well, I've got already an insurance from another country which is covering me if I cause any damage anyway.

But still, is the RC mandatory?

Your landlord/lady as an RC? Fine that means he can be covered by same RC insurance in his/her new place of residence. But the subtenant needs to have a Third Party Liability insurance to cover the occupant against a list of "risks". I am not certain your insurance from another country has a RC recognized in Switzerland. May be (you) have a householdgoods insurance instead for all your personal belongings and/or furniture pieces you traveled with and installed in the new place. Better look in writing for the company confirmation since this can very much turn into an expensive nightmare in a drama situation.

Independantly of your housing situation, you should not even think of not having an RC. Are you sure that your existing insurance will cover all accidents that you may provoke, whether it be sking, or simply tripping up somone on the street? Dmages you may provoke to your housing are only eanuts compared to any bodily damage. Remember also that anything in Switzerland is more expensive than elsewhere (apart perhaps from in the US.) My existing RC has a limit of many millions.

Hi Laura - just to clarify some misconceptions that sometimes arise over RC.

First of all, RC stands for (the French for) Civil Liability.  This means that you (personally) are insured for any damage of any sort that you may inflict on any other person or item of THEIR property.  

It's a personal insurance for you and you alone, to protect you from a third party suing you for damages (hence why tawb's above, runs into millions).

It's not mandatory - at all and has nothing to do with renting per se, however, most landlord's will insist on you having RC when renting a property.   The fact that your existing Landlord has not insisted on you have RC has nothing to do with him.

Just as your existing Landlord's RC has nothing to do with you.  It's his insurance against him/her doing damage to someone else or their property.

I think you'll find (if you read the small print) that your existing insurance from overseas is to cover your own personal property (and I would doubt it's validity in Switzerland) - it's unlikely that it protects you from damaging other peope or their property.

So to confirm, it is not mandatory and the Swiss (and her residents) are VERY risk averse so it's often implied that it is mandatory.

It's entirely your choice, but you shouldn't confuse it with home contents insurance, accident insurance, fire insurance or any other type of insurance you'll be convinced you need.

Example of why you might need it.  You're helping a friend move house, you drop their antique wardrobe in the street and it smashes.  You have no RC insurance, so your friend has to pay for the damage, even though it's your fault.  Goodbye wardrobe, goodbye friend.  (Crap example, but it actually happened to a friend of mine!).

So you're basically paying about 130CHF per year to be a good, honest, respectable "Civilian".  

Now doesn't that make you feel "Swiss"?!?

Some RCs have a one million limit and others a FIVE millions limit.. Just think when you invest for RC cover Fr. 100.-/yr as a premium while you leave in a two-bedroom apartment you save 10 times more if you would be to pay a broken porcelan bathtub, wash basin or toilet or crack window panes...

RC is often bundled with renter's insurance.  I got it all on the same policy.  Just one annual bill plus another for the ECA fire and natural hazards insurance.