Home Insurance in France 2026: The Expat Guide to MRH, Legal Duties and Switching

Who legally needs home insurance in France

The rules depend on your status as tenant, owner-occupier or co-owner.

If you rent (tenant, locataire)

Article 7 g of the loi n° 89-462 of 6 July 1989 requires the tenant to insure the risks they answer for as tenant (risques locatifs). You prove it with an attestation d'assurance from your insurer: at the handover of the keys, then each year when the landlord asks. Service-Public.fr states the tenant obligation in its page on home insurance and civil liability. The FAQ below explains what the law provides if a tenant does not insure.

If you own and live in your home (résidence principale)

For the owner-occupier of an individual house, Service-Public.fr states that home insurance is not legally required but advised.

If you own in a condominium (copropriété)

Article 9-1 of the loi n° 65-557, created by article 58 of the Loi ALUR (loi n° 2014-366 of 24 March 2014), requires each co-owner to insure their civil liability, whether they occupy the flat or not. That is the legal minimum. Whether to add a PNO policy for a flat you let out is a separate choice, covered in the FAQ.

What MRH actually covers

A French multirisques habitation (MRH) contract bundles several guarantees. The conditions générales of your contract set the exact scope and the exclusions.

Core guarantees of a standard MRH

• Civil liability (responsabilité civile) pays third parties if you cause them damage. The law makes it compulsory for tenants and co-owners.
• Fire and explosion damage.
• Water damage (dégâts des eaux): leaks, burst pipes and infiltration.
• Theft (vol), vandalism and glass breakage (bris de glace): check the definitions and limits in the contract.

Guarantees shaped by law

• Natural disasters (catastrophes naturelles): damage caused by the abnormal intensity of a natural agent, including soil movements from drought and rehydration, is covered once an interministerial arrêté recognises the natural-disaster state (art. L125-1).
• Storm damage: wind from storms, hurricanes and cyclones is a separate guarantee required by art. L122-7, not part of the natural-disaster regime; only extreme cyclone winds fall under art. L125-1.
• Acts of terrorism and attacks: contracts that guarantee fire damage to property in France also cover direct material damage from attacks or terrorism (art. L126-2).

For legal protection and civil liability beyond the home, see our liability insurance guide.

If you are new to France

Three practical points apply to newcomers, whatever the insurer.

Ask for the attestation before you collect the keys

If you rent, the law asks for proof of insurance at the handover of the keys (article 7 g). Take out the policy before moving day, so that the insurer can issue the attestation d'assurance in time.

Prepare your documents

• A copy of your passport, French ID card or titre de séjour
• A French RIB (bank account details) for the direct debit
• A description of the property: surface in m², number of rooms, floor, heating, alarm or shutters

If you have no French bank account yet, see our guide on opening a bank account in France.

Check what is offered in English

Two providers say on their own pages that they serve English speakers (both pages consulted on October 6, 2026):

• AXA runs a site for English-speaking clients in France, with property quotes online.
• Britline, operated by Crédit Agricole Normandie, offers English-language banking, French mortgages and home insurance, including an "Own a Holiday home" offer.

This is not a recommendation. Read the terms on each provider's page and check the language of the contract itself before you sign.

How to compare quotes: a 5-step method

Follow these steps in order to compare offers on the same basis.

Cancelling a French home insurance policy

Four routes exist.

Loi Hamon: after the first year

Annual expiry with two months' notice

After one year, you may also terminate at the contract's expiry date, with at least two months' notice before that date, using the same notice methods (art. L113-12).

The renewal notice (article L113-15-1)

Under article L113-15-1 (modified by the loi of 14 July 2019, in force since 1 December 2020), the insurer must recall the cancellation deadline with each annual premium notice. If that notice is sent less than 15 days before the deadline, or after it, you have 20 days from the date of the notice to refuse the renewal. If the insurer did not give the information at all, you may cancel at any time after the renewal, at no cost.

Legitimate reasons (motif légitime)

Article L113-16 allows cancellation after a change of domicile, marital status, matrimonial regime or profession, or after retirement or the end of professional activity. You must ask within three months of the event, the cancellation takes effect one month after notification, and it applies only where the insured risk was tied to the previous situation. On the death of the insured or the sale of the property, the heir or the buyer may cancel (art. L121-10).

What to do when something goes wrong

Article L113-2 of the Code des assurances requires you to declare a claim within the deadline set in your contract. That deadline cannot be shorter than five working days, and two days for theft. A late declaration can be penalised only if the insurer proves that it suffered harm from the delay.

Read the deadline in your contract before anything else, then limit the damage and photograph everything before you clean up.

Frequently asked questions

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