Thank You Allianz Suisse! Landlord / Verwaltung too lazy to do the right thing...

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This is the true short story of how my landlord / Verwaltung refused my request to repair a leaky loft roof that has, in the meantime, caused a little over CHF 10'000 of damage to my property and made my loft almost unfit for human habitation.

It began one quiet summer's day when workman attached solar cell panels to the roof's surface and managed to drill several holes straight through my loft's roof that would ultimately cause rain water to seep through the cracks.

You would think a leaking loft roof should be an urgent maintenance matter for a landlord or Verwaltung, as they are commonly referred to here in Switzerland. Well, in this case, you'd be wrong.

The video was made in July 2010 when the troubles started and since then I've been requesting the leak, including a couple of other equally serious ones around my loft apartment, be fixed.

I of course contacted the local Mieterverein / tenants association, who are usually quite effective with matters such as this, but even they were unsuccessful. Next I got onto my Rechtsschutz / legal insurance and they snapped into action, getting in touch with the landlord and threatening legal action should the leaks not be plugged ASAP. Nothing happened, not even so much as a reply or explanation was issued...

My Rechtschutz, Allianz Suisse in this case, were very good though and didn't let it rest there. They took the case to court, got a nice back dated rent reduction to the tune of 80%, until the leaks get fixed once and for all and are now offering me a relatively sensible insurance payout for the losses I've incurred due to dampness and flooding.

The moral of the story, I suppose, is that even in a highly organised and civilised country such as Switzerland you can come unstuck if you don't have Rechtsschutz / legal insurance. This was one of the best insurance purchases I've made, if only because all the work was taken out of my hands and Allianz Suisse stuck with it.