Is personal liability insurance mandatory in Switzerland?
The answer
No. No federal law requires it. But most tenancy agreements make it contractually compulsory, and under Swiss law your liability is not limited to what you own.
Why
The confusion comes from cars: motor liability insurance is compulsory before any registration. Personal liability is compulsory nowhere — and yet it is what pays for water damage at the neighbour’s or a fire that spreads to the building.
Without a policy you answer with your assets and your future income, with no ceiling. It is the one branch where the cheapest contract on the market is also the one whose absence costs the most.
The other questions
- Which is the cheapest health insurer in Switzerland?
- How much does health insurance cost in Switzerland?
- How much does health insurance cost for a child?
- When can I change health insurer?
- Can a Swiss health insurer refuse you?
- Are the benefits the same at every insurer?
- Which deductible should I choose?
- Does the family doctor model really save money?
- Can I remove accident cover from my health insurance?
- What is the difference between the deductible and the co-payment?
- Why does my neighbour pay less than me?
- Why do premiums rise every year?
- How do I cancel my Swiss health insurance?
- What happens if I do not pay my premium?
- Do I have to insure a newborn, and when?
- How many health insurers are there in Switzerland?
- How long do I have to get insured when arriving in Switzerland?
- Does my employer insure me against accidents?
- What happens to my insurance if I move to another canton?
- What happens to my insurance if I lose my job?
- Is household insurance mandatory in Switzerland?
- Partial or comprehensive casco: which one?
- Should I report a small claim to my car insurer?
- Can a supplementary policy be cancelled together with basic insurance?
- Is buying into your pension fund worth it?
Source: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), official premiums.