Who is liable if someone slips on the pavement outside a property?

Who bears the legal responsibility for the pavement?

Under Stockholm City's local public order regulations, which are based on the Act on Street Cleaning and Signage, it is the property owner who is responsible for keeping the pavement outside the property boundary free of snow and ice, even if the land itself is owned by the municipality. This applies around the clock, not just during office hours, and the responsibility follows the property regardless of who lives or works there.

The duty applies to all types of property owners: house owners with their own plot bordering the street, housing cooperatives (BRFs) and joint property associations managing shared areas, as well as property companies and landlords with commercial or residential buildings.

• House owners with a pavement along the street
• Housing cooperatives (BRFs) with a path bordering a public street
• Joint property associations managing shared land
• Property companies and landlords
• The municipality for streets and squares it owns itself

When does the property owner become liable for damages after a slip accident?

Responsibility for the pavement is not a strict liability. Under the Tort Liability Act, the property owner must have been negligent, meaning they failed to do what could reasonably be expected to prevent slipping. It is the injured party who must prove both the negligence and that it caused the injury, which in practice makes the outcome dependent on what can be demonstrated afterwards.

Courts and insurance companies often look at how long the ice had been present, what the weather conditions were, whether the pavement had recently been gritted or salted, and whether warning signs were in place. A single slippery patch that formed shortly before the accident is assessed differently from ice that has lain untouched for several days.

• How long the ice or snow had been there before the accident
• Weather conditions in the hours before, for example freezing rain
• The most recent documented gritting or snow clearance
• Whether a warning sign or barrier had been put up
• Whether the property owner had an agreement with a contractor who carried out the work

How does a property owner protect themselves against liability?

The best protection is being able to show that ice prevention was carried out continuously and adapted to the weather conditions. A log of when gritting, salting and snow clearance were carried out, ideally with time and weather details, carries the most weight if a dispute arises after an accident.

Besides documentation, the property owner should check that their home insurance or property insurance includes liability cover for damages of this kind, and that any agreement with a contractor clearly sets out who does what and how often.

• Continuous logging of date, time and action taken
• More frequent inspections during freezing rain or rapid temperature swings
• A written agreement with clear response routines
• Checking that liability cover is included in the insurance
• Warning signs for temporary ice before action can be taken

Do the same rules apply to housing cooperatives and joint property associations?

Yes, the board of a housing cooperative (BRF) or joint property association has the same duty as a private property owner to ensure the pavement facing the street is safe. Hiring an external contractor for snow removal does not relieve the association of its underlying responsibility; the board still needs to be able to show that the work was actually carried out as agreed.

A clear written agreement specifying response times, which areas are included and how often ice prevention is carried out, together with logged visits from the contractor, is what allows the board to feel secure if an accident does happen.

How Service Plus works with ice prevention and documentation

Service Plus Stockholm's snow removal specialist, Skottis, brings their own equipment for clearing, gritting and salting, and adapts the work based on the weather forecast and how slippery the pavement actually is. Every visit is logged with time and action taken, giving the property owner or board concrete evidence should an injury occur regardless. Snow that cannot be placed on the property is hauled away when needed.

What should be included, how often inspections take place and which areas are covered are always agreed during the visit and written into the agreement. Private individuals receive a RUT deduction of up to 50 percent of the labour cost, deducted directly from the invoice. Get in touch for a free quote within 24 hours.