The calendarTheft at home · home insurance
Burglary in France: filing a complaint, notifying the insurer in time and preparing the claim
After a burglary, secure the home, photograph the break-in and file a complaint: online if the author is unknown, otherwise at the police station or gendarmerie of your choice. Notify the insurer within the contract’s time limit, which cannot be under 2 working days for a theft (Insurance Code, article L113-2), without waiting for the full inventory. The payout then depends on the contract: cover, ceilings, wear and tear.
Julie by AlphaDeep is an AI legal assistant for French law: it researches official references to help answer your questions (Légifrance, case law, service-public), analyses your documents and drafts your letters, for individuals and professionals alike.
General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.
Let’s look at your situation
Give the date of discovery, your situation in the home and what was stolen or damaged.
Example questions
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Until when must you notify your insurer after the burglary?
Confirm the policy’s Monday-to-Friday calendar with no additional local holidays, then give the day of discovery, your contract’s time limit if it states one, and your situation: the calendar counts the working days, places the deadline and says whom to notify. The example: a burglary discovered on Friday 25 September 2026 in a rented home, door forced, author unknown.
Fictional example · burglary calendar
Notify the insurer as soon as discovered, and by 29 September 2026 at the latest, the minimum of 2 working days.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
- Burglary discovered
- Working day counted
- Deadline to notify the insurer
2 days not counted: Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.
To do before the deadline
- File a complaint online, possible since the author is unknown, or at the police station or gendarmerie.
- Notify the insurer, preferably by registered letter, on paper or electronic.
- Photograph the break-in and the damage before any repair.
Forced door or window: report it to your home insurer, which tells you what to do next.
Working days counted Monday to Friday, excluding mainland public holidays; if your insurer works on Saturdays, the date can change.
In which order should you act after a burglary?
The first steps preserve evidence and the reporting deadline; complete the inventory afterwards without waiting to notify the insurer.
Secure and photograph
Photograph the break-in and the damage, then change the lock or have the premises guarded to prevent another theft. No major repairs without the insurer’s agreement, except in an emergency, according to service-public.
File a complaint
At the police station or gendarmerie of your choice, which must record the complaint, or online if the author is unknown. Keep the receipt.
Notify the insurer
As soon as discovered and by the contract deadline, which cannot be shorter than 2 working days, preferably by registered letter, on paper or electronic, to keep proof.
Gather the evidence
Complaint receipt, photos of the break-in, invoices or guarantees, earlier photos of the items and repair quotes.
Meet the expert
The insurer can appoint an expert; if you disagree with the conclusions, a counter-assessment is possible.
Discuss the payout
A complaint to the insurer, then the insurance ombudsman, free of charge, and finally the court. Check the 2-year limitation period, its starting point and possible interruption; informal steps alone do not guarantee it is preserved.
How do you file a complaint after a burglary?
At the police station or gendarmerie of your choice: they must record the complaint, and the public prosecutor decides what follows. You receive a receipt for the complaint, according to service-public.
An online complaint is possible for a theft or a burglary whose author you do not know: an officer checks the declaration and may ask you to come in to complete it. If you know the author, the complaint is made in person or by post.
Source: Service-public F1435
Within which time limit must you report the theft to the insurer?
As soon as you know of it and at the latest within the time limit set by the contract, which cannot be under 2 working days for a theft (Insurance Code, article L113-2). The contract can allow more, and the parties can extend it by mutual agreement.
Working days are the days actually worked, usually Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays that are not worked, according to service-public. A late notice can be held against you only if the contract says so and the insurer proves a prejudice, and never in a case of force majeure.
Sources: C. assur. L113-2 · Service-public F35697
How does the insurer calculate the payout?
According to the contract: theft cover is not included in every home insurance policy, and the contract sets the thefts covered, the items insured, their ceilings and the exclusions, such as a door left open or a long period without occupation, according to service-public.
Most often, the payout is the replacement value minus wear and tear; some contracts provide new-for-old cover for certain items. The insurer must perform within the time agreed in the contract (Insurance Code, article L113-5).
Sources: Service-public F2028 · C. assur. L113-5
Who pays for the forced door or window?
The tenant contacts their home insurer, and the owner-occupier their own, according to service-public; cover requires a guarantee of the damage done during the theft or the attempt.
The tenant is not liable for damage caused by a third party they did not let into the home (article 7 of the law of 6 July 1989), and the landlord does not guarantee the tenant against a burglar’s disturbance (Civil Code, article 1725): each party’s contract shares the cost.
Sources: Service-public F2103 · Law of 1989, art. 7 · C. civ. 1725
Whom to notify, and within which time limit?
The time limits that matter, from the complaint to any lawsuit against the insurer.
| Step | Time limit or condition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online complaint | Offence against property whose author is unknown | Service-public F1435 |
| Complaint at the police station or gendarmerie | Your choice; in person or by post to the prosecutor if the author is known | Service-public F1435 |
| Notice to the insurer | The contract’s time limit, never under 2 working days for a theft | C. assur. L113-2 |
| Damage in a rented home | The tenant contacts their home insurer | Service-public F2103 |
| Lawsuit against the insurer | Normally 2 years; a later start requires proof of ignorance until discovery, and interruption must be checked | C. assur. L114-1 and L114-2 |
| Prosecution of the theft, a délit | Limitation period of 6 years | Service-public F1435 |
For other home-insurance losses, the notice period cannot be under 5 working days; it is reduced to 2 working days for a theft (Insurance Code, article L113-2).
Sources: Service-public F1435 · C. assur. L113-2 · Service-public F2103 · Service-public F2028 · C. assur. L114-1 · C. assur. L114-2
What does article L113-2 of the Insurance Code say about reporting a theft?
The text that sets the minimum notice period and limits forfeiture for lateness.
L’assuré est obligé : […] 4° De donner avis à l’assureur, dès qu’il en a eu connaissance et au plus tard dans le délai fixé par le contrat, de tout sinistre de nature à entraîner la garantie de l’assureur. Ce délai ne peut être inférieur à cinq jours ouvrés.
Ce délai minimal est ramené à deux jours ouvrés en cas de vol et à vingt-quatre heures en cas de mortalité du bétail. Les délais ci-dessus peuvent être prolongés d’un commun accord entre les parties contractantes.
In English, briefly (our summary, not an official translation): The insured must notify the insurer of any loss likely to bring the cover into play as soon as they know of it, and at the latest within the time limit set by the contract, which cannot be under five working days. This minimum is reduced to two working days for a theft and twenty-four hours for the death of livestock, and the parties can extend these time limits by agreement. A contractual forfeiture for late notice applies only if the insurer proves that the delay caused it a prejudice, and never when the delay is due to chance or force majeure.
What do burglary victims ask?
Must you wait for the full inventory before reporting the theft?
No. Notify the insurer within the time limit, then complete the file as the contract provides: list of stolen items, invoices, photos and quotes.
Does home insurance always cover theft?
No. A basic policy may not include theft cover, which a comprehensive home policy (multirisques habitation) often includes, according to service-public. Also check the exclusions and the protection the policy requires, such as a reinforced door or an alarm.
Can you challenge the payout offered?
Yes: by a complaint to the insurer, then before the insurance ombudsman, free of charge, and finally before the court. For the payout dispute after this theft, the limitation period is normally 2 years; a later start on discovery requires proof that the loss was unknown until then (L114-1). Check interruption, including a demand for payment by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (L114-2).
Is a police complaint required to be paid?
The complaint receipt is one of the documents service-public advises gathering for the claim, with the photos, invoices and quotes. File it without delay.
Which texts is this post-theft calendar based on?
- Insurance Code, article L113-2 (notice of the loss, forfeiture)Légifrance, in French
- Insurance Code, article L113-5 (performance within the agreed time)Légifrance, in French
- Home insurance and theft: conditions of cover (fiche F2028)Service-public.fr, in French · checked by the publisher on 10 September 2025
- Filing a complaint (fiche F1435)Service-public.fr, in French · checked by the publisher on 8 July 2026
- Working day, business day, clear day, calendar day (fiche F35697)Service-public.fr, in French · checked by the publisher on 30 April 2026
- Damage caused during a burglary: what must the tenant do? (fiche F2103)Service-public.fr, in French · checked by the publisher on 21 May 2025
- Law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989, article 7 (the tenant’s obligations)Légifrance, in French
- Insurance Code, article L114-1 (limitation and starting point)Légifrance, in French
- Insurance Code, article L114-2 (interruption of limitation)Légifrance, in French
- Civil Code, article 1725 (disturbance caused by a third party)Légifrance, in French
Texts cited last checked: 26 September 2026