Apartment insurance in Belgium
In most Belgian apartment blocks the building is insured by a single collective policy taken out by the association of co-owners and managed by the syndic. That policy usually covers the whole structure, private apartments included. What it leaves to each occupant is contents, private liability and, often, the franchise.
Start by asking the syndic for the block policy and its certificate before buying anything yourself. Duplicating the building cover is a common and pointless expense. The two questions that actually need answering are who bears the franchise after a loss between apartments, and whether the policy contains a recourse waiver between co-owners.
| Provider | Plan | Price | Key points | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 AXACheapest |
Assurance incendie appartement | €102/year |
| View plan |
 Yuzzu AXA |
Assurance incendie locataire | €133/year |
| View plan |
 Allianz |
Assurance incendie locataire | €148/year |
| View plan |
Corona Direct Belfius |
Assurance incendie appartement | €164/year |
| View plan |
 DVV |
Assurance incendie appartement | €170/year |
| View plan |
 KBC |
Assurance incendie appartement | €171/year |
| View plan |
 ING |
Assurance incendie appartement | €174/year |
| View plan |
 Flora by Ethias Ethias |
Assurance incendie locataire | €180/year |
| View plan |
Immoweb Protect Baloise |
Assurance incendie locataire | €187/year |
| View plan |
ING |
Assurance incendie locataire | €191/year |
| View plan |
 ACM Insurance |
Assurance Habitation ACM | On request |
| View plan |
Prices and features surveyed on August 31, 2026. They may have changed since. Always check the offer on the provider’s website before signing up.
The block policy comes first
A Belgian apartment block is legally an association of co-owners — association des copropriétaires, vereniging van mede-eigenaars — represented by a syndic. The general assembly decides on the collective insurance and the syndic manages it.
That collective policy generally covers the whole building: common parts and, in most Belgian blocks, the private apartments as well. Buyers arriving from other countries often assume the opposite and buy a building policy they do not need.
Ask the syndic for the policy itself, not a summary. What you are checking is whether private units are inside the cover, what the insured sum is, and what the franchise per claim amounts to.
Where you are a tenant rather than an owner, the same document matters: the lease may require tenant's liability regardless of what the block policy says, and the two need to be read together rather than separately.
What the block policy leaves to you
Contents are yours to insure. Furniture, appliances, clothes and equipment are never in the collective policy, whatever the building cover includes.
Private liability and, in many cases, theft and legal protection also sit outside it. Theft in particular is worth a specific look in a block with shared entrances and cellars.
The franchise is the recurring source of argument. After water damage spreading from one apartment to another, the block policy may respond while the franchise is charged to the co-owner from whose flat the loss originated. Some individual policies cover exactly that amount, and it is worth asking whether yours does.
Finally, look for a recourse waiver between co-owners in the block policy. Where it exists, co-owners do not sue each other for losses covered collectively, which removes most of the friction after a leak between floors. Where it does not, your own liability cover carries real weight.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need my own policy if the block is insured?
Yes, but a different one. The block policy handles the building; you insure your contents, your private liability and often theft. Ask the syndic for the collective policy first so that you buy the complement rather than a duplicate, which is the most common mistake in Belgian apartment buying.
Who pays the franchise after water damage from upstairs?
It depends on the block policy. Frequently the collective insurance settles the damage while the franchise is charged to the co-owner in whose apartment the loss originated. Some individual contracts cover that amount, which is a specific point to raise when comparing quotes rather than assuming.
What should I ask the syndic before buying an apartment?
The full block insurance policy, the insured sum, the franchise per claim, whether private units are covered and whether a recourse waiver between co-owners exists. Ask also about claims in recent years, since a block with a history of leaks tells you something the survey will not.
Does the block policy cover my furniture?
No. Collective policies cover the structure, and in most Belgian blocks the private units as fabric, but never the movable property inside them. Furniture, appliances and personal effects are insured under your own contents cover, valued at what it would cost to replace them.