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Home insurance: what is the civil liability guarantee?

Verified 22 January 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Civil liability is the obligation to compensate for damage caused to others. When it comes to home insurance, it's about repairing the damage caused by an element of your home: water leak, tree fall, wall fall, fire, etc... You can protect yourself by taking out the civil liability guarantee in your home insurance contract. The insurance will then cover the repair of the damage caused by your accommodation. But there are exceptions.

The civil liability guarantee subscribed covers the damage you cause to third parties.

The warranty also covers damage caused to third parties by persons or things that are your responsibility:

  • Your children, if they live under your roof (adult children living under your roof are in principle also covered)
  • Your parents living under your roof
  • Your employees (housekeeper, gardener, babysitter...)
  • Your animals (or the ones you keep)
  • Your items or those you have borrowed or rented
  • Your dwelling that you own or rent (for example due to a lack of maintenance or a construction defect, even if the dwelling is unoccupied or rented)

Warning  

it is important to check the persons covered by the guarantee in your contract, because not all insurers consider them in the same way.

Some damages are not covered by the insurance's civil liability guarantee. These are mainly the following damage:

  • It's a shame you're causing yourself or your loved ones
  • Damage you intentionally cause
  • Damage caused by your dog, if it is considered a dog dangerous
  • Damage caused by a motor vehicle (special car insurance)
  • Damage related to your professional activities at home (special insurance).

If you find yourself in one of these situations, you will need to personally to make good the damage.

However, some of these exclusions may be the subject of a specific contract. So, for example, you can guarantee your professional liability.

You can take out a specific insurance, called civil liability private life.

However, if you have multi-risk home insurance, the liability guarantee is included in your contract.

Some compulsory insurance includes a limited liability guarantee, in particular tenant insurance.

Others partially guarantee you. This is the case, for example, for the following contracts:

Where to subscribe?

You can take out an insurance contract civil liability private life with an insurer.

Points to check in the contract

Contracts may differ in terms of collateral.

Before signing the contract, certain points must be checked, in particular:

  • Persons in the household who are guaranteed
  • Presence of deductibles
  • Limits of the guarantees provided for (exclusions, ceilings, etc.)

You can also ask your insurance for warranty extensions.

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