Household contents & personal liability
Your contents insured at replacement value, your liability covered when damage affects a third party or your rented home: two core protections, adjusted to your actual situation.
Two minutes is all it takes: tell us who you are and what needs covering. We come back with compared quotes.
The essentials
Household contents insurance covers your inventory, furniture, clothing, appliances, bicycles, at replacement value: the payout matches the cost of buying new, not the current market value. It comes into play for theft, water damage and glass breakage; in the canton of Vaud, fire and natural hazards affecting contents fall under the compulsory cantonal scheme, which the private policy complements.
Personal liability insurance takes over when you cause damage to someone else: an accident at a friend’s home, a bicycle collision, a leak that damages the neighbour’s flat. It also covers damage to the rented home recorded at the handover inspection, a decisive element for any tenant, as the landlord can claim substantial amounts.
The classic trap is underinsurance: if the declared sum is lower than the real value of your contents, the payout is reduced proportionally, even for a partial claim. An honest inventory at the outset, then an update after every move or major purchase, keeps that unwelcome surprise at bay.
What this insurance covers
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Household contents at replacement value
Furniture, clothing, electronics, sports equipment: your contents are reimbursed at the cost of replacing them new, not at their depreciated value.
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Theft at home and away
Burglary is covered at home; simple theft away from home, bicycle, phone, luggage, can be added as an option, with limits worth checking.
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Water damage
Burst pipes, overflow, seepage: damage caused to your contents by water is covered in accordance with the contract.
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Personal liability: damage caused to others
Injury or damage that you, your children or your pet cause to third parties, with a sum insured that runs to several million francs.
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Tenant’s liability
Damage to the rented home that goes beyond normal wear and tear, parquet, worktop, sanitary fittings, is covered when the lease is handed back.
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Costs following a claim
Temporary accommodation, clearing costs, lock replacement: the expenses that follow a covered claim are compensated within the agreed limits.
Who it is for
- Tenants: personal liability covers damage to the rented home and many landlords require it when the lease is signed.
- Couples and families: a joint policy covers both partners and the children living in the household.
- Flatmates: each insures their share of the contents, or the flat-share takes out a joint policy naming every occupant.
- Owner-occupiers: contents are insured separately from the building, under the same inventory rules.
- People who have just moved in or refurnished their home: the right moment to recalculate the sum insured.
How we support you
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Analysing your risks
What you have, what is missing, what overlaps: an honest assessment.
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Competitive tenders
Several insurers approached against a precise specification, compared item by item.
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Long-term follow-up
Set-up, renewals, claims: a single point of contact, year after year.
Frequently asked questions
Is household contents insurance compulsory in Switzerland?
No, with one nuance: several cantons, including Vaud, require contents to be insured against fire and natural hazards with the cantonal establishment. The rest, theft, water damage, personal liability, is optional in law, but most landlords ask for proof of personal liability cover before handing over the keys.
How do I calculate the value of my contents?
Room by room, at the cost of replacing everything new, without forgetting the cellar, the attic and your clothes. Insurers’ questionnaires give a starting point per room or per person, but nothing replaces a real inventory: that is what protects you from underinsurance. We go through it with you and adjust it at every change in your situation.
What happens in the event of underinsurance?
The payout is reduced in the proportion between the sum insured and the real value of the contents. In principle, contents insured at half their value are only compensated at half, even if the claim affects only part of your belongings. Hence the importance of declaring an accurate sum and keeping it up to date.
Does personal liability cover damage to a rented home?
Yes, it is one of its main components: it covers damage that goes beyond normal wear and tear, typically recorded at the final handover inspection, a burn on the parquet, a broken oven door. Ordinary wear remains the landlord’s responsibility, and a deductible applies depending on the contract.
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Jules Rossier, non-tied insurance intermediary within the meaning of Art. 45 of the Insurance Supervision Act (ISA), registered with FINMA under no. F01581788.