No. Having insurance does not change your basic obligations:

• to use the property as a careful and responsible tenant,

• to avoid causing damage on purpose or through gross negligence,

• to report problems early, so they do not become bigger.

Insurance is there as a safety net when something goes wrong, not as a permission to stop caring. In some cases, insurance may not cover damage caused by serious negligence or by actions that are against the policy terms.

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For most properties, tenant insurance is not mandatory, but:

• we see it as very good practice,

• we would like to see more of our tenants insured,

• some landlords or programs may require it as a condition of the lease.

If a specific property or landlord requires insurance, this will be clearly stated in the offer/contract. Otherwise, it remains a strong recommendation, not an obligation.

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We are mainly referring to tenant / renter / household liability insurance, which can (depending on the policy) cover:

• Liability if you accidentally cause damage to the apartment (e.g. water leak that affects the neighbour, fire caused by your mistake),

• Liability towards third parties (e.g. damage to neighbour’s property because of something that happens in your apartment),

• Sometimes your personal belongings (theft, certain types of damage) – this depends on the specific policy.

This is not health insurance and not travel insurance (although those may also be useful for other reasons).

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The security deposit is:

• a fixed amount of money paid at the start of the tenancy,
• held as a guarantee,
• used to cover unpaid rent, utilities, cleaning or damage,
• limited to the amount you paid (for example 500–800 EUR).

Insurance is:

• a separate contract with an insurance company,
• usually covering bigger or unexpected risks (e.g. fire, water damage, liability towards neighbours),
• able to cover costs that are higher than your deposit, depending on the policy.

Simply said: the deposit is not insurance, and insurance is not a deposit – they work together, not instead of each other.

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In some countries (for example France) it is very common – and sometimes mandatory – for tenants to have their own rental/tenant insurance.

In Croatia this is usually not mandatory, but at HomeInZagreb we highly recommend that tenants have some form of insurance in addition to the security deposit.

Why? Because:

• the deposit is limited, and

• in case of bigger damage, the deposit may not be enough to cover all costs.

Insurance can help protect you and the landlord in situations where something serious or unexpected happens.

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There are a few reasons:

• The tenant is the person who lives in the property every day.

• The tenant is the one who must respect the rules, pay on time, and take care of the apartment.

• If only parents are involved in communication, sometimes the tenant is not fully aware of their obligations, which can create misunderstandings later.

We want you, as a tenant, to:

• know exactly what you are agreeing to,

• feel comfortable asking questions,

• understand what is expected regarding payments, cleaning and behaviour.

Parents can still be very involved and supportive – we just want to make sure the adult tenant is also informed and in control.

Yes, absolutely.

Your parents (or another person/company) can pay the service fee and deposit for you. This is very common.

Even if your parents pay:

• you are still the tenant,

• you sign the Tenancy Agreement (if you are an adult), and

• you are responsible for rent, utilities, cleaning and behaviour in the property.

The person who pays is helping you financially, but the legal responsibility for the tenancy stays with you.

Our working language is English, and we try to keep our communication clear and simple.

You don’t need perfect English, but you should feel comfortable enough to:

• read and understand our basic emails and information,

• ask simple questions if something is not clear,

• understand the main points of your contract and obligations.

If your parents help you understand details, that’s perfectly fine – but we still need you to be able to follow what is going on and to reply to us when needed.

We completely understand that parents want to help – and that’s very normal.

However, if you are an adult student or young professional, we kindly ask that you are the main person in communication with HomeInZagreb.

During your stay, we will be in contact with you, not your parents, about things like:

• paying rent and utilities on time,

• cleaning and taking care of the property,

• following the house rules,

• arranging move-in and move-out.

Because you are the one living in the apartment and held responsible for everything, it’s important that you are also the person who:

• reserves the apartment,

• understands the conditions, and

• receives our emails and instructions directly.

Your parents are very welcome to support you, explain things and advise you, but we encourage you to handle the booking as an adult, with their help in the background if needed.

Switching to another property after your booking is confirmed is usually treated as:

• cancelling the original booking, and

• creating a new booking for the new property.

Because of the strict cancellation policy, this may mean that:

• your service fee is not refundable, and

• the deposit may only be refunded under specific conditions (for example, if a replacement tenant is found and approved).

If you are considering switching properties, contact HomeInZagreb first, and we will explain your options and any possible costs.