THE SHORT ANSWER
Bostadsrättstillägg is additional cover that may pay for damage to parts of a tenant-owned apartment you are responsible for, such as surfaces and fixtures. It may be included in your own home insurance or arranged collectively by your housing association.
Its absence from your policy letter therefore does not necessarily mean you have no cover. Check both your own agreement and the association’s. [2]
Keep these points in mind
- Your belongings and the apartment’s fixed parts are separate areas of cover.
- The association’s building insurance does not itself confirm that the add-on is included.
- Ask for the current terms of any collective bostadsrättstillägg.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Read what your policy letter includes
Look for bostadsrättstillägg or bostadsrättsförsäkring. Check that the correct apartment is listed and that the document covers the current period. Read any endorsements and special terms too.
A product name is not always enough to answer the question. Ask the insurer to explain if the document only says home insurance or the scope is unclear.
[3]Ask the association about a collective add-on
Ask the board or property manager: does the association have collective bostadsrättstillägg that covers my apartment now? Request the insurance statement, terms and instructions for reporting a claim.
Knowing that the association has insured the building does not answer that question. The documents need to show the additional cover for apartment owners.
[3]Check what you are responsible for
Read the association’s bylaws alongside the insurance information. The Swedish Tenant Ownership Act and the bylaws determine how responsibility is divided between you and the association. Responsibility and insurance cover are two different questions.
Write down the part you are asking about, such as the flooring or kitchen fittings. This makes it easier to get a specific answer from the association and insurer.
[1]Read the limits before drawing a conclusion
Compare which events and parts of the apartment are covered. Check the excess, deductions for age, maximum compensation and exclusions. An individual and a collective add-on may have different terms.
If a document is missing, leave the question unanswered. You do not need to guess that cover exists or that it is missing.
[4]
How does it differ from home insurance?
Home insurance may include belongings, personal liability, legal expenses and travel cover. Bostadsrättstillägg covers a different area: damage to parts of the apartment you are responsible for.
This may include floors, wall surfaces and fixed kitchen fittings. Mentioning a part here does not mean that every kind of damage to it is covered. The cause of damage and policy conditions must also fit.
[2][3]Your responsibility is not the same as compensation
The starting point under the Swedish Tenant Ownership Act is that you are responsible for the apartment’s condition, subject to exceptions and possible different provisions in the bylaws. There are special rules for certain shared pipes and for damage caused by fire or water supply pipes, among other things.
Insurance does not pay for routine maintenance simply because you are responsible for it. Who must arrange repairs and which insurance may pay are separate questions when damage is investigated.
[1][3]Separate a potential gap from an unanswered question
If your own policy letter explicitly says the add-on is not included, there is a reason to check cover through the association. If that is also absent, there may be a potential gap for the parts you are responsible for.
In My Forsio, Unverified means the documents are not sufficient to confirm cover. It does not mean you are uninsured. The insurer decides compensation when a claim is made.
Fictional example
A no in the letter. A question for the association.
Your home is a tenant-owned apartment. This is what the available documents show.
- Home insurance
- Your belongings are covered
- Bostadsrättstillägg
- Not included in your agreementPotential gap
- Through the association
- UnverifiedInsurance statement missing
A potential gap to check. The next document to obtain is the association’s insurance statement, rather than assuming the add-on is missing everywhere.
Common questions
Does a collective add-on replace my home insurance?
No. Bostadsrättstillägg and the other parts of home insurance serve different purposes. An add-on through the association does not itself cover your belongings, travel or other parts of home insurance. [2]
What is a deduction for age?
It is a deduction from compensation based on the age of a damaged part. The terms explain which parts are subject to a deduction and how it is calculated. This is separate from the excess. [4]
MY FORSIO
See your insurance in one place.
Bring your policies together and see what the documents show. My Forsio is free for individuals. No invitation needed.
Sources and references
Sources checked
This guide explains general principles of Swedish insurance. Your policy schedule and terms set out what applies to you.