posted
So as I think I mentioned in an earlier thread, I'm preparing to travel to France over the summer. I have a nice apartment lined up for the month I'm planning on spending in Corsica, but the landlord needs me to provide civil liability insurance. Essentially something that covers it if I burn the place down. Does anyone know anything about how I would go about getting this insurance?
Part of the problem is that I'm currently in the UK (London, to be precise), so I can't just go around back home asking if places offer it. And even Google has been annoying because it tends to only return UK sites, which definitely offer the kind of insurance I evidently need, but only to UK residents.
I don't own a home back in the States, so while normally that would probably take care of it, in this case I think I'm out of luck. Would there be any chance I could piggy-back on my parents or in-laws home insurance?
All in all this has been an incredibly frustrating experience, as I've spent hours plodding around the internet, typing in all sorts of different search term combinations, to no avail. My google-fu is not strong. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posts: 2827 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Any way you can ask the landlord to point you in the right direction? I haven't lived in France since I was six, but I know a lot of places in the States require you to have renters insurance, and all the apartments I've rented which do require it also provide informaiton about how to get it. Certainly the landlord should at least know of a company that offers it that you could call.
posted
She has been very helpful, but I don't think she's ever rented to someone from the US before. It's always been pretty much a given that people would have this kind of insurance. So while she's looking into it to, I don't have much hope.
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posted
Civil liability/ personal indemnity insurance is mandated under French law. If the statutes are similar to CZR, which I believe they are, you need to be covered under a company incorporated in France, or with offices in France. The place to check first is the American embassy in Paris, or the French embassy in London. It's likely you can buy applicable plans online frm a travel insurer.
Be aware, the better likelihood is that you are actually already covered sufficiently via some other agreement, that you aren't even aware covers this eventuality. For instance, by your bank, or credit card company, or by your university health plan or some other entity. The tendency is for the traveler to be over insured, when riders actually exist on their current coverage that they don't even know about.
Failing that, it's actually highly likely that your landlord herself is covered under her own civil liability insurance for a guest or tenant, and is unaware and or unwilling to be responsible for you during your stay. Endgame: asking for civil liability coverage on a one month stay is excessive.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote: Endgame: asking for civil liability coverage on a one month stay is excessive.
You don't know that, maybe Strangelove mentioned his hobby of lighting matches one by one and tossing them on the ground while he was applying for the apartment. Not the most discreet choice but they do say that honesty is the best policy.
Posts: 2302 | Registered: Aug 2008
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It's true, I do have a certain proclivity towards flamelieness. Though I was always more of the persuasion that lighting a book of matches and throwing them onto a bed was more fun.*
Seriously though, I do agree that it's a bit excessive. I've been trying to find out if I'm somehow insured somewhere else, but so far no dice. Thanks though, Orincoro, for the American embassy suggestion. Somehow I didn't think of that. Any other suggestions appreciated as well.
*Interesting side note - I had a friend in college who did this to my bed. Repeatedly.
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Heh. He was an... interesting character. And yes, I was in the bed once, and narrowly prevented a few other attempts.
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Good news! I emailed the embassy and they sent me a list of options, one of which worked out quite well. I don't know what it says about me that contacting the embassy never crossed my mind...
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That I have a lot more experience with this stuff than you do. Don't worry, I've made mistakes you haven't even contemplated.
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If you have any other advice (or anyone), definitely feel free to attempt to head off any future mistakes by me.
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