How home insurance works in rented accommodation, what it may cover and what you should check before moving in.
Home insurance is relevant whether you hold a first-hand tenancy, sublet or live as a lodger. The landlord’s insurance normally protects the property, but it does not automatically cover your furniture, clothes, computers and other belongings. The linked sources are in Swedish because they concern Swedish law.
Home insurance also includes protection that may be important if you face a claim for damages, need legal representation or temporarily have to live elsewhere following extensive damage. The precise scope of cover, excess and exclusions are set out in the policy terms.
What home insurance usually includes
According to independent consumer guidance on home insurance, basic cover consists of several parts. Terms vary between policies, but the following forms of cover are central for tenants:
Contents cover may provide compensation if your belongings are stolen or damaged by, for example, fire or water damage covered by the policy.
Liability cover may help investigate and handle a claim for damages if someone believes that you have caused damage.
Legal expenses cover may reimburse certain costs for legal representation in a dispute. It does not apply to every type of case, and disputes heard by hyresnämnden (the Rent Tribunal) are not normally covered.
Additional expenses cover may reimburse necessary and reasonable extra costs if the home must be decontaminated or renovated and you need temporary accommodation.
Travel and assault cover are also included in the basic home insurance package, but the scope varies.
Is home insurance mandatory?
There is no general legal requirement for a tenant to have home insurance. However, a landlord may specify insurance as a condition of the tenancy. You should therefore read both the advertisement and the tenancy agreement and ask for clarification if the condition is unclear.
Even when insurance is not an explicit contractual requirement, you need to assess the risk yourself. Without home insurance, you may have no compensation for destroyed belongings, temporary accommodation or assistance with certain claims for damages.
Your responsibilities as a tenant
As a tenant, you must take care of the flat. You may be liable for compensation if damage is caused by carelessness or negligence on your part, or by someone in your household or a guest. Normal wear and tear, however, is not the same as damage for which you must pay.
Liability cover does not automatically pay every claim made by the landlord. The insurer first investigates whether you are actually liable and whether the incident is covered by the policy terms.
If you discover a water leak, fire risk, vermin or another defect that could worsen, you must notify the landlord. Do not wait for a response from the insurer before reporting urgent damage to the landlord.
First-hand tenancies, subletting and lodgers
Bojakt currently lists 20,356 available homes in 1,238 locations. Of these, 44 per cent are first-hand tenancies. Sublets account for 56 per cent, with 11,334 listings.
The need for insurance does not disappear because the agreement is temporary or made with a private landlord. As a subtenant, you should have your own home insurance that applies at the address. The landlord’s insurance does not normally cover your belongings or provide you with your own liability or legal expenses cover.
If you share a home
Do not assume that everyone at the address is automatically covered. A cohabiting partner can often be covered by the same policy if you live and are registered as residents together, but some terms require the individuals to be named in the insurance policy document. Read the information about who can be covered by the same home insurance policy and then check your own policy document.
A lodger is not necessarily covered by the policy held by the tenancy holder. The lodger may therefore need their own insurance, even when parts of the home and its contents are shared.
Waiting times and tenancy type affect planning
Waiting times and letting requirements vary between locations and landlords. The authority’s national housing market survey shows that circumstances differ considerably across the country and that people who are new to the housing market may be affected by a lack of time on a waiting list, a regular income or references.
Bojakt’s current listings include 4,928 first-hand homes with no waiting time. However, the absence of a waiting time does not mean that there are no other requirements. The landlord may still check income, payment history, references and the conditions stated in the application.
The median rent in Bojakt’s database is 9,200 kronor nationwide. When calculating your housing budget, you therefore need to include more than the rent, such as electricity, internet and home insurance. The premium depends partly on the home, the address, the household and the cover you choose.
What you should compare
The excess you pay for different types of damage.
How personal possessions are valued and which compensation limits apply to items such as electronics, bicycles and belongings outside the home.
Which precautions you must take regarding locks, keys, fire risks and appliances connected to the water supply.
Whether accidental damage cover is included or must be selected as an add-on.
How the policy covers temporary accommodation, storage and other additional expenses following damage.
Which members of the household are named and whether the policy covers lodgers.
When you are moving
Check the date from which you are responsible for the home under the agreement.
Make sure that the correct address and people are listed in the insurance policy document.
Ask what applies during the move itself and whether you are covered if you have belongings at both the old and new addresses for a period.
Photograph the condition of the flat when you move in and notify the landlord in writing of any existing damage.
Keep the tenancy agreement, inspection documents, receipts and photographs of valuable belongings.
If damage occurs
First try to limit the damage without putting yourself or anyone else at risk. Contact the emergency services in an emergency and then notify the landlord and insurer.
Document what happened, what was damaged and any expenses you incur. Do not dispose of damaged items until you have been told how they should be handled. If the landlord claims compensation from you, you should pass the claim to the insurer rather than accepting liability or approving the amount yourself.
Home insurance does not replace the landlord’s maintenance obligations, but it can protect your belongings and finances when something unexpected happens. Check the insurance when the agreement is signed, not only after you have moved in.
