Is PNO insurance mandatory?

Yes for a home held in co-ownership, at least for civil liability (loi ALUR). For a detached house it is not mandatory but strongly recommended.

Does PNO overlap with the tenant’s insurance?

No. The tenant’s insurance covers their belongings and rental risks; PNO covers the owner (landlord’s liability, vacancy, the tenant’s lack of insurance). They are complementary.

Does PNO cover rental vacancy?

Depending on the contract, yes: between two tenants it takes over for claims affecting the home, a period when no tenant insurance is in force.

PNO insurance (non-occupant owner): obligation, cover and cost

Updated on July 16, 2026 · 6 min read

PNO — non-occupant owner insurance (propriétaire non occupant) — protects the landlord for damage covered neither by the tenant’s insurance nor by the co-ownership’s policy. Mandatory for a home held in co-ownership, it remains strongly recommended in every case: between two tenancies, if the tenant is uninsured, or in a claim engaging the owner’s liability, it prevents being left without cover.

What PNO insurance is

PNO is taken out by the owner of a home they do not occupy — because they let it or because it is vacant. It steps in alongside or in the absence of the tenant’s insurance and the co-ownership’s policy, and covers the landlord’s liability as well as damage to the home itself.

An obligation in co-ownership

Since the loi ALUR (French housing law), the owner of a lot in a co-ownership must be insured at least for civil liability, whether they occupy or let the home. For a detached house, PNO is not legally mandatory but remains strongly advised: without it, some claims would be covered by no one.

What PNO insurance covers

Depending on the contract, PNO can cover:

the owner’s civil liability (damage caused to third parties or neighbours);
water damage, fire and natural disasters affecting the home;
periods of rental vacancy, when no insured tenant occupies the premises;
the tenant’s lack or absence of insurance;
damage that falls to the owner rather than to tenant repairs.

PNO and the tenant’s insurance: two separate covers

The tenant’s home insurance covers their belongings and their liability for rental risks (fire, water damage they cause). PNO covers the owner for what falls to them: landlord’s liability, the parts in their charge, periods without a tenant. The two are complementary and do not replace each other.

Cost and deductibility

PNO for a standard home usually costs a few dozen to about a hundred euros a year, depending on floor area and cover. The premium is deductible from property income under the régime réel (actual-expenses tax regime), as a property charge. Comparing the cover (vacancy, civil liability, replacement value) matters more than price alone.

Frequently asked questions

Is PNO insurance mandatory?: Yes for a home held in co-ownership, at least for civil liability (loi ALUR). For a detached house it is not mandatory but strongly recommended.
Does PNO overlap with the tenant’s insurance?: No. The tenant’s insurance covers their belongings and rental risks; PNO covers the owner (landlord’s liability, vacancy, the tenant’s lack of insurance). They are complementary.
How much does PNO insurance cost?: Usually from a few dozen to about a hundred euros a year, depending on floor area and cover. The premium is deductible from property income under the régime réel.
Does PNO cover rental vacancy?: Depending on the contract, yes: between two tenants it takes over for claims affecting the home, a period when no tenant insurance is in force.