Guide
After a burglary: your insurance claim, step by step
After a burglary, rushing is costly: repairing too soon, reporting too late or throwing away the wrong items can all reduce your payout. Here is the order in which to act — and why it matters.
Published on by the France Serrure Gironde team
1. Touch nothing and call the police or gendarmerie
The natural reflex is to tidy up, repair and close everything again. That is exactly what not to do: the police record covers the state of the premises, including any signs of the break-in. Dial 17 (the French police emergency number) — or file a report at the police station if the emergency has passed — before any repairs.
Filing a police report is not an optional formality: the receipt, followed by the official report, is required by almost every insurance policy before a theft claim can be opened.
2. Photograph everything before tidying anything
Photograph the door, the lock, the door frame, the windows, every room affected and any furniture that was searched. Take multiple angles and close-ups of the signs of forced entry.
These photos serve two purposes: supporting your insurance claim, and documenting the original state of the premises if the insurer's assessor visits after the emergency repairs.
3. Report the claim within your policy's deadline
Most French policies allow two working days from the discovery of the theft — check yours, as some differ. The claim can usually be made by phone, through your online customer account or by registered letter.
Attach or prepare: the police report receipt, a list of the stolen or damaged items, the photos, and any invoices or proof of purchase for the items concerned. For damage to the building itself — door, lock, window — a quote or invoice for the repair work will be requested.
4. Secure your home without destroying the evidence
Between the police visit and the final repairs, your home must remain habitable and closed. Temporary securing measures — a temporary lock, sealing off an opening, boarding up a broken pane — meet that need without pre-empting the permanent work.
Keep the parts that are removed (a forced cylinder, a torn-out lock): the insurer may ask to examine them. And ask for a fully itemised invoice for every intervention, including the emergency securing work: many policies cover it.
5. Final repairs: build on the assessor's visit
Depending on the size of the claim, the insurer may appoint an assessor. Wait for their visit — or their explicit go-ahead — before major permanent repairs (replacing the door, door reinforcement). For minor repairs, the claims handler's approval by phone or in writing is usually enough.
This is also the right moment to fix the weak point the intruders came through: your insurer may in fact make the continuation of your theft cover conditional on a minimum level of protection. Re-read your policy's requirements before choosing the hardware.