Did you know that 75% of homes are exposed to a significant risk of natural disasters? Despite this, just under 5% of them are protected by a policy against these events. In Italy, the home, the ultimate property asset, is underinsured. According to Ania, the total number of active policies as of March 31, 2022, was 11.9 million, an increase of 5.9 percent compared with the previous year and 14.4 percent compared with March 2020 (about 1.5 million more policies in two years). Most are multi-risk policies encompassing several case scenarios (flood, fire), while only 0.4 percent relate to policies covering only the specific earthquake risk. Do you have a multi-risk policy or a more specific one? Do you want to know this protection’s difference and costs to protect your home from significant contingencies?
Multi-risk policies
Home policies, i.e., insurance products, allow the family to protect its home and assets, referred to as multi-risk. Through a single contract, this type ensures very different risks such as fire, theft, property and life liability, assistance, accident, and legal protection. For a premium payment, the insurance company agrees to provide comprehensive protection for the home, the property it contains, and the people who live in it over the contract term. Of course, the cost will go up as the number of insured cases increases. What are the protections you would like to have? How much are you willing to spend on these coverages?
The “earthquake” guarantee
Earthquake coverage is an optional extension of the “fire risk” guarantee. If the insured decides to insure their home and the property it also contains against earthquake, they may have compensation from the insurance company to cover any damage suffered due to the catastrophe. To what extent? With what maximum amount? In all cases, will it be compensated?
Two factors are taken into consideration when defining an earthquake policy:
The elements taken into account for risk assessment are:
- The degree of hazard of the area (greater or lesser seismic risk);
- the characteristics of the building (type, age, earthquake certification).
Average costs
According to Facile.it, the premium is calculated per square meter and can range from a minimum of 2.5 to a maximum of 4 euros per square meter, depending on the area where the home is located. The minimum applies to areas where the risk of seismic events is very low; the maximum is applied to those with a high risk. To this estimate, the minimum starting premium must then be added. For a 100-square-meter home located in an area with a high seismic risk, you can end up paying around 500 euros per year.
The advantage of deductibility
One advantage of choosing earthquake home insurance is the deductibility of the insurance. Deductible charges amount to 19 percent for policies taken out, starting in 2018, against damage caused by any calamitous event to the property intended for residential use.
