Natural-disaster recognition allows the relevant damage to be considered under the insurance procedure. For a villa buyer, it is also a reason to establish the property’s history: what happened, what the expert found and which repairs were completed.
Which event has been recognised?
The order dated 11 September 2026 recognising an état de catastrophe naturelle, commonly called CatNat, was published in the Journal officiel on 22 September. The Alpes-Maritimes prefecture announced it on 23 September.
For Auribeau-sur-Siagne, it covers ground movements on 30–31 January 2025, excluding geotechnical drought. This is neither a new incident in September 2026 nor recognition of damage caused by shrinking clay soils. Other municipalities in the same order can have different recognised events and dates.
Recognition concerns a territory, a natural phenomenon and a period. It does not establish that every house in the municipality was damaged. A claim still requires assessment of direct physical damage, the recognised event as its determining cause and the applicable cover.
If you own a property with damage
Contact the insurer covering the property at the time of the event. Service Public says a claim should be reported as soon as the damage is discovered and no later than 30 days after the order’s publication in the Journal officiel. The publication date here is 22 September, rather than the date of the prefecture’s announcement. Do not wait for a new quotation or your return to France before making contact.
Prepare the policy number, address, description of the damage and an estimated schedule of losses. Include available photographs, reports, invoices and correspondence. If you have already reported the event, send the order and ask the insurer to confirm the claim’s status and any missing documents. Keep evidence of your submission.
Agree the inspection, protective measures and repairs with the insurer, preserving evidence of the condition before work. Recognition alone does not fix the compensation. The excess — the amount you must bear — and the limits of cover need to be checked against the claim and policy.
If you are buying a villa in Auribeau
Ask the seller for the damage and insurance history even if the house appears renovated. An insurance payment, treatment of the cause and completion of repairs are separate facts.
| Documents to request | What they help establish |
|---|---|
| Event description, photographs and claim notification | What happened to this house and its land |
| Expert report and technical findings | The identified cause and recommended works |
| Insurer’s decision and payment records | What was covered and what remains disputed or unresolved |
| Quotations, invoices and evidence of completed works | Whether repairs followed the recommendations |
| A current inspection where concerns remain | Any continuing movement or issues with walls, slopes or drainage |
A technical specialist assesses the property and any further investigations needed. The notary examines disclosure and the contractual consequences of an unresolved claim; your future insurer confirms your cover. A past insurance payment does not automatically make funds available to you for outstanding repairs.
The budget may need to include investigations, reinstatement, structural monitoring and drainage maintenance. Costs and timing depend on the property. Before committing to the purchase, establish who will handle outstanding steps and expenses, and how those arrangements will be recorded in the contract.
Continue with the wider villa checks
Damage history belongs alongside checks on the building, land and access. Our guide to checking a villa before purchase covers boundaries, rights of way, permissions, slopes and services. It helps identify which specialists the particular property needs.
If you have already found a villa, start a conversation with IMMO BTC using the listing link and what you know about its condition. We can discuss which records to request and which questions need an inspection on site. Contact us through WhatsApp or info@immobtc.com.
Sources and verification date
Checked on 23 September 2026. This article concerns the specified event in France; an individual property’s condition and insurance cover require its own records.
- Journal officiel — order of 11 September 2026, Annex I and Article 2.
- Alpes-Maritimes prefecture — announcement of 23 September.
- Service Public — natural-disaster claims and compensation.
Photo: Jpchevreau — Auribeau from the Peygros trail, 19 July 2016, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized by IMMO BTC for the cover and social image; these versions remain under the same licence. The photograph shows the location, not the January 2025 event.
