Vandalism to your car or home: what does your insurance cover?

Short answer

As a rule of thumb: damage to your car from vandalism is covered by your car insurance if you have at least limited casco coverage. Damage to the structure of your home (such as windows, doors, walls) is typically covered under buildings insurance. For your loose personal belongings – from your TV to your clothing – contents insurance applies when they are wilfully damaged. However, a WA-only policy offers no protection. Also important: insurers almost always require you to file a police report before they process a claim. Additionally, you often pay a deductible and the claim can affect your premium and no-claims discount.

Vandalism to your car

If your car is keyed, a window smashed, tyres slashed, or graffiti sprayed on it, that is vandalism. The question is: does your car insurance cover this deliberate damage? Standard WA (third-party liability) covers only damage you cause to others with your car. For damage to your own vehicle from vandalism, you need more extensive coverage. Almost all insurers cover vandalism under limited casco (also called WA+ or WA Beperkt Casco) and certainly under all-risk insurance. Do note that some budget policies contain exclusions for certain types of vandalism, such as damage occurring while the car is parked in an unguarded location. It is therefore wise to check your policy conditions. On average, limited casco costs between €8 and €15 extra per month compared to WA-only, but that premium often outweighs a one-off vandalism repair of hundreds of euros. To see whether your current car insurance covers vandalism adequately, a commission-free car insurance comparison can help you focus on coverage, not just price.

• Scratches and paint damage: usually covered under limited casco/all-risk, provided the damage was caused by intentional acts of third parties.
• Smashed car windows and broken mirrors: fall under vandalism cover, but check your glass deductible.
• Graffiti on the bodywork: typically covered, though the insurer may ask for a damage assessment.
• Slash tyres: often covered, unless the policy excludes tyre damage or only covers theft.
• Damage from fireworks or arson: usually covered, but proving malicious intent can be difficult without a police report.
• Note: damage from normal use or weather (e.g. hail) is not classed as vandalism; those are subject to different cover rules.

Vandalism to your home: buildings insurance

A smashed window, a destroyed front door, ripped-off roof tiles, or graffiti on the facade are typical examples of vandalism to the building. Buildings insurance (opstal) covers the fixed parts of your home, and in most policies vandalism damage is included as standard. It concerns deliberate damage caused by outside third parties. Note that the damage must result from an event you could not reasonably have prevented. If you left your front door wide open, for instance, the insurer might hold you partly responsible. A police report is usually required here too. The payout depends on the rebuild value of your home and any indexation. If you want to confirm that your buildings policy correctly covers vandalism and the rebuild value, a commission-free buildings insurance comparison can clarify the differences between policies.

• Destruction of windows, doors and frames: typically covered.
• Roof damage, like torn-off tiles: covered under buildings, unless due to poor maintenance.
• Graffiti on walls: usually covered, though some insurers apply a separate graffiti deductible.
• Arson of your home: covered via buildings, but the insurer often investigates whether you were involved.
• Damage to garden or fencing: may be (partially) covered, but check the policy; there is often a maximum sum insured.

Damaged possessions: contents insurance

Did vandals throw a stone through your window, damaging your TV and laptop, or did intruders wreck your interior? Then you look to your contents insurance (inboedel). This covers damage to your movable belongings inside your home. As with buildings insurance, vandalism is usually included under the basic cover as ‘external calamity’. Yet the exact implementation varies per insurer: one policy pays for damaged furniture without question, while another sets a maximum for electronics or art. Also check whether you have outside-home cover; if items in a shed or garden room are destroyed, that may be covered under contents provided you have the ‘possessions at another location’ extension. To assess whether your contents insurance sufficiently covers vandalism and what sum insured is appropriate, a commission-free contents insurance comparison is a logical step. That way you can examine the insured amount, the deductible and specific exclusions.

*Note: exact cover varies by insurer and policy. Always check your own policy conditions and schedule. The table above gives a general impression based on common market practice.

Police report, deductible and premium impact

With vandalism damage, a police report is practically unavoidable. Without a copy of the official report or confirmation, the insurer will usually refuse to handle your claim. So it is crucial to go to a police station or file a report online immediately after discovering the damage, and to take good photos of all damage. Once you submit your claim, you face the deductible (eigen risico). For car insurance, the vandalism deductible is often between €150 and €300, though some policies impose a higher separate deductible for glass damage. For buildings and contents insurance, the deductible is typically €100 to €250. If the repair costs are lower than the deductible, claiming makes no financial sense. What's more, a claim can reduce your no-claims years and your discount, causing your premium to rise sharply in subsequent years. It is therefore wise to weigh up whether to pay for the damage yourself or to claim. Read more about this trade-off in our article on claiming or self-paying and the effect on your premium. It can also be tempting to lower your insured amount or cover to save premium, but that increases the risk of underinsurance, meaning you would bear a large part of a major vandalism claim yourself. Also read our article on lowering the insured amount and the danger of underinsurance.

Bear in mind that if you choose not to claim, you can still have the damage repaired at your own expense. It is advisable to always report the damage to your insurer, even if you do not claim, to keep potential consequential damage covered. Some policies require you to report damage within a certain period. For more on that, read when to report damage to your insurer so you avoid surprises.

When getting advice makes sense

Vandalism is an emotional event. You feel angry and powerless. In such a situation, the last thing you want is stress about whether your insurance is handling everything properly. That is when it can be reassuring to talk through your policies with an independent advisor. A thorough non-life insurance check maps out whether vandalism is fully covered in your situation, whether there are coverage gaps, and whether you might be paying too much premium for overlapping covers. Because PolisMoment works with one independent office and without reselling, the advice is tailored to your situation. Other life events can also be a reason to review your insurance package. Think of moving, expanding your family or the death of a partner – events where risks and desired cover may change. In all those cases, a non-binding conversation in which your policies are examined is a useful starting point.

If you also have doubts about the deductible or how a claim will affect your premium, an advisor can think through the best approach with you. PolisMoment itself does not provide advice, but it connects you with one independent office that examines your situation thoroughly. That way you can be sure you are not overlooking anything.