63 questions, 63 straight answers.

In exchange for a regular premium, the insurer restores – up to the sum insured – what a covered event (fire, storm, water damage, burglary and the like) has taken from your home: to the buildings, the contents and, depending on the optional covers, to liability claims as well. Details: what is home insurance.

No law requires it – but with a mortgage the bank typically makes cover, plus a mortgagee clause in its favour, a condition of the loan; even then, you choose the insurer yourself. Details: who must have it, who should get it anyway.

Buildings means the structure and the permanently fitted elements (flooring, a fitted kitchen, fixed services); contents are everything that can be "carried out" – furniture, appliances, clothes. High-value items typically come with a separate limit. The map: buildings vs. contents.

Typically fire and natural perils, water damage from pipes, and burglary – but the exact scope and the definitions come from the policy terms, and what counts as basic or optional differs by insurer. Overview: Coverage and what it covers and what it doesn't.

They tailor the protection to your situation: personal liability (say, if you flood the neighbour), glass breakage, assistance, garden, solar panels, smart devices. Not everyone needs all of them – a good package is a selective one: the map of optional covers.

Damage from wear and tear or neglected maintenance, and part of the special risks (earthquake, flood) – these carry their own separate rules and limits; for intentional damage, the insurer typically has grounds for exemption. An honest map: the exclusions map.

The policyholder is the person who takes out the policy and pays the premium; the insured party is whoever's interest – their home, their contents – the policy protects. The two are often the same person, but they can differ, for example when a parent takes out the policy on a young family's home. The exact roles are shown on the policy document, and it's worth checking at renewal that they're still accurate: policyholder and insured, for home insurance.

Yes, it matters: the insurer assesses the risk – and typically the premium – based on the building's structure, age and condition, so a brick, panel-built or adobe house can come with different terms and premiums. That doesn't mean an older or adobe building can't be insured, only that offers vary more. The details by type: building types and the insurer.

The location decides. A bicycle kept in the flat is part of your household contents, and its theft is covered by the burglary cover if there are signs of forced entry; a bike kept in a locked cellar, storage room or garage is typically also insured, but for storage in outbuildings and communal areas policy conditions often set a separate, lower limit and require a locked room – this varies from insurer to insurer. For a bicycle stolen from the stairwell, an open courtyard or the street, basic home insurance typically does not pay, because no burglary took place and the bike was not at an insured location; this calls for a separate bicycle add-on, which also covers theft away from the home, typically on condition that the bicycle was locked to a fixed object or a designated bike stand, often with a lock of a specified standard, a per-claim limit and a territorial scope. For a claim you need a police report and typically an invoice or the frame number and proof of the lock and of how the bike was secured – the exact requirements are set out in the policy conditions. Several policy conditions treat an electric bicycle as a bicycle only below a specified motor power; higher-powered e-bikes and electric scooters are excluded in many policy conditions or can be insured only under a separate contract – this is worth clarifying before taking out the policy. The map of add-ons and the requirements for burglary cover are described in separate articles in the knowledge base.

As a rule, no: Hungarian home insurance policy conditions typically exclude motor vehicles that require a registration certificate from the insured contents, so the basic cover of home insurance does not pay for fire, water ingress or burglary damage to a car parked in the garage – the garage as a building (walls, ceiling slab, door), however, is insured if it is included in the contract. Damage to the car itself is a matter for casco (comprehensive motor insurance): damage caused by fire and storm typically falls under the casco natural-perils cover and theft under the theft cover, whereas casco cover for damage resulting from water getting into the garage depends on the policy conditions; compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (MTPL, kgfb) does not cover damage to your own car. Some insurers offer ‘vehicle kept in a garage’ cover as an add-on to home insurance, typically for the natural perils of the basic cover – fire, explosion, lightning strike, flood – and in some policy conditions also for escape of water from pipes, on condition that at the time of the loss the car was in a garage that is insured under the contract and enclosed on all sides – theft and accidental damage are usually left out of this, and the details vary from insurer to insurer. The situation is different if it is not your own car that is damaged: if the falling door or collapsing ceiling of your garage smashes a guest's car, this may fall under the private liability cover of your home insurance, according to the policy conditions. Before taking out a policy, it is therefore worth checking the definition of contents and the exclusions in the policy conditions and, if your car is kept in the garage, weighing up casco and the add-on cover together.

Escape-of-water cover for pipework typically pays for the damage that the escaping water causes to the building and the contents, and under many policy conditions for locating the fault and repairing the pipe – but the charge for the water that has run off is, in most Hungarian policy conditions, not part of the basic cover; at several insurers it can be taken out as a separate add-on with its own limit, so it varies from insurer to insurer, and you need to check your own policy to see whether it is included. If it is, the insurer typically pays for the excess above your average consumption that can be shown to be connected with the burst pipe, on the basis of the water utility's bill and the repair invoice, up to the add-on's limit. Independently of the insurance, there is also room for manoeuvre with the water utility: under the implementing decree of the Water Utility Services Act (Government Decree 58/2013), when the in-house drinking water network fails, the sewerage charge is payable not on the metered quantity but on a quantity calculated from the average of the previous 12 months, if the utility's on-site inspection and its report record that the water that leaked went into the ground rather than into the sewer – this can be claimed upon application, provided the fault is reported without delay, for a period extending at most to the 30th day after the report (the reported cases of the Budapest Conciliation Board also reflect this practice); the drinking water charge, however, typically has to be paid on the metered quantity. The fault must also be reported to the utility, the repair must be supported by an invoice, and here too the primary route for reporting the insurance claim is the insurer's claims line. As a preventive step, it is worth reading the water meter before and after a longer absence: a hidden burst pipe is most often given away by a meter turning at an unusual rate.

Home insurance policy conditions typically define fire narrowly: self-sustaining combustion with flames that starts outside a place intended for it (a designated firebox or hearth) or escapes from one, and is capable of spreading under its own power. A short circuit, glowing or smouldering that does not spread to other property generally does not fit this definition, and several policy conditions expressly exclude short circuits that do not spread and damage caused by electric current without fire – which is why replacing the burnt-out section of wiring typically falls outside the basic cover. If the short circuit led to a genuine fire that spread, or smoke and soot contaminated other property – and the policy conditions also cover smoke and soot contamination –, fire cover may come into play: the dividing line is not the size of the damage but the nature of the fire. Some policy conditions pay for the failure of wiring or an appliance without fire under a separate add-on (electrical equipment, power surge), with a limit; this differs from insurer to insurer, so it is worth checking the “fire” and “exclusions” sections of your own policy conditions. Even so, it is worth reporting the damage on the insurer's claims line, together with the electrician's description and photos: whether it counts as fire damage or as a breakdown is decided by the insurer on the basis of the policy conditions.

Basic cover typically protects contents at the insured location stated in the policy – the home and the lockable storage room belonging to it – and does not in itself extend to belongings in the street, at your workplace or in your car. Several insurers offer cover – part of the basic package for some products, an add-on for others – that extends the insured location to the whole of Hungary, and with a separate add-on even abroad, but this typically comes with an annual limit and applies only to specified events: robbery, that is, belongings taken by physical violence or threats, and burglary-type incidents, while pickpocketing, a bag that disappears unnoticed and items left behind are usually excluded by the policy conditions. A laptop stolen from a car is a separate question: where there is any cover for it at all, usually only theft from the locked boot of a locked vehicle with signs of forced entry counts, not a bag left on the seat – and casco (comprehensive motor insurance) is worth considering only if it includes cover for items carried in the vehicle. Damage to a phone or laptop (dropping it, water damage) is not theft; this is typically covered only by a separate insurance taken out for the device or by a smart-device add-on, also with a limit. All of this differs from insurer to insurer, so it is worth checking your own policy for an add-on called “extension of the insured location”, “contents outside the home” or something similar, and its limit; in the case of theft, the police report is the basis of the claim notification.

Mould in itself is not an insured event: Hungarian policy conditions typically expressly exclude damage that develops slowly and gradually – mould and fungal growth caused by condensation, inadequate insulation, a thermal bridge, or a lack of ventilation or maintenance – because this is not a sudden, unexpected event but a condition. The situation is different if the mould is the direct and provable consequence of a covered, sudden event – a burst pipe, water leaking in from above, water ingress after a storm: in that case drying out, disinfection and repainting may be reimbursed as part of the repair, but only after the claim has been reported, subject to the insurer's inspection and the limitations of the policy conditions (limit, deductible, depreciation), and whether mould removal is accepted as a separate item differs from insurer to insurer. It is up to the person reporting the claim to prove the connection: it is worth documenting the date and extent of the leak and the order in which the mould appeared with photos and a statement from the neighbour or the condominium manager (közös képviselő), because the insurer may classify a wall that has been musty and untreated for months as a lack of maintenance. In a rented flat, under the Housing Act (Act LXXVIII of 1993, Lt.), maintenance of the building – roof, façade, insulation, central installations – is the landlord's responsibility, while maintenance of the flat's floor and wall coverings falls on the tenant unless otherwise agreed; under the Housing Act the tenant may use the flat as intended and in accordance with the contract – in practice this means regular ventilation and heating – and is liable to the landlord for damage caused by their own conduct (Housing Act Sections 10, 12 and 13), so a dispute over mould usually turns on whether it was caused by a structural defect or by the way the flat was used. Report the damage on the insurer's claims line and eliminate the source of the moisture as soon as possible: mitigating the damage is your obligation, which is another reason why the insurer may point to mould that developed after prolonged, untreated water damage.

In most Hungarian policy conditions, water escaping from a pipe or radiator that has burst from frost falls under escape-of-water cover, and in some it appears separately as “frost damage” – but payment is typically conditional on frost protection having been taken care of: keeping the rooms at a frost-safe background temperature during the heating season and, during a longer absence or in an empty building, draining the system and shutting off the main water valve. If this was neglected, several sets of policy conditions expressly exclude damage caused by frost; elsewhere the insurer may be released from paying by citing a breach of the duty to prevent loss, but to do so it has to prove that the omission was intentional or grossly negligent. For a holiday home that is not permanently occupied and for a house left empty beyond the period set in the policy conditions, the conditions typically lay down separate rules (notification, regular checks, winterisation) – which is why an inherited empty house or one waiting to be sold is a typical rejection scenario if the fact that it was unoccupied was not reported. Frost damage to an outdoor tap or a garden irrigation system is typically left out of the basic cover or can be paid only under a separate add-on; under the water utilities' regulations, protecting the water meter from frost is typically the consumer's responsibility, and not every set of policy conditions pays for replacing the burst pipe or radiator itself – some pay only for the water damage it caused. All of this varies from insurer to insurer, so it is worth checking the “escape of water”, “frost” and “unoccupied building” sections of your own policy conditions; the claim is best reported on the insurer's claims line, together with photos and proof of the heating or the draining.

The personal liability cover of home insurance pays for damage caused to others by the policyholder and the family members living in the same household, acting as private individuals, and Hungarian policy conditions typically include in this scope damage caused with a bicycle, a non-motorised scooter, a pram or a child's toy; the exclusion typically applies to motor vehicles, which means that for damage caused with a car, a motorcycle, a moped or an e-scooter that requires compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (MTPL), the route is not home insurance but MTPL. For damage caused by a child, under Section 6:544 of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), the person caring for a child who lacks the capacity for fault – the parent, or whoever was supervising the child when the damage was caused – is liable instead of the child, and is released from liability only by proving that they were not at fault in the child's upbringing and supervision; court practice draws the line for the capacity for fault at around the age of twelve, examining each case individually, while an older child who has this capacity is liable personally – the cover, however, typically extends to them too as an insured person. The damage must be reported to your own insurer as a liability claim, and the injured party submits their own claim; rejections typically turn not on the bicycle but on proof and the question of liability, so it is worth taking photos on the spot, naming a witness, recording what happened in writing with the injured party, and not acknowledging liability in writing without the insurer's consent, because policy conditions typically stipulate this. If the bicycle merely fell over and scratched the neighbour's car, that is also damage caused as a private individual, not the use of a vehicle, but in this case too the insurer examines whether you are at fault; the scope of the cover, the list of excluded vehicles, the limit and the deductible vary from insurer to insurer, so it is worth checking the “insured persons” and “exclusions” sections of your own policy conditions.

Under many Hungarian basic policy conditions, no: food that spoils in a fridge or freezer is not a loss caused by one of the standard perils (it is not fire, storm, lightning or escape of water from pipes), so the basic cover typically does not pay for it. Several insurers' products do cover it, however – in some conditions as a limited element of the basic package (under the name “frozen food”, fagyasztott élelmiszerek), elsewhere as a separate, limited add-on (under the name “spoilage of refrigerated food”, hűtött élelmiszer romlása, or similar) – which, under the conditions, typically pays if the spoilage was caused by a power outage at the insured location or by an unexpected breakdown of the refrigerating appliance, with a low limit per loss and further stipulations set out in the conditions; other conditions expressly exclude this loss, so it varies from insurer to insurer, and you need to check the list of covers on your own policy to see whether it is included. If it is, the primary route for reporting the claim is the insurer's claims line; it is worth photographing the spoiled food before you throw it away and supporting the time and duration of the power cut with an outage certificate or outage notice from the distribution system operator that runs the network, because the conditions may require this. If the outage was caused by a fault in the distribution network, a claim can also be raised separately, independently of the insurance, against the distribution system operator running the network (the distribution licensee) – this is covered in the article “The boiler broke down after a power cut: home insurance or the electricity company?”. The range of add-ons on offer is presented in the article “A map of add-ons: garden, solar panels, smart devices and more”.

Typically not under the basic cover: accidental breakage caused by tripping, dropping or knocking something over is not one of the insured events of the basic cover (it is not fire, storm, lightning, escape of water from pipes or burglary), so Hungarian basic packages do not pay for this accident-type damage to contents. With several insurers you can take out a separate add-on for it – in the conditions under names such as “household appliance insurance” (háztartási gépek biztosítása), “extended warranty and mobile device insurance” (kiterjesztett garancia és mobileszköz-biztosítás) or a similar name referring to accidental breakage or accidental damage – which pays, with a limit and typically with a deductible subtracted from the payout, for damage caused by an unexpected, external event; the conditions differ in how they treat negligence, and they typically exclude wear and tear, manufacturing defects and failures that fall under the product warranty (jótállás) – it varies from insurer to insurer, so you need to check your own policy to see whether it includes such a line. Glass breakage cover is typically not the answer here, because it applies to the building's glazing (windows, balcony, shower enclosure), not to the TV screen – the details are described in the article “Glass breakage: the small claim that comes most often”. If you have such an add-on, the primary route for reporting the claim is the insurer's claims line; it is worth keeping the damaged appliance until the inspection, photographing it and having the purchase invoice or proof of its model and age ready, because the conditions may require these. An overview of the available add-ons is given in the article “A map of add-ons: garden, solar panels, smart devices and more”.

Under Hungarian policy conditions, equipment fixed to the wall or to the plot that serves the intended use of the building – the heat pump, the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the wall-mounted car charger (wallbox) – is typically a building fixture, so it belongs in the building's sum insured, not in the contents; this, however, varies from insurer to insurer, because some conditions name these items separately, handle them with a separate limit or cover them only once they have been reported, so it is worth looking them up in the definitions section of your own conditions (“épülettartozék” – building fixtures, “épületgépészet” – building services equipment). Against the standard perils – fire, storm (here proper fixing matters: a unit that was not fixed down and was torn off by the storm may lead to a dispute), hail – a unit included in the cover is insured together with the building; the secondary effect of lightning (a power surge caused by the inductive effect of lightning) is part of the basic package in several products and an add-on elsewhere, often with a limit or with surge protection required; a surge originating from the grid (for example a broken neutral conductor) is a separate add-on with several insurers – the details are described in the article “The TV and the router died after the storm: the secondary effect of lightning”. Theft is the tricky point: burglary cover applies to forced entry into a locked room, so under many conditions the theft of a unit standing in the open, outdoors, can be paid only with a separate add-on (“theft of building fixtures”, épülettartozékok lopása) or as vandalism, with a limit; elsewhere the basic cover includes it with an annual limit – it varies from insurer to insurer. Often it is not the cover that is missing but the amount: a new heat pump or charger is a significant increase in value, and if you do not report it and do not raise the building's sum insured accordingly, the insurer may pay proportionally under the underinsurance rule of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.) – the mechanism is explained in the article “Underinsurance: why may the insurer pay proportionally?”. So after installation, what you need to do is report the change and raise the sum insured; solar panels and smart devices are covered in a separate FAQ answer, and the boundary between building and contents in the article “Building or contents? The two pillars of home insurance”.

Rebuilding value shows how much it would take to build the house again at today's material and labour prices – market price also bakes in the plot and the location, which makes it a poor measure. Cover should be sized to the rebuilding cost: the details.

The insurer can settle proportionally: in a house insured for half its true value, even a partial claim may only be paid at half. The fix isn't complicated: real values at signing, accepting indexation, an annual check – underinsurance and proportional settlement.

Room by room, with a list – your first guess is typically well below reality. That's what the fillable home inventory template is for; the method itself is covered in the estimating contents value article.

The value-tracking adjustment applied at each renewal: it aligns the sum insured with price changes so the policy doesn't drift into underinsurance. Turning it down causes a quiet loss of value over the years – how it works.

The building's type, age and location, the sums insured, the deductible, the optional covers, and your claims history. That's why we don't quote a general premium here – your own numbers come from the online calculator (in Hungarian) and from obtaining competing offers: the factors.

One you could pay without trouble even in a bad month: a higher deductible brings a lower premium, and in exchange small claims stay "in-house." The reasoning: deductible logic.

Not much: home insurance isn't a way to build wealth, and the payout matches the actual loss even if the sum insured was set higher. So the goal isn't the largest possible sum, but an accurate one that matches the real value – which is what accepting indexation at renewal helps with. Details: the question of over-insurance.

Yes, typically there is: for cash, jewellery and other high-value contents, most policies apply a separate limit lower than the general contents sum, which can be raised with an optional add-on for higher values. The exact limits and the conditions for raising them vary by insurer. If you keep values like this at home, it's worth flagging this specifically when you take out the policy: limits on valuables and cash.

Every March, home insurance can typically be cancelled and switched regardless of the policy's own renewal date – under the rules in force at the time. The point isn't pressure to switch, but the chance to compare: what this means exactly.

Typically, a policy cancelled in March ends on 30 April, and the new cover starts on 1 May – so protection stays continuous. The exact timetable comes from that year's rules: the timeline.

No: cancelling at renewal is available all year round – for the end of the insurance period, with 30 days' notice, in writing – and with some Certified Consumer-Friendly Home Insurance (MFO) policies the terms also allow cancellation for the end of a calendar quarter with 30 days' notice (for a new policy, typically at the earliest for the end of the fourth calendar quarter after the start of risk cover) – this is decided by the policy's own terms. Details: switching at renewal.

Switching is worth it when the new offer is better in substance too, not only in price. With a policy that already has good content and is well sized, staying – perhaps with an adjustment – is often the better call. The honest criteria: when to switch and when not to.

A certification from the MNB (the National Bank of Hungary): home insurance products with uniform basic-cover definitions, transparent terms and customer-friendly commitments can earn it. It isn't a claim that one product is best – it's a standard that makes comparison easier: what MFO means.

The insurer can be freely chosen even with a mortgage in place – but the new policy needs a clause in the bank's favour, and the bank must be told; the details are governed by your loan agreement. The right order of steps: switching with a mortgage.

Yes, the pro rata part is refundable. Under the insurance rules of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), when the contract ends the insurer may claim the premium only up to the day on which it was on risk, and if you paid more than that, it must refund the overpaid premium – this applies both to cancellation at the renewal date and to cancellation in the March cancellation window, and the guidance of the MNB (Hungary’s central bank and financial supervisor) puts it the same way. The refund is based on the date the contract ends: in the March cancellation window, the last day of the 30-day notice period; with cancellation at the renewal date, the last day of the insurance period – so the exact amount depends on when the old contract actually ends. There are two exceptions: if the contract ends because of an insured event, the insurer may claim the premium for the whole period; and if you committed to a loyalty period in exchange for a premium discount, the insurer may reclaim the long-term discount on early cancellation, which may reduce the refund or wipe it out altogether. The procedure and deadline for the refund vary from insurer to insurer – typically it is paid to the bank account you provide after the cancellation has been confirmed – so it is worth giving your account number in the cancellation letter and expressly requesting a refund of the overpaid premium. If the old insurer were to keep premium for the period after the contract ended, dispute this in writing; the rules on loyalty periods are detailed in the article on long-term discounts.

On the insurer's claims line or its online claim-reporting portal – this is the primary and fastest route; the contact details are on your policy and on the insurer's website. The process step by step: reporting a claim.

First, limit the damage – shut off the main stopcock, cover openings temporarily, cut the power if needed – then document it: photos, video, a list of what's damaged. The tick-box list: claim-reporting checklist.

For a larger claim, the insurer carries out a site visit – it's best to wait for that before any final repairs; temporary repairs needed for everyday life can go ahead, just keep the replaced, damaged parts. Details: loss adjustment and settlement.

First, the police – file a report, and leave the scene undisturbed if you can – then report the claim on the insurer's line, with a copy of the police report and a list of what was stolen. The full process: after a burglary.

The most common reasons: it wasn't a covered event, a maintenance shortfall, underinsurance or a limit, a late report. Most of these can be prevented at signing and at renewal – an honest look: common reasons for rejection.

You can review the settlement offer and ask questions; if it becomes a dispute, the orderly route is the insurer's complaints process, then the MNB's consumer-protection procedure and the Financial Arbitration Board. In a stalled or disputed case, I help the client as a broker: when and how.

The damage to your own home can be settled under your policy's water-damage cover, while the damage at your neighbour's is typically settled under the optional personal liability cover – if that's part of your package. This isn't a basic cover in every package: if it isn't included, settling your neighbour's damage follows a different route. That's why it's worth checking specifically, at signing and at renewal, whether this optional cover is included in your package: when the neighbour is flooded.

If a document or receipt is still missing, that alone typically doesn't rule out settling the claim: the insurer sets a deadline for supplying it, and in many cases a substitute – a photo, a witness statement, an estimate – is also accepted. Documentation that stays missing for a long time, though, can slow down or limit the payout. The practical steps: supplying missing documents.

In the first instance, your own property insurance: damage from the fire that spread to your home is paid by the fire cover of your own home insurance in line with the policy conditions, and the damage the dislodged tile caused to your car by your casco (comprehensive motor insurance) – home insurance typically does not extend to motor vehicles. The insurer can recover the amount paid from the neighbour under the recourse rule of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), but only if the neighbour is legally liable for the damage. For the fire, this requires that the fire started in their home from a cause for which they are at fault – under the Ptk., the person who caused the damage escapes liability if they prove that they were not at fault. For the tile, under the rule on damage caused by buildings, the owner of the building is liable unless they prove that they complied with the maintenance rules and acted as is generally expected in the given situation. With an otherwise well-maintained roof whose tiles were blown off by an exceptional storm, or a fire that started from a cause for which no one is at fault – say, a lightning strike – the neighbour is typically not liable; in that case their liability insurance does not pay either, and whatever your own insurance does not cover stays with you. If you have no cover of your own, you can pursue the claim directly against the neighbour, who – if liable – passes it on to the liability section of their own home insurance; the conditions and limit of this vary from insurer to insurer. That is why it is not worth sizing your own fire, storm and casco cover on the neighbour's expected liability: for your own loss, it is your own contract that the insurer settles without examining liability.

If your own home insurance includes escape-of-water or water-ingress cover, your own insurer pays for your loss in line with the policy conditions – with the deductible, any depreciation and the limits – regardless of whether the upstairs neighbour has insurance or is willing to pay; the insurer can then recover the amount paid from the neighbour under the recourse rule of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), and that is then the insurer's business, not yours. Whatever your own contract does not cover – the deductible, the depreciation deducted, items that are not insured – you can claim directly from the neighbour, because in practice the owner of a flat is typically liable for damage resulting from a defect in a pipe or appliance inside their own flat, and the lack of insurance does not change this. If you have no cover of your own, the same route remains for the entire loss: document it with photos and a plumber's opinion, get a quote for the repairs, and send the neighbour a written demand for payment with a deadline. If they still do not pay, an overdue monetary claim not exceeding HUF 3 million can, under the Act on the order for payment procedure, only be enforced through an order for payment issued by a notary public, which turns into a court case if an objection is filed – at that point legal help is warranted. The condominium manager (közös képviselő) has no legal power to force the neighbour to pay, but if the leak comes from a commonly owned pipe, it is not the neighbour but the building that is liable, and the building's policy must be brought in. As a broker, what I see is that an uninsured neighbour is the main argument for having your own water-damage cover with a realistic sum insured: your own loss is settled by your own contract, regardless of whether the neighbour is able to pay.

No, you do not have to: the claim payment under home insurance is a cash benefit – the insurer transfers the amount determined under its policy conditions, and you typically do not have to spend it on the repair; you can also carry out the restoration yourself, or even postpone the work. There are two exceptions, and they vary from insurer to insurer: some policy conditions make part of the new-for-old payment (for example the difference between the depreciated value and the new value) conditional on proof that the restoration has actually been carried out, and if there is a mortgage, the bank may have a say in what happens to the payment under the mortgagee clause. The reason for the net amount is VAT: under Section 123 of the Insurance Act (Bit.), the insurer may undertake to reimburse the amount of VAT only on the basis of an invoice, so without an invoice you are entitled to the restoration cost calculated under the policy conditions excluding VAT, and with a VAT invoice to the gross amount – this difference is what creates the feeling that ‘they paid less than the loss adjuster said’. In a property insurance case concerning fire damage to a building (Pfv.V.20.993/2020/6.), the Kúria (Hungary's supreme court) ruled that if the policy conditions are based not on the cost of the work actually carried out but on a theoretical restoration value, the insurer is obliged to pay the gross amount – so the wording of your own policy conditions is decisive, and in a dispute you can make a written complaint and then turn to the Financial Arbitration Board (PBT). In practice: if you have a professional carry out the repair, ask for a VAT invoice in your own name, and go through the claim calculation line by line – net amount, VAT, depreciation, deductible – before you accept the settlement.

For home insurance claims, the insurance chapter of the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.) does not set a payment deadline measured in days – in this respect it differs from compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (MTPL) – the deadline is contained in your own policy conditions, and it varies from insurer to insurer. Hungarian home insurance conditions typically state that the insurer makes its payment within 15 days of receiving the last document needed to settle the claim; one Hungarian set of policy conditions, for example, puts it like this: if supporting documents have to be presented, the 15 days are counted from the day on which the last document reaches the insurer, and payment may be deferred for as long as the legal basis or the amount of the claim has not been clarified. This is why supplying missing documents can indeed ‘restart the clock’: the deadline only starts once every requested document has arrived, so it is worth submitting the requested documents together, quoting the claim number, and keeping proof of receipt (e-mail, client portal). If the insurer pays after the deadline it has committed to in its own policy conditions, then under the Civil Code's rule on default interest, default interest is due on the monetary debt from the day of default, at a rate equal to the central bank base rate in force on the first day of the calendar half-year affected by the delay – you can ask the insurer for this in writing, and in a dispute you can make a written complaint and then turn to the Financial Arbitration Board (PBT). So for home claims, it is not the law but the policy conditions that set the deadline, and it typically runs not from the claim notification but from the receipt of the last document.

Yes – a claim that has been closed or already paid does not mean you lose your rights: additional damage that comes to light during demolition, drying out or roof repairs (soaked insulation, damp behind the plaster, broken tiles visible only from above after a hailstorm) can be reported as a supplementary claim, quoting the same claim number, in writing, with photos and the contractor's description, and in such cases the insurer typically carries out a follow-up inspection or assesses the claim from photos – so it is worth keeping the exposed, damaged parts until the follow-up inspection, as our knowledge-base article on loss assessment and settlement also describes. If the insurer did not conclude a settlement with you but paid on the basis of its own calculation, accepting the payment does not mean waiving the rest: the difference, supported by a contractor's quote or invoice, can be claimed as a supplementary claim, and under several sets of conditions this is also how the VAT portion is topped up once the invoice is presented, where an amount was previously paid without VAT (at net value) for lack of an invoice. The situation is different if you signed a “full and final” claims settlement agreement: under the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), a settlement closes questions that are disputed or uncertain between the parties, and the loss settled in it typically cannot be reopened later by citing a mistake about the size of the loss, so it is worth signing such a statement only once you know the full extent of the damage, after demolition and drying out; however, the settlement does not extend to a new loss event that is not included in it and comes to light later. The time limit for a supplementary claim is the limitation period: the general limitation period under Section 6:22 of the Civil Code is five years, but policy conditions may depart from this – some conditions stipulate a shorter period, even one or two years, others keep the five years, and the period is typically counted from the occurrence of the insured event – so you need to check it in your own policy conditions; and under Section 6:25 of the same Act, the claim notification or a complaint does not in itself interrupt the limitation period: it is interrupted by the insurer's acknowledgement of the debt, a settlement that has been concluded, or enforcement in court. If the insurer rejects the supplementary claim, the sequence is the same as in any claims dispute: a written complaint to the insurer, then, as a consumer, the Financial Arbitration Board (PBT), and ultimately the court – the primary route for the notification and the supplementary claim is the insurer's claims line, and if a case gets stuck or is disputed, I help where I can.

Because the building's policy protects the common property – it typically does not cover the value inside your flat, your contents, or your liability. Together, the two give broad protection: where mine ends and the building's begins.

The owner insures the building and their own furnishings (having reported the letting), while the tenant insures their own contents and liability. The right setup, from both sides: tenant or owner.

After a value-increasing renovation, report the higher sum insured; during the works, report the change in risk – for a larger rebuild, the risks during construction form a separate class of cover of their own. Details: renovation, before and during.

Yes – properties that aren't permanently lived in typically carry their own separate terms: stricter burglary-protection rules, winterisation expectations. What to watch for: holiday and weekend homes.

It's best to start cover on the new home from the moment you take possession, and to settle the old policy – the seller's insurance doesn't automatically "carry over" to you. The process: moving house and insurance.

Solar panels typically need to be reported as a value-increasing item, covered by an optional add-on; smart devices are part of the contents, and at high values a limit can come into play. The map: optional covers.

Yes: a panel-built flat – like a condominium flat generally – can be insured with its own home insurance policy, covering your own contents, the value inside your flat, and your liability. In some respects (e.g. how water damage spreads, insulation) a panel-built structure behaves differently from a family house, and the policy terms can treat this separately. Details: panel flats and insurance.

The first thing to clarify is that the contents cover of a home insurance policy applies to the insured location named on the policy: if the cellar compartment or storage room is part of the flat's separately registered unit (albetét), the belongings kept there are typically household contents just like those in the flat; if, however, the storage room is in a commonly owned part of the building (this is determined by the condominium's deed of foundation), the belongings are insured only if the conditions extend the cover to a locked storage room that belongs to the flat and is used exclusively by you – many Hungarian conditions do this, but with a separate, lower limit, others only with an add-on or not at all, so it varies from insurer to insurer. The cause of the loss also matters: water damage can be paid only if it was caused by a covered peril (escape of water from pipes or a cloudburst, as defined in the conditions), whereas cellar flooding caused by sewage flowing back from the sewer or by groundwater is excluded under many conditions or covered only by an add-on; theft from a locked storage room can be paid as burglary, with signs of forced entry and a police report – the conditions may also set a separate lock or security requirement and a lower limit for the storage room –, while the basic cover typically does not pay for belongings that went missing from an open compartment not even secured with a padlock. The condominium's policy does not help here: it covers the commonly owned part of the building – the walls, floor and pipes of the cellar – but not the residents' belongings kept there; the boundaries are described in the articles “Home insurance and condominium insurance: where does mine end and the building's begin?” and “Building or contents? The two pillars of home insurance”. Practical tip: it is worth listing the more valuable items kept in the cellar (wine, power tools, bicycles) separately in your home inventory, checking the limit for the storage room in the conditions and, if it is not enough, deciding on an add-on or on raising the contents sum insured before taking out the policy or before the renewal date; bicycles are covered in a separate FAQ answer. In the event of a loss, the primary route for reporting the claim is the insurer's claims line – with photos taken before anything is thrown away and with documentation of the storage room's lock and the signs of forced entry.

I assess the need, compare competing offers from several insurers, and inform you about the options – the decision is always the client's. I charge no fee for the advice; the brokerage remuneration is paid by the insurer. About me: About.

I obtain competing offers from several insurers – your home and your needs narrow down exactly which ones. I won't promise a number: the goal isn't lots of offers, but ones that are well compared. The method: the comparison table.

Because they'd be misleading: the same cover can come out at a genuinely different premium for two different homes. What we do instead: describe the premium factors openly, while the actual numbers come from the online calculator and a quote request – built from your own data.

The calculator is an excellent first step – in a standard situation, it may even be enough on its own. It's worth calling a person once the building, the use or the values aren't standard, or when you want company for a decision on substance: calculator or broker.

The way remuneration works is public and follows the market's standard logic; independence rests on obtaining competing offers – several insurers' offers in one table, with arguments for and against. And I'll say so plainly when staying put is the right call too: the honest article.

Nothing. The 20-minute conversation and the offer table are free of charge; after that, you decide – even if that means staying with your current policy. The full process: how it works.

I wouldn't recommend reviewing it only once: your situation, your home's value and what's on the market all change year to year. If you get in touch before the renewal date, I'm glad to help with that review too, with an updated offer table. The decision stays yours every time, even if that means staying put. For a quick self-check: annual review.

If you took out your home insurance as a consumer by telephone or online, without meeting anyone in person, you can terminate it with immediate effect and without giving reasons within 14 days of the day the contract was concluded: this is laid down in Section 10 of the Act on financial services contracts concluded at a distance, in force from June 2026 (contracts concluded earlier were covered by the essentially identical 14-day rule of the old distance-selling act), and the deadline is met even if you post your statement, or send it in another verifiable way, on the last day. If you received the information required by the Act only after the contract was concluded, the 14 days start when you receive that information, and for contracts concluded online a withdrawal function that is continuously available must also be provided on the insurer's platform; consumers do not have this right for travel and baggage insurance of less than one month, and it does not apply either if you concluded the contract not as a private individual but on behalf of your business. Under Section 11 of the Act, the insurer may keep only the proportionate part of the premium for the days on which cover was actually provided – and even that only if cover started within the 14 days with your prior, express consent and the insurer proves that it gave you the information required by the Act – and it must refund the rest within 30 days of receiving your statement. For a proposal signed in person on paper there is no such 14-day withdrawal: there, under the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), the contract can be terminated with effect from the end of the insurance period with 30 days' notice, and for home insurance also through the March termination option – and if two contracts have accidentally come into being for the same home during the March period, the double cover is not unlawful, but the same loss will not be paid twice, so it is worth closing one of them properly. You have to make the termination statement yourself and send it in a verifiable way (our knowledge-base article on how a policy is taken out describes where to find the contract details you need for it); if you get stuck with this, I help where I can.