Are the shutters on my French house essential for insurance?

Reader Question: I have bought a second home in the south of France, but it does not have shutters installed. Will insurance companies require me to install them? 

There are no laws which require shutters to be put in place in homes in France, and it is generally speaking up to the owner whether they want to add, keep, or remove shutters from their home.

However, note that in some cases, properties which already have shutters must be maintained in a certain way to keep in line with local cultural heritage rules. 

Read more: Do I need to declare changes to shutters at my French house?

Insurance and shutters in France

Insurers consider shutters to be a security feature, effectively lowering the cost of your house insurance.

However, they are not an absolute requirement.

Indeed, shutters themselves vary significantly in quality, from ancient crumbling wood to PVC or aluminium. Some insurers may consider reinforced glass to be a superior security feature.

In addition, the French Court of appeal has twice obliged insurers to pay out claims to homeowners who were burgled after leaving their shutters open.

The court ruled in both cases that the burglars would not have been discouraged by shutters.

Nonetheless, insurers recommend that if you have shutters, you should close them if you are away for 24 hours.

Check your policy

If you do not have shutters you can still find home insurance. 

However, you must ensure that your policy does not say that you have them, which in the event of a claim could lead to it being dismissed or even an accusation of insurance fraud.

Note that in co-ownership buildings such as blocks of flats, it is usually necessary to seek approval from the other owners at the annual general meeting to remove or install shutters, as it may change the external appearance of the building.