Insuring a tiny house: home, trailer and transport

A tiny house is both a home and, often, a trailer. This dual nature makes insuring it more complicated: the policy that protects it when it is parked in a garden does not cover it when it is on the road, and vice versa. This guide sets out what is compulsory in France, what is strongly advised, and the questions to ask your insurer before you sign.

Is tiny house insurance compulsory?

It depends on the stage and on your situation:

• On the road: yes, always. Article L211-1 of the Code des assurances (French insurance code) requires anyone who may be held liable for a vehicle and its trailers to hold third-party liability insurance in order to drive it.
• Set up, if you are an owner-occupier: no, but it is strongly recommended. According to ANIL (the French national housing information agency), the owner-occupier of a home is not required to take out home insurance (except in a co-ownership building, for liability).
• Set up, if you rent the tiny house: yes. A tenant must be insured at the very least against tenant’s risks (fire, water damage, explosion).

Even where it is not compulsory, going without insurance means you may have to pay on your own for a fire, a storm or damage caused to a neighbour. For a house that often represents most of a person’s assets, the risk is out of all proportion.

How is the tiny house insured during transport?

When it is on the road, the tiny house is a trailer. There are two cases, depending on its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR, PTAC in French):

• Up to 750 kg: the trailer is generally covered for third-party liability by the policy of the vehicle towing it. Check this in your general terms and conditions.
• Above 750 kg: the trailer must in principle be declared and insured separately, at least for third-party liability. This applies to almost all tiny houses: the Skywood, for example, sits on a 3.5 t twin-axle trailer.

Third-party liability compensates other people, not your house. To be covered if the tiny house is damaged on the journey (accident, overturning, hitting a bridge), you need damage cover, often called “comprehensive” cover for a trailer. Many owners have their house moved by a professional haulier: in that case, ask for their insurance certificate and the amount covered for the goods transported, which should match the value of your house.

A useful reminder: above 500 kg GVWR, the trailer must have its own registration certificate (carte grise). The licence and size rules are covered in our guide on moving a tiny house.

What insurance once the tiny house is set up?

Once it is on its plot, the tiny house is insured as a home, with a comprehensive home insurance policy (multirisque habitation, MRH). It generally combines:

• Third-party liability: damage caused to others, for example a tree on your land falling onto your neighbour’s property or a leak that damages a neighbouring property.
• Damage cover: fire, explosion, water damage, storm, hail and snow load, glass breakage, electrical damage.
• Theft and vandalism, often with security requirements (locks, fastenings on doors and windows).
• Natural disaster cover, automatically included in any policy that covers damage to property (article L125-1 of the Code des assurances).

In the event of a natural disaster officially recognised by interministerial order, a statutory excess remains payable by you: €380 for property used as a home, €1,520 for damage caused by drought. The claim must be made no later than 30 days after the order is published.

Why are some insurers reluctant?

Because a tiny house does not fit the usual categories. Depending on whether it keeps its wheels and how it is occupied, it may fall under the rules for a caravan, a demountable dwelling or a building (see our guide tiny houses and regulations). Insurers also see specific risks: a lightweight structure exposed to wind, a house that is sometimes unoccupied, the possibility of moving it.

As a result, not all standard policies will accept it, and an unsuitable policy may refuse to pay out. Several major insurers and banks offer products for tiny houses and mobile homes; compare them by describing your project precisely.

What information should you give the insurer?

A policy is only as good as the description of the risk. Declare accurately:

1. The status of the house: on wheels or set down, with or without foundations, planning authorisation obtained (prior declaration – déclaration préalable – or planning permission).
2. The use: main residence, second home, holiday letting, professional activity.
3. The floor area, materials and value of the house, backed up by invoices, and the contents to be insured.
4. The location: private land, campsite, residential leisure park, and its exposure (flood zone, seafront, forest).
5. The equipment: wood-burning stove, solar panels, batteries, utility connections.

A false declaration, even an unintentional one, can reduce or cancel the payout. And tell your insurer about every change: a new plot, starting to let the house, installing a stove.

Which cover should you adjust to the use?

• Main residence: full comprehensive home insurance, with a realistic sum insured for contents.
• Second home: a house that is often empty is more exposed to theft and vandalism; check the conditions of the theft cover when the house is unoccupied for long periods.
• Letting: you must declare it. Depending on the policy, you will need an extension of cover or a non-occupying owner’s policy, and should check the liability cover towards tenants. See our guide to letting your tiny house.
• Professional activity (office receiving clients, salon, practice): professional liability insurance and insurance for business premises are added. See our guide on the tiny house for professional use.

And for a tiny house set on foundations?

A tiny house permanently fixed to the ground is a building in legal terms. The rules of construction insurance then apply: the builder must be covered by a ten-year liability insurance (assurance décennale), and the client, that is you, must take out building damage insurance (dommages-ouvrage) before work starts (article L242-1 of the Code des assurances). It allows serious defects to be repaired quickly, without waiting for a court to decide who is liable.

For a tiny house on wheels, sold as movable property, the ten-year liability does not in principle apply; you are protected by the statutory guarantees that come with the sale. They are covered in our guide on the lifespan and maintenance of a tiny house.

How much does tiny house insurance cost?

There is no published reference price. The cost depends on the value insured, the floor area, the location, the use and the cover chosen. Ask for several quotes based on an identical description and compare the excesses, limits and exclusions, not just the premium. Include this item in your budget from the start: it is one of the costs set out in our guide on the price of a tiny house.

Key points

• On the road, third-party liability is compulsory; above 750 kg, the trailer is in principle insured separately.
• Once set up, comprehensive home insurance is only compulsory for a tenant, but it remains essential.
• Declare the status, use, value and location of the house accurately, along with every change.
• Natural disaster cover is automatically included in property damage policies.
• On foundations, building damage insurance is compulsory before work starts.

Please note: this guide sets out the general rules, checked on the date shown. The exact cover depends on each policy: read the general and specific terms and conditions, and get written confirmation that your use is covered.