What is it?
Home insurance generally combines two complementary covers: private liability insurance (RC) and household insurance.
Protects your liability toward others
It applies if you, or members of your household, cause damage to someone else in private life.
Protects your own belongings
It covers your inventory: furniture, clothes, electronics, bikes and everyday equipment.
Is this insurance mandatory?
Not mandatory in principle
In Switzerland, private liability and household insurance are in principle not mandatory. There are however cantonal specifics, notably for fire and natural events cover.
Often required by the property manager
Although it is not required by law, private liability is nevertheless very often required by landlords or property managers when renting a home.
What exactly does it cover?
Private liability: damage you cause to others
Your private liability cover protects you against the financial consequences of damage for which you, or members of your household, are civilly liable in private life. It can apply in particular to bodily injury and property damage.
Pedestrian injured on a bicycle
On a bicycle, you hit a pedestrian who is crossing. They are injured and must be hospitalised. Your private liability cover may pay the medical costs and loss of earnings of the injured person.
Parquet, glasses, other people’s goods
You deeply scratch the parquet of your flat while moving furniture. Your child knocks a classmate’s glasses. Your private liability cover may pay for restoration, within the policy limits.
For the details of this cover, see also the private liability.
Household insurance: protect what belongs to you
Household insurance, also called household inventory insurance, covers your movable goods: furniture, clothes, electronic devices, bikes, sports equipment. A simple image: if you could turn your home upside down, everything that would fall generally belongs to the household inventory.
The basic insured risks are generally:
Additional covers according to your way of life
Your insurance can then be completed with various options that substantially extend your protection.
Simple theft away from home
This cover protects some of your belongings when they are stolen outside your home, within the policy limits. It is generally first-loss insurance, up to the chosen amount.
Glass breakage
This guarantee can cover certain glass in furniture or in the building for which you are responsible, depending on the formula chosen. For example a ceramic hob accidentally broken.
All Risks / all-risk cover
Some policies extend cover for certain items against accidental damage: loss, theft, breakage, deterioration. Limits and deductibles vary from one policy to another.
To be adapted to your everyday life
Available guarantees, their limits and deductibles vary strongly from one policy to another. The key is to choose them according to your way of life, not according to a standard formula.
Common pitfalls
Confusing private liability and household insurance
This is one of the most frequent confusions. Liability protects others. Household insurance protects your own belongings.
Example: you spill water on your own computer. Your private liability cover does not apply simply because you caused the damage: the item belongs to you, no third party is harmed. Here you would need to check whether your household insurance includes cover for this type of damage (All Risks add-on for electronic devices).
Underestimating the value of your inventory
Household insurance is based on a sum insured that you must set when the contract is concluded and which includes all your movable goods (in particular furniture, clothes, electronic devices, leisure equipment, crockery, household linen and other personal effects).
This amount can vary according to the number of rooms, the number of people living there, the type of home (house, flat) or the type of inventory (simple, normal, luxury).
Sample table: normal furnishing standard
| Number of rooms | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 room | CHF 34’000 | CHF 47’000 | CHF 60’000 | CHF 74’000 |
| 1.5 rooms | CHF 38’000 | CHF 51’000 | CHF 64’000 | CHF 78’000 |
| 2 rooms | CHF 42’000 | CHF 55’000 | CHF 68’000 | CHF 82’000 |
| 2.5 rooms | CHF 46’000 | CHF 59’000 | CHF 72’000 | CHF 86’000 |
| 3 rooms | CHF 50’000 | CHF 63’000 | CHF 76’000 | CHF 90’000 |
It is important not to underestimate the value of your household. If the sum insured is lower than the real value of all your belongings, you may find yourself underinsured.
Example: the real new-for-old value of your household is CHF 100,000, but you insured it for only CHF 50,000. You have therefore insured only 50% of the real value of your belongings.
According to your policy conditions, this underinsurance can have major consequences on the indemnity of a claim: the insurer may reduce its benefit proportionally, including when the damage is below the sum insured.
For example, if water damage causes CHF 20,000 of loss, 50% underinsurance could lead to an indemnity limited to CHF 10,000, subject to the policy conditions and the applicable deductible.
That is why we make sure to set with you a sum insured that is high enough and suited to the new-for-old value of your inventory, to avoid a bad surprise when you actually need your insurance.
To remember: saving a few francs of premium by declaring a sum that is too low can cost you much more in the event of a claim.
With 50% underinsurance, water damage of CHF 20,000 may be indemnified only up to CHF 10,000, subject to the policy and the deductible.
Thinking that theft is covered everywhere
Household insurance covering theft at your home does not necessarily mean that all your belongings are automatically covered when they are outside.
Example: your computer is stolen while you are away. Cover may depend on the presence of simple theft away from home (which is not part of the basic risks) and on the sum insured provided for this guarantee.
Not checking the limits for valuables
Certain particular items such as jewellery, watches, works of art, collections or other valuables may be subject to particular indemnity limits.
Example: you own a watch worth CHF 15,000. That does not automatically mean that your standard household insurance will indemnify you CHF 15,000 in the event of theft. You must check the applicable limits and, if needed, arrange specific cover. See also valuables.
Thinking that All Risks cover means absolutely everything
The term All Risks or “all risks” does not mean there are no exclusions. Deductibles, per-item limits, exclusions or special conditions may always apply.
Example: your phone falls and breaks. Your cover may apply, but the amount repaid will depend in particular on the deductible, the chosen sum insured and the indemnity rules in your policy.
I already have this policy: how can I cancel or switch insurer?
Do you already have private liability and/or household insurance? You are not necessarily required to keep your contract until the date originally planned. Several options may allow a cancellation.
At the end of your contract
You can cancel at expiry, observing the notice period provided by your policy and GIC. Example: expiry on 31 December, 3 months’ notice.
After 3 years of contract
Even if your contract was concluded for a longer term, the ICA in principle allows you to cancel it at the end of the third year, then each following year, with 3 months’ notice.
After a claim
After a claim giving rise to a benefit from the insurer, a right of cancellation may also be exercised under the conditions provided by the ICA.
Contractual or tariff change
A premium increase or a change to certain conditions may also open a right of cancellation, depending on the nature of the change and your insurer’s GIC.
Not sure when your contract can be cancelled? We will check it for you.
You do not need to analyse your policy and dozens of pages of general conditions yourself. Simply send us your current contract.
We check your expiry date, the applicable deadlines and any cancellation options. We then compare the available solutions and, if you want to switch, we also handle the cancellation steps with your former insurer.
Current contract, possibly the latest letter from the insurer.
Term, expiry, notice period and cancellation conditions.
The first ground that actually applies to your case.
Premiums, deductibles, sums insured and useful options.
Private liability and household cover, without interruption.
Steps with your former insurer.
You send us your situation. We take care of the rest.
Would you like to take out home insurance, check your current cover or simply know whether you are paying too much? Send us your current policy or describe your situation. We analyse your needs, compare the available solutions and support you in setting up your private liability and household insurance. And if you are already insured, we check for you when and how your current contract can be cancelled and we handle the steps needed to switch insurer.
Complete your home protection
Home insurance is often coordinated with other everyday covers.