Hi Marion,

All residents of Canton Vaud are required to have insurance against fires and natural disasters, which in French is "l'incendie et les elements naturels". That's what this letter is about, and in short, you will have to pay.

You'll be surprised to learn that normal household contents insurance does not cover loss due to fire. Claims made under contents insurance tend to be relatively small: theft or damage of personal belongings, etc., amounting to no more than a few thousand dollars. However, in a fire or flood, often one loses everything they own, and the monetary value of the goods lost can be quite significant, and can easily reach tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The insurance companies are aware of this, and as such have two different types of insurance. You are not obligated to have contents insurance, but in Vaud everyone has to provide proof of fire insurance to the canton in a similar manner as proving one has health insurance.

The canton provides fire insurance at a quite competitive rate, and the advantage of getting it through them is that it saves the hassle of also having to prove to them that you are covered. You will have to fill out a form claiming the total value of all goods in your household, and then they will calculate a premium based on this amount. Do not be tempted to underestimate the value of what you own in order to get a lower premium. It is not expensive insurance anyway, and if anything happens, you want to make sure you have adequate coverage to make up for your loss.

I think one of the letters you have received will already have this form on the reverse side. Simply fill it out and send it in, and you'll receive a quote from them in a few days.

HeatherM