Huurmarkt Protection System (HPS)

What is HPS?#

The Huurmarkt Protection System (HPS) is the protection system that backs rentals on the platform. It is not insurance: Huurmarkt is not an insurer, there is no policy, and there is no entitlement to payment.

HPS has two layers that together provide:

• Behaviour control — users behave responsibly
• Financial protection — damage may be compensated from a risk pool managed by Huurmarkt, within the limits of that pool

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How is a booking structured?#

A booking with HPS active has three financial components:

Component	Who pays it, where does it go?	Function
Rental price	The renter pays, the owner receives	Compensation for use
Deposit	The renter pays, held temporarily	Encourages careful behaviour
Protection fee	Deducted from the owner's payout, goes to the Huurmarkt risk pool	Feeds the pool from which damage may be compensated

The protection fee is calculated automatically and deducted from the payout; it is not added on top of what the renter pays. The amount depends on, among other things, the product value, the category, and the rental period.

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The two layers of HPS#

Layer 1 — Deposit (prevention)#

• Encourages careful use
• Absorbs the first cost of damage, including misuse and negligence
• Refunded after a successful rental

The deposit is primarily a behaviour driver: because your own money is held, you treat the item more carefully.

Layer 2 — Protection fee (risk pool)#

• A fee per booking, depending on product value, category, period and deposit
• Feeds the pool from which damage may be compensated
• Internally managed by Huurmarkt

This is the financial buffer: a shared pool, managed by Huurmarkt itself. No insurer is involved. Huurmarkt assesses every report and determines the amount of any compensation, within the limits of the pool and the applicable terms. There is no entitlement to payment.

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How is damage handled?#

Handling depends on the size of the damage.

No damage#

• The deposit is released
• No costs to renter or owner

Damage within the limits of the pool#

• The deposit is used first
• The risk pool may then top up the remaining amount, up to the maximum per report

Damage above the maximum per report#

• The deposit is used first
• The risk pool may top up to the maximum
• Any amount left above that can be recovered by the owner directly from the renter. Huurmarkt mediates where possible

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When is a report assessed?#

A damage report is only taken into assessment when all of the following conditions are met:

• ✅ Check-in photos of the item exist
• ✅ Check-out photos of the item exist
• ✅ The renter is verified
• ✅ The damage occurred within the rental period

No photos = renter liable.

This prevents fraud and keeps the system affordable for everyone. Always take photos at pickup AND return.

Meeting these conditions does not mean a payment follows automatically: Huurmarkt assesses every report individually.

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What is and isn't included?#

Included#

• Accidental damage
• Damage during the rental period

Not included#

• Misuse or negligent use
• Illegal use
• Use by unauthorized persons
• Damage outside the rental period

If the damage is not included, the renter is fully liable.

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Risk limits (MVP)#

For the current phase the following limits apply:

• Maximum item value: €10,000
• Maximum compensation per damage report: €2,000 (set by Huurmarkt; may change)
• Category-based risk control (some categories have stricter rules; protection does not apply to housing or vehicles)

For items above these limits additional verification or a separate arrangement may be required.

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What does protection cost?#

The protection fee depends on:

• The product value — the higher the value, the higher the fee
• The category — each risk profile has its own rate
• The rental period — longer rentals mean a (less than proportionally) higher fee
• The deposit — a higher deposit lowers the fee

Rates can be adjusted per category. As an owner you see a table with the fee per rental duration when you create your listing, so you know up front what comes off your payout — no surprises later.

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Declaring your product value#

If the Huurmarkt Protection System is enabled on your listing, you declare the product value when creating it. If HPS is off, no product value is needed.

Which value do I enter?#

• The current market value: what your item is worth today
• Not the price when new: a three-year-old drill is worth less than in the store

What does the product value do?#

• A protection fee comes off your payout per booking, scaling with the value: the higher the value, the higher the fee
• A higher deposit lowers the fee — deposit and risk pool complement each other
• The value determines whether we advise verification (see below); whether you require it is a switch you set on the listing

Verification: our advice, your choice#

Huurmarkt does not enforce verification based on product value. You switch on per listing whether you require a verified renter. Our advice:

• From €250: ask for identity verification
• From €1,000, and for homes and vehicles: always ask for it

One rule does always apply: if Huurmarkt protection is enabled on your listing, only a verified renter can book it.

See Identity verification for how that works.

Limits#

• The maximum item value is €10,000
• The risk pool compensates up to €2,000 per damage report; above that, the residual risk stays with the owner (who can recover the remainder directly from the renter)

Declare the value honestly#

In case of damage, we assess the item at its actual market value at that moment. Overstating the value therefore does not lead to a higher compensation — it only makes the booking more expensive for the renter, and with that your listing less attractive.

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What strengthens the system?#

HPS only works if the basics are in place. The following elements strengthen the protection model:

• ID verification — a per-listing setting; always required with protection enabled
• Deposit — as a behaviour driver
• Reviews — trust based on history
• Mandatory photo checks — at pickup and return

Together they form a self-reinforcing trust loop.

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Frequently asked questions#

Do I need to take out separate insurance?#

That's up to you. HPS is automatically active on every booking of a listing that has HPS enabled, but it is not insurance: there is a maximum per report, not everything is included, and there is no entitlement to payment. If there's a risk you'd rather not carry yourself, discuss it with your own insurer.

Will I get my deposit back faster if I send photos?#

The deposit is released as soon as the owner confirms the return, and otherwise automatically 72 hours after the last rental day. Releasing means we initiate the refund; from that point it takes another five to ten business days before the amount is in your account. Photos don't speed that up. They help especially if there's a damage report — without check-in/check-out photos, the renter is liable.

What if the damage exceeds the maximum compensation?#

The owner can recover the remainder directly from the renter. Huurmarkt mediates where possible.

Who manages the risk pool?#

Huurmarkt itself, based on the protection fees included in every booking. The goal is that the pool builds up a buffer over time.

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Important#

• Always take check-in and check-out photos. No photos = no report.
• Don't handle damage outside the platform — only reports made through Huurmarkt are assessed.
• Misuse and negligence are not included; only accidental damage is.
• HPS is not insurance and Huurmarkt is not an insurer. If you want additional cover, arrange it yourself with your own insurer.

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See also#

• Deposit policy
• Protection on Huurmarkt
• Report damage
• Damage assessment
• Setting price & deposit
• Identity verification