Home insurance: what is third-party liability insurance?

Verified 05 December 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The third-party liability insurance of your home insurance is used to compensate third parties where damage are caused by you, your accommodation or the persons under your responsibility. For example, a fire in your home can spread to the next home. The applicable rules differ depending on who you are tenant or owner. We present you the applicable rules.

You are a tenant

The civil liability home guarantee generally includes 2 strands :

  • the civil liability guarantee privacy,
  • the civil liability guarantee of the occupant.

Civil liability guarantee privacy

The civil liability guarantee privacy covers damage caused to third parties by:

  • yourself,
  • your spouse, your children,
  • your animals,
  • items in your custody (i.e. under your responsibility).

Example :

  • Your child breaks a comrade's glasses.
  • Your dog bites someone on the street
  • You cut a tree and it falls on the neighbor's garden shed.

Occupant's civil liability guarantee

The civil liability guarantee of the occupant covers damage to the rented accommodation. For example: fire, explosion, water damage.

The occupant's civil guarantee also covers damage caused neighbors or condominium when the fire or water damage leaves your home.

Yes, she is mandatory.

Before handing over the keys, the owner may require a insurance certificate covering the rental risks.

Then you have to provide it every year for the duration of the rental.

FYI  

If you have not taken out insurance, the owner can, after formal notice, take out a contract on your behalf to protect the home and third parties.

The contract specifies the exclusions, but some are municipalities à all insurers. In particular:

  • Too bad you're causing yourself to yourself or that you cause to your loved ones
  • Too bad you're causing intentionally
  • Damage caused by your dog, if it is a dog that can be considered a dangerous dog
  • Damage covered by a other warranty (e.g. car insurance, professional insurance).

As a tenant, you must insure routine maintenance of the dwelling.

Thus, if a loss occurs because an item has not been properly maintained, you can be considered liable.

Example :

A very worn shower seal causes a leak that damages the floor or ceiling of the neighbor.

In this case, the insurance company can cover the damage, but it can also refuse to compensate if it considers that there has been significant negligence.

Yes, if a device you use (microwave, washing machine, etc.) causes a fire or water damage.

By contrast, the repair of the device itself is not reimbursed. However, a specific guarantee may provide for such reimbursement.

No, civil liability only indemnifies third parties.

To protect your belongings (furniture, clothing, appliances, etc.), you must have property damage guarantee / multi-risk.

No. The civil liability home guarantee does not cover damage caused in the context of a professional activity or involving professional equipment (computer provided by the employer, tools, specific equipment, etc.).

Indeed, home insurance is designed to cover only situations falling within the scope of privacy. As soon as a loss concerns the professional environment, it is covered by appropriate insurance.

Example :

  • You bring down your business computer and it's damaged,
  • You spill coffee on the equipment of a colleague who came to work at your home.
  • A client or service provider is injured at home in the context of a professional activity (hairdressing at home, consultations, teleworking with the public, etc.).

In these situations, it is professional insurance (from the employer or yours if you are self-employed) who must take over and not your home insurance.

You own

Depending on whether you live in your home or not, two types of guarantees come into play:

  • The civil liability guarantee privacy
  • The civil liability guarantee of the occupant.

Civil liability guarantee privacy

The civil liability guarantee privacy covers damage caused to third parties by:

  • yourself,
  • your spouse, your children,
  • your animals,
  • items in your custody (i.e. under your responsibility).

Example :

  • Your child breaks a comrade's glasses.
  • Your dog is biting someone on the street.
  • You cut a tree and it falls on the neighbor's garden shed.

Occupant's civil liability guarantee

The civil liability guarantee of the building owner covers damage caused to third parties by your accommodation, even without direct fault.

Example :

  • Damage from the water coming from your pipes ruins the apartment below.
  • A wall collapses on the neighboring property.
  • A tile comes off your roof and injures a passerby.

The situation varies depending on whether the dwelling is in condominium or not:

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The accommodation is in condominium

The home liability guarantee is mandatory if you own a condominium, whether you are an occupant or a landlord.

The accommodation is not in condominium (detached house)

The home liability guarantee is not mandatory if you are the owner of a home that is not in condominium. However, it is highly recommended.

If you do not take out home liability insurance, you will have to personally indemnify third parties for damages that you may cause them in the course of your private life or following a home accident.

The contract specifies the exclusions, but some are municipalities à all insurers. In particular:

  • Too bad you're causing yourself to yourself or that you cause to your loved ones
  • Too bad you're causing intentionally
  • Damage caused by your dog, if it is a dog that can be considered a dangerous dog
  • Damage covered by a other warranty (e.g. car insurance, professional insurance).

No, not automatically. The civil liability for conventional dwelling is provided to cover the damage caused as part of your private life, as the occupant or owner of the dwelling. However, renting your accommodation (or a room) on Airbnb or any other platform is a rental activity, sometimes assimilated to a commercial or para-hotel activity depending on the conditions.

That's why most home insurance do not include an office cover for damage caused by passing tenants or third parties in the context of a short-term rental.

As a result,

  • If a traveler renting an Airbnb home causes a fire, water damage, or damage to neighbors, your home insurance may refuse to compensate if the contract excludes seasonal rentals.
  • If you are an owner-occupier and you rent a room from time to time, some insurers agree to extend the coverage via a specific option (often referred to as a “vacation guarantee”, “furnished rental guarantee”, or “seasonal rental extension”).
  • If you rent frequently, your insurer may require a dedicated insurance, because the use of the dwelling becomes assimilated to a professional or commercial activity.

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