Insurance for property owners in Estonia

For most people property is the largest asset they own. One night when the pipework gives way or the roof starts to leak can swallow several years of rental income. Insurance does not undo the damage, but the right cover can stop a loss from turning into a financial disaster.

Why this matters especially to a property owner

• The loan payment does not stop. If a flat becomes uninhabitable, the mortgage keeps running while the rent stops coming in.
• A landlord carries more risk. Someone else is using the property, damage can be caused by or to the tenant, and lost rent is a loss of its own.
• Liability towards the neighbour. Water damage that starts in your flat and reaches the floor below is your responsibility, not the neighbour’s. A fire can just as easily destroy the property of the neighbours above you.
• In an apartment building the common parts are shared. The roof, the stairwell and the risers are the responsibility of the apartment association, not of any single owner.

How much protection you actually get depends on which covers are chosen in the contract. That is why it is worth comparing the insurers and the covers they offer before you choose one.

What kinds of property insurance exist in Estonia

Choose the topic that concerns you. At the end of each page there is an enquiry form that takes a couple of minutes to fill in.

• Home and property insurance. A flat or a house, household contents, liability towards the neighbour. This page also covers everything that changes once the property is rented out.
• Apartment association insurance. Common property and association liability, including snow falling from the roof and an icy pavement.
• Commercial property insurance. Office, retail, warehouse or production space, fittings and business interruption.
• Technical systems and equipment. Boiler, heat pump, ventilation, lift. Cover against internal breakdown, which ordinary property insurance does not include.
• Construction and renovation insurance. Ordinary property insurance excludes damage that happens during building work. This page explains what to do instead.
• Legal expenses insurance. Rental disputes, disagreements with neighbours, disputes with a builder.

How an enquiry works

You fill in the form and Anna-Liisa gets in touch. She advises as a partner of NB Kindlustusmaakler, an Estonian insurance broker. The service is free for you. We find offers from the insurers and send you a comparison by email so that you can decide for yourself.

The form asks roughly what an insurer asks. That way we do not have to send emails back and forth and the offer reaches you sooner.

There are ten insurance companies operating in Estonia. Their terms and limits differ more than you would expect. The cover for loss of rental income, for example, runs for six months with one insurer and twelve with another. That is exactly why it pays to compare rather than take the first offer.