Category: Useful information

House insurance is not legally required when you take out a mortgage but it is usually included in the terms and conditions of the contract that is signed with the bank. Some of the clauses in this type of contract tend to be quite unfair for the following reasons:

-          The amount covered by the insurance policy is usually determined by the valuation that is carried out on the property and not on what is left to pay off on the mortgage.

-          Banks make mortgagees take out house insurance, which is more expensive than a simple policy to cover against damages to the property.

-          It unjustly benefits the bank at the mortgagee’s expense because the bank appears as the beneficiary.

-          Banks usually make mortgagees take out coverage with their own insurance companies.

You can find yourself in one of the following situations:

-          You have taken out insurance with Axa but you want a cheaper policy with the same company. Once you have accepted the new quote you should notify your bank in writing indicating the former insurance policy nº, so that the premium receipt can be returned and the new policy nº, so that the new insurance premium can be paid. In this way you avoid the risk of having to pay for two insurance policies.

-          You have taken out insurance with another company but you would like to change to another company that is cheaper. You should notify the company you are currently with in writing, two months before changing over, informing them that you want to cancel the insurance policy.

-          You have a mortgage and insurance with the bank’s insurance company. You should inform the interested parties of your wishes to cancel this policy. The bank then has to tell you the amount for which you should be insured. In some cases it is the amount that the house is valued at and in other cases it is the amount that has to be paid off on the mortgage.

In all the aforementioned situations your notifications should always be in writing and you should always keep a stamped copy of such yourself because insurance companies often refuse to cancel policies or they try and charge you again through the bank, sometimes they even threaten you over the phone: That is why you should always keep copies of this type of correspondence.