When you or a member of your household causes an accident to a third party, you are covered by civil liability insurance if you have chosen to take out such insurance. Let's take an example: your child, while playing, knocks down his friend and, in the fall, the friend's glasses break. In this case, your civil liability insurance will step in and compensate the victim for the glasses. Please note that liability insurance cannot cover damage caused to yourself. If, in our example, your child also falls and breaks his or her own glasses, you cannot be compensated. People often ask whether liability insurance is compulsory or not. In fact, liability insurance in Switzerland is strongly recommended, but is only required in certain cases.
If you are not a landlord, then you will need to take out tenant's liability insurance. This will be requested by the management or the owner when you sign the lease. In this case, your civil liability insurance will be useful in the event of damage to the property. Let's take another example. Your dog scratches the glass of the French window that opens onto the terrace of your flat. Your civil liability insurance can then cover the cost of repairs. However, if the damage is minimal and corresponds to normal wear and tear, the insurance will not be triggered. Excessive wear and tear is the term used to refer to the liability insurance. For example, if the walls of the flat you are renting are a little yellowed after several years in the same property, this will be considered normal.
Are you using the SherlockHomes platform to find a flat to rent? You will probably quickly find the property that meets your expectations. Also, we advise you to start gathering the documents for a rental file: proof of income, certificate of non prosecution, and your tenant liability insurance certificate. The latter is generally not a problem. All you have to do is ask your insurer, who can usually provide it to you the same day by e-mail.
Read also: Property rental in Switzerland: focus on household insurance
This article is not exhaustive and does not engage the responsibility of its author.
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