Insurance companies Interpolis and Univé expect the number of damage reports to increase significantly due to the winter weather. But also because of the snow that is thawing. Interpolis will deploy additional staff in customer service next week. “We already have twenty percent more reports due to the snow, but we expect much more due to meltwater,” says spokesperson Babette Schenkelaars.
“Compared to last January, there is much more damage to cars caused by slips and collisions,” Interpolis notes. “More injuries have also been reported by cyclists and walkers due to the slippery conditions. In total, this concerns twenty percent additional reports by road users,” the spokesperson said.
Not everyone is insured
Interpolis has already received dozens of reports of collapsed roofs, sheds, greenhouses and sheds. “Private individuals are insured as long as there are no building and construction defects or overdue maintenance,” she says. This also applies to entrepreneurs, but they must also have taken out extensive hazard cover, otherwise their damage is not insured.
Univé is also seeing the number of reports increase: in the first week of January 2026, 275 reports were received (almost €400,000 in damage), compared to two hundred reports in December 2025. Older or vulnerable structures such as sheds, carports and flat roofs are particularly affected by melting snow, warns Univé manager Erik Dokter.
Meltwater
Additional customer service staff will be deployed next week. “We expect that the melting water and thawed pipes will cause even more damage reports. Especially now that it will freeze hard at night, frozen pipes are a risk,” says the Interpolis spokesperson.
“Drainpipes must in principle be able to handle the melt water. Leakages due to clogged drains are a frequently reported damage,” says the spokesperson.
Dangerous exercise
However, homeowners are not obliged to go on the roof to prevent damage. “We cannot make this mandatory because not everyone is able to get onto the roof. Moreover, such an exercise also poses additional risks,” concludes the Interpolis spokesperson.
Univé advises where it is safe to strengthen structures and protect pipes against freezing to prevent damage.