (visits, shutters, shut-offs), missed declaration deadline, or unreported aggravation of the risk. The law frames these exclusions (they must be clearly written), but the principle stands: the cover follows the declaration and the precautions. The answer holds in one word, proof: dated visit reports, photos, declaration receipts.
Is it better to empty and close, or maintain and keep alive?
Keep it alive, almost always: a visited, aired, minimally frost-heated and kept-up property ages better than one locked shut, and insurance and neighbourhood alike prefer presence. Closing hermetically suits very long absences without caretaking, at the price of a tailored policy and added precautions. Our article on leaving a property empty weighs both regimes; French Realty caretaking is the third path.
Who records a claim when nobody is on site?
The first who can: the neighbour seeing water on the ceiling, the caretaker, the managing agent, the mandated repairer. But for the insurer, what counts is the on-time declaration and the file: dated photos, origin, circumstances, quotes. That is a mandated caretaking's role: being the owner's arm and eye, chaining record, declaration and first measures, and keeping the trace of everything.
What exactly does French Realty do on property security?
It neither insures nor installs: it runs the protocol (dated visits with a report, documented departures and returns, winter draining and seasonal opening), coordinates the parties (installer, repairer, surveyor) and points to the right contracts (non-resident insurer, GLI for the let). All on quotation, in your language, with one contact. Dated proof of presence is, in insurance matters, the best of securities.
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