Insurance

The contents insurance usually includes fire, natural hazard, water damage and theft insurance (at home). Even if the contents insurance is not obligatory, it is highly recommended to take out one. Some insurers also offer combined contents and personal liability insurance. It is worth checking whether damage against earthquakes, plane crashes and implosions of televisions are covered. These risks are not covered by every insurance company and can be expensive, even if the risk is small.

Depending on the insurance company, the deductible is between 200 and 500 Swiss francs per claim, thus protecting the insurance company against minor damage. Follow-up costs for evacuation, waste disposal, hotel accommodation, changing locks, issuing new identity cards, emergency glazing and rescue costs are also covered. There is the possibility of individual insurance or family insurance. In this case, family insurance is also possible and recommended for unmarried couples or shared flats.

Household contents include all movable property for private use, with the exception of motor vehicles, motor boats, larger sailing ships and aircraft, for which separate insurance policies should be taken out. Pets are regarded by the insurance company as movable property and are included in the value of the household insurance. Also insured are borrowed, leased and rented items. During a move the insurance cover continues to apply. After the move, you must notify the insurance company of your new place of residence within one month.

The decisive factor for the insurance premium is the fixed value of the household contents at replacement value. So what it would cost to buy the entire household contents including clothes at the present time. The sum insured should be chosen carefully, otherwise you run the risk of being over- or under-insured. If you are over-insured, you pay too much premium, because only the actual damage value is paid. But much worse is an underinsurance, in case of which one gets back the damage sum only proportionally in case of damage. In the concrete example it says that if you are underinsured by 30%, you have to pay 30% of the costs in case of damage. The optimal sum insured can be calculated by the insurance company. The number of persons, square meters of the apartment and the standard of equipment are included in the calculation. In order to avoid a creeping under- or overinsurance, it is advisable to keep an eye on the sum insured and to check it regularly.

Additional options that are usually offered are broken glass, simple theft away from home and valuables. As a tenant, you can usually save yourself the expense of breaking glass, unless you have expensive glass tables or aquariums. Damage to the washbasin and window glass is covered by the landlord, as this is part of the apartment. Whether the option "simple theft away from home" is worthwhile is controversial. I am of the opinion that this option is relatively expensive and hardly ever used due to the deductible. However, some advisors recommend it. Larger valuables and expensive jewellery should either be insured separately or listed separately in the contents insurance.

An important note; pay attention to the contract period.  With pleasure the household insurances with long contract terms are offered, that are then fast times 5 or 10 years. Better are contracts which run one year or one insists on a written, annual right of termination.