Leak in a Swedish co-op flat: who pays for a SEK 60,000 floor?
If the association's main pipe leaks, it pays for the SEK 60,000 floor. Your home insurance pays for the SEK 15,000 sofa, minus the excess.
A pipe in the wall bursts and the water ruins the kitchen floor in your co-op flat. A new floor costs SEK 60,000, and your SEK 15,000 sofa is ruined too.
Who pays for the floor, and who pays for the sofa? The answer depends on which insurance covers what. Many people have insurance but do not know what it covers.
Three policies with different jobs
| Policy | Who needs it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Home insurance ("hemförsäkring") | Everyone, whatever the home | Your belongings, liability, legal costs, assault and travel |
| House insurance ("villaförsäkring") | Anyone who owns a house | The building itself and the plot |
| Co-op add-on ("bostadsrättstillägg") | Anyone who owns a co-op flat | What you must maintain inside the flat |
Home insurance covers furniture, clothes and electronics. It pays, for example, for theft and for damage by fire or water. The basic cover always includes travel, legal expenses, liability and assault cover. Travel cover usually applies to trips of up to 45 days.
House insurance covers the house. The basic cover includes fire, water damage from pipes, natural damage and damage to installations such as a boiler. It also covers your liability as a property owner. Many insurers sell home and house insurance as one package.
The co-op add-on normally covers surfaces, fixed fittings, windows and doors in the flat. Some housing associations have a group add-on for all members. Ask the board before you buy your own. Insurance is one of the things to sort out around the key handover when you buy a home.
The leak in the co-op flat: who pays?
The Swedish Housing Cooperatives Act ("bostadsrättslagen") sets the main rule. The association is responsible for water, drain and heating pipes it has installed that serve more than one flat. For water pipe damage, you only pay for the repair if you caused it through negligence. That also covers someone in your household, a guest or a tradesperson you hired.
Some common cases:
- The association's main pipe leaks. The association pays for the repair. Your co-op add-on does not pay for damage the association is responsible for by law. Your furniture falls under your home insurance.
- Your dishwasher leaks after a careless installation. You may have to pay. Your neighbour and the association can also claim money from you. The liability cover in your home insurance helps if someone makes a claim against you.
- Water leaks through the bathroom floor. Many policies do not pay for damage where water has passed through the waterproof layer. Some do if industry rules were followed when the bathroom was last done.
- Rain gets in through the roof. The roof is the association's responsibility, and it pays to repair the roof. If the association neglected its maintenance, you can claim damages for the harm inside your flat.
An example: the main pipe leaks and a new kitchen floor costs SEK 60,000. The association pays for the floor. Your home insurance pays for the SEK 15,000 sofa, minus the excess.
The association's bylaws ("stadgar") can split responsibility in more detail. Read them, especially the part about maintenance.
If you own the house
In a house, there is no association to turn to. If water leaks from a pipe that has broken, the house insurance applies. It also applies if water comes up through the drain. Many policies make an age deduction. That means lower compensation the older the damaged part is.
Five things to check in your policy
- That you have the right policy for your type of home.
- How high the excess is.
- Whether all-risk cover is included. It is an add-on for sudden accidents, such as dropping your phone.
- Whether a garage, shed or small extra house is listed in the house policy.
- How long the travel cover lasts.
If damage happens, report it to your insurer and, in a co-op flat, to the association.
Sources
- Housing Cooperatives Act (1991:614), riksdagen.se
- Konsumenternas: home insurance, what is included
- Konsumenternas: house insurance, what is included
- Konsumenternas: co-op insurance, what is included
- Konsumenternas: water damage in a co-op flat
This content is general information, not financial or legal advice. Bolån Radar collects data from banks and authorities and cannot guarantee that it is complete or free of errors. Talk to your bank or an adviser before you decide.