THE SHORT ANSWER
When you rent out your home, you let someone else into it. According to Konsumenternas, home insurance normally does not pay for theft committed by a tenant, because you gave that person access yourself. The question is the same whether you sublet a tenant-owned flat or a house, rent a room to a lodger or let the home for short periods through a platform.
This guide shows where to read what your policy says about letting, what the tenant's own insurance means and which rules on consent apply to a tenant-owned flat and a rental flat. If you are the one renting, read the guide to home insurance when renting, subletting or studying. [1]
Keep these points in mind
- Home insurance normally does not pay for theft by a tenant.
- A subtenant or lodger needs their own home insurance.
- Subletting a tenant-owned or rental flat requires consent or permission.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Read what your home insurance says about letting
Konsumenternas says to check with your insurer how cover applies during the rental. Your home insurance normally does not pay for theft committed by a tenant, and normally not if the tenant damages your belongings either. According to Konsumenternas, the theft cover for your belongings does not apply when you rent out your home.
The policy may still apply to other insured events, for example fire or water damage. If an outsider breaks in during the rental, the policy may apply, but you need to be able to show what happened. Look in the terms for the sections on theft, vandalism and letting, and note what they say about people you have let in.
[1][2]See what a rental add-on covers
According to Konsumenternas, some home insurance policies have a special rental cover that can include theft by the tenant. On one insurer's product page, read in October 2026, such an add-on applies to theft and vandalism caused by the guest. Compensation is at most 100 000 kr for furniture and other belongings and 200 000 kr for fixtures and fittings, and the deductible is 1 800 kr. Cash, jewellery, tablets and laptops are not covered.
The same product page says that damage to fixtures in a sublet tenant-owned flat requires the tenant-owned flat supplement in the home insurance. Read more in the guide to the tenant-owned flat supplement. Konsumenternas also points out that no insurance pays for normal wear and tear, or even neglect. It mentions a written agreement, possibly a deposit that is returned if everything is in order, and removing valuables before the rental.
[1][4]Check the tenant's own insurance
According to Konsumenternas, anyone who sublets or stays as a lodger needs their own home insurance. The tenant is normally not covered by your home insurance, because you do not share a household. Ask to see the tenant's policy document, with name, address and period, before they move in.
The tenant's liability cover may apply if the tenant acts very carelessly and damages your home, for example the kitchen or bathroom. Konsumenternas says liability cover is included in all Swedish home insurance policies but may be an add-on in foreign home or travel policies. If the tenant has all-risk cover, it may pay for an item the tenant accidentally damages, but not in every situation.
[3][2][1]Ask the board or the landlord before letting
For a tenant-owned flat, the Tenant-Owner Housing Act says you may sublet the flat for someone else's independent use only if the board consents. If the board refuses, the Rent Tribunal can grant permission if you have reasons for subletting and the association has no justified reason to refuse. The permission is limited to a set period. Subletting without the necessary consent or permission is, under the Act, a ground on which the right of use can be forfeited.
For a rental flat, the Tenancy Act in Chapter 12 of the Land Code says you may not sublet the flat without the landlord's consent. The Rent Tribunal can grant permission, among other things if you have reasons worth considering and the landlord has no justified reason to refuse, and the permission is limited to a set period. A lodger is different from a subtenant, but you may not take in outsiders if it can cause the landlord harm.
[5][6]
Short stays through a platform
When you let through an agency service such as Airbnb, Konsumenternas says some form of guarantee is often included. Airbnb, for example, offers AirCover for hosts, with property protection and liability insurance for hosts. Konsumenternas points out that both have special terms and exclusions and do not replace your need for your own home insurance.
If you let regularly, Konsumenternas says the letting may be seen as commercial. The legal expenses cover in your home insurance then does not apply if you end up in a dispute with your tenant. Ask your insurer how the policy applies if you let often or for a longer period, as Konsumenternas points out. Also ask the board or the landlord how the consent rules in step four apply to short stays.
[2][1]Tenant-owned flat, house or room: which policy covers what
According to Konsumenternas, a house needs house insurance, a holiday home needs holiday home insurance, and a tenant-owned flat normally needs both home insurance and the tenant-owned flat supplement. If you rent out a house, read what the house insurance says about letting. More on cover for the building is in the guide to house and holiday home insurance.
According to Konsumenternas, damage to items such as windows, doors, fridge, freezer, cooker, dishwasher, washing machine and bathroom fittings is normally paid by the landlord's home or house insurance. The same applies to damage caused by fire or escaping water.
[1]Keep the documents together, let the insurer answer
Keep your home insurance, any add-ons and the tenant-owned flat supplement in My Forsio. Each detail is shown with the passage it came from, so you can read what the terms say about letting, theft and the deductible. If the terms for an add-on are missing, the detail is shown as Not verified, not as confirmed absent.
Forsio does not decide whether a letting is allowed, whether a loss is paid or which insurance the tenant needs. My Forsio shows your own documents and gives no access to the tenant's insurance. Forsio is not an insurance intermediary and does not provide insurance advice.
Fictional example
Sublet for a year, three things to read.
Elin sublets her tenant-owned flat for a year while working in another city. She has added her insurance documents.
- Tenant-owned flat supplement
- Included in the home insurance
- Theft by the tenant
- Excluded in the termsPotential gapNo rental add-on on the policy.
- The tenant's home insurance
- Not verifiedAsk the tenant to show their policy document.
The flat has the supplement, but theft by the tenant is not covered by the terms. Whether the tenant has their own liability cover is not yet confirmed.
Common questions
Does my home insurance apply when I rent out my home?
It can apply to some events. According to Konsumenternas, home insurance may still apply to other insured events, for example fire. It normally does not pay for theft by a tenant or damage the tenant does to your belongings. Check with your insurer how cover applies during the rental. [1]
Does a subtenant or lodger need their own home insurance?
Yes. According to Konsumenternas, anyone who sublets or stays as a lodger needs their own home insurance, because they are normally not covered by the landlord's policy. You do not share a household. Konsumenternas also says that you as the landlord can make sure the tenant has home insurance with liability cover. [3][2]
Do I need the board's consent to rent out my tenant-owned flat?
To sublet the flat for someone else's independent use, the Tenant-Owner Housing Act requires the board's consent. If the board refuses, you can apply to the Rent Tribunal, which grants time-limited permission if you have reasons and the association has no justified reason to refuse. You may not take in outsiders either if this could cause harm to the association or another member. [5]
Can I have a lodger in my rental flat?
The Tenancy Act separates subletting the flat, which needs the landlord's consent or the Rent Tribunal's permission, from taking in outsiders. You may not take in outsiders to an extent the landlord cannot reasonably be expected to accept. Read your tenancy agreement too, and ask the landlord if unsure. [6]
Is the platform's cover enough when I let through Airbnb?
According to Konsumenternas, Airbnb offers AirCover for hosts, with property protection and liability insurance for hosts. Both have special terms and exclusions and do not replace your need for your own home insurance. Read the platform's terms together with your own home insurance. [1]
Does insurance pay for wear and tear after a tenant?
No. Konsumenternas says no insurance pays for normal wear and tear, or even neglect. Instead, Konsumenternas mentions a written agreement and possibly a deposit that you return if everything is in order when the rental ends. [1]
MY FORSIO
Read what your terms say about letting.
Keep your home insurance and add-ons in My Forsio. Each detail shows the passage it came from, so you can read it yourself. Free for individuals.
Sources and references
Sources checked
This guide explains general principles of Swedish insurance. Your policy schedule and terms set out what applies to you.
- Konsumenternas: renting, borrowing or letting out, how insurance applies
- Konsumenternas: renting out a home or car, what to consider (21 June 2023)
- Konsumenternas: home insurance for different kinds of housing
- One insurer's product page on rental cover (October 2026)
- Swedish Parliament: Tenant-Owner Housing Act (1991:614), Chapter 7, Sections 8, 10, 11 and 18
- Swedish Parliament: Land Code (1970:994), Chapter 12, Sections 39 to 41 (the Tenancy Act)