Household insurance

Shared by tenants and owners, this insurance provides protection against potential calamities that may affect movable property which is an integral part of the household. In the canton of Vaud, this coverage is mandatory with regard to the risk of fire and only ECA (Etablissement Cantonal d’Assurance Incendie – Cantonal Fire Insurance Institution) provides this service.

IFor the three other risks, you have total freedom to choose other insurance providers.

Household insurance is understood to include all movable property that is used for private purposes. Movable property is any transportable object that is neither permanently attached to the ground nor incorporated into a building.

In order to take out such insurance, you need to have a detailed inventory of your property to assess as accurately as possible what compensation you will receive in case of damage to the interior of your house caused by any of the four principal risks mentioned above.

The inventory should take into account the following items: movable household property (furniture, household appliances, hi-fi and computer equipment, TV set, clothes, etc.); rented or leased property (TV set, stereo, etc.); property entrusted by a third party (DVD, CD, etc.); property of guests (suitcase of your friend spending their holiday at your place); movable structures together with its contents (garden shed, beehives, etc.); built-in components that are not covered by building insurance and have been installed at the tenant’s expense. Bicycles, skis, etc. Details of the coverage depend on each insurance company.

In addition to the coverage for the home, theft and related costs arising outdoors are included. For example, in case of a burglary, theft from a hotel room, robbery, street assault, ordinary theft or pickpocketing.

It is also possible to take out insurance for objects of value such as jewellery, works of art, musical instruments, furs, etc.