Contents Insurance

What is contents insurance, and what is considered as contents?

Contents insurance protects your belongings in the event of incidents such as house fires, burglaries and water damage. Imagine that your house or apartment is a doll's house and you turn it upside down. Everything that has now fallen out of it definitely  comes under contents - including the bike in the basement, the ski equipment in the garage and the luggage set in the attic. The sum insured that you choose should enable you to purchase the entire contents of the moving truck brand new.

What precisely are "contents"?

Imagine that your home is a doll's house and you turn it upside down. Everything that has now fallen out of it definitely counts as content – in addition to your bike in the basement, the ski equipment in the garage and the luggage set in the attic.

In other words: If you had to move out tomorrow, what would you give to the movers? All of this comes under contents and should therefore be considered in the sum insured.

Tip: Your chosen sum insured should enable you to purchase the entire contents of the moving truck brand-new.

What is the value of my contents?

Is your furniture brand-new or has it been through the wars? This is of no importance for the sum insured for contents insurance. The decisive factor is not the current value, but the replacement value. To determine the sum insured, you should consider the price at which you could purchase the contents brand new.

How do I calculate the sum insured?

The sum insured corresponds to the total value of your home contents. But can anybody tell you the value you of their home contents at the drop of a hat? This is why you shouldn't just blindly rely on the standard values given by the online calculator. Because the tool doesn't know that you have a valuable mountain bike, 2,000 books or an expensive sound system. 

But be careful. If you set the sum too low, you run the risk that the insurance will only cover part of the damage if worst comes to worst. If you are unsure, we recommend that you go through the apartment with a notepad and compile all the values.

I live with roommates. Do we need one insurance policy or several?

In principle, all roommates can be covered by a joint contents insurance policy. This also applies to personal liability insurance. However, we recommend an individual insurance policy for each person. This will prevent someone from suddenly being left without insurance coverage after moving out. 

What deductible do I have to pay in the event of a loss?

The deductible for an event is usually CHF 200. But Zurich rewards cautious customers: Your deductible is automatically and completely waived after just three claims-free years. You might be glad of that someday. Should you suffer a mishap, at least it will cost you nothing.

Is my bike insured against theft?

Yes, if theft insurance was selected as part of contents insurance, the claim will be covered. For theft outside, e.g. during the holidays, the additional cover "simple theft outside" or "super theft" is required.

Isn't my bike or e-bike already insured under my household contents insurance?

Bikes and pedal-assisted e-bikes capable of speeds of up to 25 km/h are covered under the household contents insurance, but the coverage and sums insured included often do not provide sufficient protection. Bikes are usually lost or stolen outside the house and the household contents insurance only pays if the "simple theft outside the home" supplement is included. However, this is often only the case up to a sum insured of CHF 2,000. Besides, damage due to an accident or a fall is often not covered or limited to a sum insured under the sports equipment or accidental damage to contents insurance. A supplementary bike insurance is therefore worthwhile, especially in the case of expensive bikes or e-bikes. Pedal-assisted e-bikes capable of speeds of up to 45 km/h are only insured under the household contents insurance with the supplementary cover "Motorcycle and electric motorcycles". These fast e-bikes can also be insured under the bike insurance.

Is cash insured as part of contents insurance?

Yes, cash is insured up to a maximum of CHF 5,000, in the event of a fire or break-in, for example. However, in the case of a confidence trick, such as theft of your wallet in a restaurant for example, the cash is not insured.

Can I get better protection for my cellphone?

You can take out additional insurance coverage for "Simple theft outside the home." Because not only can your cellphone be stolen; it could be dropped, hit, drowned in coffee or left out in the rain. The additional module "Accidental damage to electrical equipment" is there for just such damage, whether it was inflicted by you or someone else. In contrast to basic cellphone insurance, your tablet, TV and gaming PC are also protected – in each case with a deductible of at least CHF 200.

How can I protect my luggage?

At Zurich, you can protect your luggage with additional "Super theft" coverage, the improved version of "Simple theft outside the home." Alongside loss or damage resulting from theft outside of the home (e.g. theft of a bicycle), "super theft" provides cover for damage to or loss of luggage for distances of more than 50 km away from your fixed residence or in the event of at least one overnight stay away from home. In addition, the agreed upon sum insured is automatically doubled in such cases.

Do I need ski insurance in addition to contents insurance?

Usually it is more inexpensive to include the supplementary insurance for "accidental damage to sports equipment" in the contents insurance. This supplementary insurance covers, not only ski breakage, but damage to other sports equipment (including bicycles of a value of more than CHF 1,000).

Should I also take out personal liability insurance? What is this?

Personal liability insurance is often taken out together with contents insurance. This insurance is definitely recommended: it is there for damage that you mistakenly inflict upon others – if you were to stumble, for example, and knock an antique vase off its pedestal or put a burn in the carpet of a hotel room. If something "stupid" happens, so to speak.

But there are also situations that should not happen: for example, if you run a red light on your bicycle and injure a pedestrian or if you light a candle, then leave the house and the building catches fire. Such behavior is considered gross negligence – and in such cases insurers have the right to reduce their benefits.

Tip: Be sure to include gross negligence cover with your personal liability. After all, who can completely rule out the possibility of something really stupid happening to them? The extra few francs are a good investment and ensure that you receive the best possible protection – even if your mind was somewhere else entirely for a moment.

What is the best way for me to insure my other electrical devices?

The additional module "accidental damage to electrical equipment" in contents insurance provides comprehensive coverage for all electrical devices in the household, from your mobile phone, tablet and TV to gaming PC. Irrespective of whether your mobile phone is stolen, the tablet is dropped or you accidentally spill coffee over the laptop - loss, damage and destruction are covered and equipment is replaced up to an amount of CHF 2,000, always with a deductible of at least CHF 200. It makes no difference whether you caused the damage yourself or someone else.